# Can I tap a sprinkler line for a furnace humidifier? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 21, 2008, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-tap-a-sprinkler-line-for-a-furnace-humidifier/468889 "2008-10-21T14:25:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-tap-a-sprinkler-line-for-a-furnace-humidifier/468889/1 "2008-10-21T14:25:15Z")
The basement of the apartment building has several lines off the main water line that each run to a sprinkler head for a fire-supression system. I want to run a line from the basement up through the floor to our apartment on the first floor so that I can attach a humidifier to the forced air heating system we have. The closest pipe to our apartment is one that dead ends in a sprinkler head. Since these humidiers only use a bit of water anyway, is there a safety problem with my hooking up to that line? Would I be compromising, in any way, the integrity of the sprinkler system by doing that? ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-tap-a-sprinkler-line-for-a-furnace-humidifier/468889/2 "2008-10-21T14:33:43Z")
> [@CC](#): > > The basement of the apartment building has several lines off the main water line that each run to a sprinkler head for a fire-supression system. I want to run a line from the basement up through the floor to our apartment on the first floor so that I can attach a humidifier to the forced air heating system we have. The closest pipe to our apartment is one that dead ends in a sprinkler head. Since these humidiers only use a bit of water anyway, is there a safety problem with my hooking up to that line? Would I be compromising, in any way, the integrity of the sprinkler system by doing that? Depending on the type of system it may make a huge mess and or set off alarms any time water is pulled through the system. There may not even be water in the line. a lil reading > **[Fire sprinkler system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_sprinkler_system)** > > A fire sprinkler system is an active fire protection method, consisting of a water supply system providing adequate pressure and flowrate to a water distribution piping system, to which fire sprinklers are connected. Although initially used only in factories and large commercial buildings, systems for homes and small buildings are now in use. > Fire sprinkler systems are extensively used worldwide, with over 40 million sprinkler heads fitted each year. Fire sprinkler systems are generally desig... ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-tap-a-sprinkler-line-for-a-furnace-humidifier/468889/3 "2008-10-21T15:35:14Z")
That would be a colossally bad idea. Some fire sprinkler systems are “dry pipe” meaning there’s no water in the pipe, so you might as well have tried to get water out of a floor joist. Aside from that, tampering with sprinkler lines in an apartment building is almost certainly illegal. As a final discouragement, the water in sprinkler pipes is not exactly fresh - the sediment and pipe scale that builds up over the years is no problem for sprinklers, but it’ll clog your humidifier. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-tap-a-sprinkler-line-for-a-furnace-humidifier/468889/4 "2008-10-21T16:46:51Z")
Do you have any way to tap into bathroom/kitchen water lines? [If so, it is easy to run a line to your humidifier.](http://www.ehow.com/how_2104184_tap-water-line.html) ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-tap-a-sprinkler-line-for-a-furnace-humidifier/468889/5 "2008-10-21T16:51:31Z")
Nope, that’s the problem, and the copper lines downstairs are quite far from where we need them. That’s why I was toying with the idea of tapping a line that’s closer. But all the furnace humidifiers that I see use a tap into a copper line, anyway, and given the configuration of our apartment and the heating system, I’m thinking I’m going to just have to continue with the room humidifiers - a serious pain in the ass. Thanks, dopers. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-tap-a-sprinkler-line-for-a-furnace-humidifier/468889/6 "2008-10-21T17:00:38Z")
One should never compromise an emergency/security system, be it out of alleged “convenience” or otherwise. That would include fire sprinklers, emergency lighting, alarm systems, etc.