NFPA CFI-I Exam - Topic 4 Question 13 Discussion

Actual exam question for NFPA's CFI-I exam

Question #: 13
Topic #: 4

At what minimum pressure would automatic sprinkler piping be hydrostatically tested if the maximum system pressure is 175 psi (12 bar)?

A175 psi (12 bar)

B200 psi (13.8 bar)

C225 psi (15.5 bar)

D250 psi (17 bar)

Show Suggested Answer

Suggested Answer: B

According to NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, all sprinkler piping must undergo a hydrostatic test to verify its strength and leak resistance.

Hydrostatic testing must be conducted at a pressure of 200 psi (13.8 bar) or 50 psi (3.4 bar) greater than the system's maximum working pressure, whichever is higher.

Since the maximum system pressure is 175 psi, the test pressure must be at least 200 psI .

175 psi (A) is the system pressure, not the test pressure.

225 psi (C) and 250 psi (D) exceed the required test pressure.

NFPA 13, Section 25.2.1.1: Hydrostatic test requirements for sprinkler piping.

by Tegan at Jun 11, 2025, 05:08 AM

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Pansy

5 months ago

The standard is indeed 200 psi for testing.

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Shawna

5 months ago

I thought it was 225 psi? Seems high.

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Norah

5 months ago

Definitely B, can’t risk it with lower pressure!

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Scarlet

6 months ago

It’s usually 1.5 times the max pressure, so 200 psi sounds right.

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Jackie

6 months ago

Wait, why would it be 250 psi? That seems excessive.

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James

6 months ago

I thought it was 250 psi, but I might be mixing it up with another type of system. I need to double-check the guidelines.

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Hildegarde

6 months ago

I feel like the answer might be 225 psi, but I can't recall if that's the standard for hydrostatic testing.

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Julio

7 months ago

I remember a practice question where we had to calculate the test pressure based on the system pressure. I think it was around 200 psi for a system like this.

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Laila

7 months ago

I think the minimum pressure for hydrostatic testing is usually 1.5 times the maximum system pressure, but I'm not entirely sure how that applies here.

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Ah, I remember this from the lecture. The hydrostatic test pressure is typically 50% higher than the maximum system pressure. So if the max is 175 psi, the minimum test pressure would be 175 + (0.5 x 175) = 262.5 psi. I think the answer is D.

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Tashia

7 months ago

I'm a bit confused on this one. I know the hydrostatic test pressure needs to be higher than the maximum system pressure, but I'm not sure of the exact relationship. I'll have to review my notes and try to reason this out.

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Linwood

7 months ago

Okay, let me see if I can figure this out. The maximum system pressure is 175 psi, so the hydrostatic test pressure needs to be higher than that. I'm thinking the answer is probably B or C, but I'll have to double-check the typical pressure increase for hydrostatic testing.

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Meaghan

8 months ago

Hmm, I'm a little unsure about this one. I know the hydrostatic test pressure is usually higher than the maximum system pressure, but I'm not sure by how much. I'll have to think this through carefully.

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Kayleigh

8 months ago

This one seems pretty straightforward. The question is asking for the minimum pressure for hydrostatic testing, and the maximum system pressure is 175 psi, so I think the answer is A.

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