The following steps illustrate how to set up and use flexible sprinkler connections. This document assumes you are using HydraCAD Versions 50.09 or 51.09 or newer.
Defining the Flexible Sprinkler Connection
- Pick Select Sprinkler (SSP)
- Pick the “New Symbol” button and select the folder of the brand of flex head to be created
- Select the symbol that has the desired length and orientation needed for this instance.
- Choose the orientation using the following guidelines:
- xxxFlexDown – outlet comes off the bottom of the branch line
- xxxFlexUpright – outlet comes off the top of the branch line
- xxxFlexSide – outlet comes off the side of the branch line
- Choose whether the sprinkler will be connected to a Drop or a Sprig. These are the only two settings that AutoCalc will recognize
- Pick OK. A second dialog will appear for you to select the dummy symbol to use for the display of the flexible connection
- Select a symbol and pick Open
- In the block redefinition screen the Material and Description will automatically be selected based on the type of flexible connection chosen. The Outlet Orientation and Head Location are pre-set and can be left as is:
Inserting the flexible connections on the drawing
There are two ways to insert flexible connections:
- Pick Insert Sprinkler (IS). Insert the ‘dummy’ head symbol in the drawing at the desired location of the actual sprinkler head. Next, pick the point on the branch line where the flex fitting is to be connected. You will likely want to use an object snap, we recommend NEArest. If the distance between the dummy head and the connection point exceeds the absolute length of the flexible connection, a warning message will appear:
You may continue to place the head at the selected location or you may quit and pick a different location. Please note that the absolute length does not take into account turns or fittings attached to the flexible connection.
-or-
- Insert ‘regular’ sprinkler heads and use Autoline (AUL) to convert the regular heads to flexible connections by selecting that option.
Three things will be inserted: the dummy symbol will be inserted first, a polyline will be drawn from the head symbol to the selected connection point on the branch line and a connection fitting will be inserted at that connection point. The direction of the outlet on this fitting is determined by where you pick when you placed the dummy head. The polyline, symbol and text can be relocated using grips; the connection fitting must not be moved.
Either way, the dummy symbol is inserted in the DETAILS layer, the polyline in the FLEXPIPE layer and the flexible connection text in the HEADTEXT layer. The actual connection fitting itself is inserted in the SPRNKS layer.
Calculating and Listing Flexible Connections
The dummy head symbol and polyline will not be recognized by AutoCalc and AutoList; it is the connection fitting that is actually picked up by the processes. When setting up for AutoCalc the operating symbols should be placed on the connection fitting at the branch line and not on the dummy head symbol.
When running AutoCalc, the heads will be entered as a drop or sprig into the “Equivalent K Piping” tab provided you have checked the “Set up Drops as Equivalent K-Factors” option.
Once in Hydraulics you will need to add the fittings for the connections. Right click the fittings column next to the drop and select the length of flexible connection you are using.
If the fittings do not appear in the right-click fittings menu in HydraCALC then you will need to assign a “short name” in the fittings table for the flexible connections.
See the “Utilities” section of the HydraCALC manual for help with short names.
Viewing Flexible Connection in the 3D Model
After inserting the heads raise the drawing into the 3D model. On the HydraCAD SMaRT toolbar pick the Show Flexible Sprinkler Connections command located on Show System Model flyout.
The flexible connections should now be represented in the 3D model. Please note that this will need to be done each time the model is created.
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