Fire Sprinkler Wrenches

[Bus]

All the postings about fire sprinkler wrenches motivated be to round up mine. Here are the wrenches that I could find that I think are sprinkler wrenches, they measure from 8" to 10" long

Left side (bottom to top)
1. IHW 32
2. "AUTOMATIC" SPRINKLER / 38-0708
3. SMALL FRAME SPKR.- F799 SPKR WRENCH K-2 - FITTING SIDE (with a "G" in as triangle logo) / LARGE FRAME SPKR - F799 SPKR WRENCH - FITTING SIDE (with logo)
4. GLOBE / P-119
5. GLOBE

Right side (bottom to top)
1. VIKING
2. "AUTOMATIC" SPRINKLER CORPORATION OF AMERICA YOUNGSTON, OHIO 3B-711A / 38-600 SPRAY SPRINKLER 38-700
3. QUARTZOID - SPRINKLER SIDE (with a "G" in a triangle logo) / DURASPEED - FITTING SIDE (with same logo)
4. AUTOMATIC 38-114
5. STAR SPRINKLER CORPORATION / PHILADELPHIA PA (with a star logo on each side)

[rusty]

What a nice assortment :)

The G in a triangle is Grinnell's mark, partly company mark, and perhaps also casting mark, as they had their own sand foundry for making pipe fittings, and I have heard persistent rumors they were making other things there as well. (About the time I had access to what was left of the local foundry here, someone took all the mahogany sand patterns home and burned them in the wood stove :(

[turnnut]

that would make a nice display with a few mounted sprinklers.

nice collection you have there.

[Chillylulu]

What a nice assortment :)

The G in a triangle is Grinnell's mark, partly company mark, and perhaps also casting mark, as they had their own sand foundry for making pipe fittings, and I have heard persistent rumors they were making other things there as well. (About the time I had access to what was left of the local foundry here, someone took all the mahogany sand patterns home and burned them in the wood stove :(

They made Grinnell fittings, gem valves, grinnell hangers, etc.  The G is for "Gem" (Grinnell's sprinkler manufacturung company.)

Gem us part of Tyco, Grinnell fittings is now Anvil.

Star was bought out by Central, which was in turn bought by Tyco.  Globe Sprinkler is still alive and kicking. Automatic sprinkler isn't around, but their owner Chemetron is.

I have a lot of old sprinklers, if you want I can see if I have any that went with those.  I also have a lot of old, and many new head wrenches.

Sprinkler systems are supposed to have a spare stock of sprinkler heads and wrenches in a spare head box, located near the main feed riser in a building.

By the way, unlike in the movies, sprinklers are each operated by heat - usually only a few operate.  There is no way to turn them all on.  Sprinkler systems are not even designed to extinguish fires, except for some recent types for certain warehouses.

Chilly

[Plyerman]

A neat wrench category. I didn't realize there were so many.

[Lewill2]

Chilly, it would be interesting to see pictures of the different style sprinkler heads if you have the time to photograph and post them.

[Chillylulu]

Quartzoid is the Gem (Grinnell) name for their first glass bulb head. They were an upgrade to solder type linkages. Most sprinklers today operate off of  a glass bulb that breaks at a given temperature. The bulb color indicates the temperature. Most common is red for 155º.

A lot of people dont realize that fire sprinklers were some of the earliest trades on construction, pre-dating electricity and hvac. They were installed in mills and other higher hazard type occupancies.  Some of the earliest systems had perforated pipes connected to a water tank.  If there was a fire they would open the valve and flood the place.

Chilly

[jabberwoki]

Oh no I could so start collecting those.
Very nice.

[Bus]

Oh no I could so start collecting those.
Very nice.

They are interesting wrenches and cheap. They usually sell for only a few dollars at the wrench auctions.

[Chillylulu]

Oh no I could so start collecting those.
Very nice.

They are interesting wrenches and cheap. They usually sell for only a few dollars at the wrench auctions.

For me (being in fire protection, mostly fire sprinklers, 32 yrs in August) they are very common.  Are they at all rare?  Also they are mostly cast iron, not so great to begin with.  The better ones are the ones that are sockets and go on a 1/2"ratchet, imho.

Chilly

[Bus]

I also have a Grinnell Quartzoid box with two wrenches, one Quartzoid sprinkler head (top row), two star heads (middle and bottom row) and one unidentified head (bottom row, right).

[Plyerman]

Neat! How old would that be Bus?

[Chillylulu]

I also have a Grinnell Quartzoid box with two wrenches, one Quartzoid sprinkler head (top row), two star heads (middle and bottom row) and one unidentified head (bottom row, right).

May I offer a couple of corrections?  The box is a Gem head box.  The top head is a Gem Duraspeed pendent head, 165º, 1/2" thread, brass. The yesr of manufacture is stamped on the rim of the cup, open side.  A Quartzoid hesd is shown in the picture posted inside the head box.  It is the one on the left, with the glass bulb.

The same headwrench often fit many different models or types of sprinklers. Yours fit noth the Duraspeed and Quartzoid models it seems.

The head with the blue liquid in the bulb is a high temperature (280º) upright, I'm not sure but it kind of looks like it has 3/4" threads which would make it an 8.0k sprinkler.  I think it may be a Viking sprinkler, but it may be Central (CSC) or Reliable (RASCO) sprinkler. Date is probably 2 number, stamped in the weench boss.

Notice how the sprinklers in the picture have curved over, smallish deflectors?  They are called "old style" and could be installed pendent or upright.

Chilly

[Lostmind]

You guys are amazing with your knowledge. This is the best forum on the Net.
Never any BS , just info and help.

[Bus]

I took the heads out to check the markings. the top one is marked "Grinnell Duraspeed - C- Spray Pendant SSP-1" (can't find a date marking). The wrenches with the box fit the Duraspeed head.

Then two Star heads are marked "Star - D - Upright Spray Sprinkler SSU".

The small one is marked "1987" and  "Upright 589A - 286º F. / 141º C. 589A" (with "FM" in a diamond logo). All are 1/2" male pipe threads.