NSF International, a global independent public health organization that writes standards, and tests and certifies products for the building and construction, water, food, and consumer goods industries, has certified Uponor piping and fittings for meeting stringent fire protection requirements for sale in the U.S. and Canada.
Uponor is the first PEX pipe manufacturer to earn certification under NSF International’s Fire Sprinkler Pipe and Fittings Program. Uponor’s PEX piping and fittings were tested to ensure compliance with all fire protection requirements for multi-purpose piping as defined in the International Residential Code (IRC) and the National Building Code of Canada. Uponor’s pipe and fittings also comply with NSF/ANSI Standard 61: Drinking Water System Components-Health Effects, NSF/ANSI Standard 14: Plastic Piping System Components and other standards for potable water applications and residential use.
NSF certified pipe and systems fittings must meet rigorous requirements for use in multi-purpose systems that serve both drinking water and residential fire sprinkler applications, and also comply with UL 1821, Standard for Safety Thermoplastic Sprinkler Pipe and Fittings for Fire Protection Service and ULC/ORD-C199P, Combustible Piping for Sprinkler Systems. Both U.S. and Canadian building codes require water distribution products used in fire protection systems to conform to these standards. Uponor’s
NSF-certified fire sprinkler pipe may now bear the NSF-fs (fire safety) mark, as well as UL 1821 and ULC/ORD-C199P standard designations, and it appears on NSF International’s online listings. NSF International will conduct ongoing testing and unannounced inspections to verify that the pipes continue to comply with all requirements.
“We support NSF International’s fire safety testing and certification program. NSF has long provided excellent customer service regarding technical and regulatory issues and has a mark that is synonymous with public health protection,” said Mary Kimlinger, Uponor’s Associate Sustainability Manager.
“NSF International built its fire safety certification program with the same unwavering commitment to public health, superior customer service and regulatory acceptance as all of our testing and certification programs,” said Jeremy Brown, Business Unit Manager of NSF International’s Plumbing and Plastics Certification Programs.
“Certification helps companies like Uponor demonstrate to consumers and builders that they can choose their products with confidence, because they meet U.S. and Canadian standards for safety and quality," Brown said.
NSF International is designated as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and is accredited by the International Accreditation Service (IAS), the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) and the American National Standards Institute. NSF’s plumbing and component program, trusted by the regulatory community for nearly 70 years, provides fire safety testing and certification to industry standards to verify product safety and quality.
The NSF Fire Sprinkler Pipe and Fittings Certification Program builds on NSF’s expertise in piping and components certification. In 1965, NSF established a standard (NSF/ANSI 14) to create criteria for physical and performance requirements, health effects, quality assurance and records maintenance for plastic piping system components and related materials. Today it is the most widely accepted and specified standard for plastic piping systems.