Free Software for Sprinkler Hydraulic Calculations by Alan Ashfield

Click here for further screen shots / details about CO2 - you need to download AAINFO.EXE first. However, I do NOT have any software for low pressure CO2, FM200, Inergen, Novec1230, Argonite, LPG Inert IG-55, Nitrogen IG-100, Argon IG-01, Proinert or any other fixed-fire fighting gaseous systems, as only their suppliers have the equations, tables, procedures etc.

FREE program 10 of 10 : AABACKUP

A useful "one-click" utility to copy all your data files from my various free programs to another folder on your computer, another PC on your network or NAS, USB drive or external hard disk and perhaps for further archiving to the "cloud" or CD / DVD for off-site retention. Very simple and quick to use but I could do a YouTube video if needed!

My programs on this website ...

There are NO setup / install routines (containing extra, unwanted or ancillary software, toolbars/search add-ons - just one uncompressed .EXE file per program), nor any registrations, activations, licenses, agreements, serial numbers, time limits, restrictions, limitations, "nag" screens, terms / conditions, Email addresses, personal details, credit / debit cards, invoices, CDs to post, subscriptions, donations, update fees, payments now or at any future time. They are only available in the English language and metric units and not in any other languages or "imperial" units. Please note that I have nothing to SELL so there is nothing for you to BUY from me - there are NO premium or paid-for upgrades.

I think you will find that this is the ONLY website offering recently produced FREEWARE for the FULL HYDRAULIC CALCULATION of fire sprinkler protection systems within buildings to the NFPA / FM Global / CEA / EN Rules in metric units. This site does NOT have any cookies, restricted areas, invitations, surveys, questionnaires, special offers, advertisements, videos, "Flash", links to external urls, logins, passwords, scripts nor any user tracking or "analytics", so cannot pose any security or privacy issues regardless of which browser you use.

Free Download ...

Click here, or on the button above, to anonymously DOWNLOAD the latest version of AAINFO.EXE (about 430 KBytes) - "Save" it to any convenient folder / directory / folder on your computer, exit this browser, locate that location and 'double-click' to "Run" it. Some Windows versions / browsers also allow you to "Run" the download directly in the default folder but you may have to click "accept", "run anyway" or similar to any security prompts given. See program 1 of 10 above for more details. AAINFO allows you to quickly download and evaluate my FREE innovative, modern, comprehensive do-it-all hydraulic analysis programs FREESHP, EASYSHP, VSHP, AACALC7, 3RD, CO2 and HYD but you cannot download my programs in any other way from any other website.

Windows 8 Consumer Preview Edition ...

I have now checked that ALL of my FREE programs work exactly as designed under the 32 and 64 bit versions of the newest Windows 8 operating system, available from a free Microsoft website. Whilst downloading the AAINFO program (through the IE 9.0 or 10.0 browser), you must choose 'Save', 'Run' then 'More Info' and 'Run Anyway' at the security screens that pop up, not just for my program but most other downloads. AAINFO then operates fine and allows all the rest of my programs to be quickly downloaded (without further interruption) which then run correctly. As I produce all my programs using Delphi Pascal, then I do not have to change a single line of code, nor do you need to download anything else, for my programs to run under Windows 8 (remember no setup / install options either and there are no incompatibility issues).

The only problem I have encountered is that the mouse / keyboard were set to 'wake up' the computer, so when I picked up the mouse one morning, the PC turned itself on! The following screen-shot shows the 'Grid Wizard' part in FREESHP so you can therefore be confident that any projects you run on these programs now will work when you upgrade later in 2012 :-

As you don't actually install my programs they do not appear as "tiles" on the METRO screen (intended for touch-screen tablets / smartphones) but I think it is easier to 'right-click' on the program file and select "Pin to taskbar" when running on the familiar desktop as shown above. All the rest of the programs listed on this website will also work in Windows 8, both 32 and 64 bit versions.

No doubt, other suppliers will be keen to demonstrate how their "paid-for" software operates under Windows 8 and will soon change their websites accordingly. However, if you have actually purchased any hydraulics programs, then perhaps you ought to check that all your jobs will work when you upgrade. You can, of course, download Windows 8 for yourself (64 bit version is 3.3GB and preferably, on a spare computer) but this may not work as not all the other suppliers allow you to copy your own purchased programs to another computer, do they? Several suppliers using obsolete versions of the Microsoft VB language (where support stopped in 2005) have already withdrawn those programs (or just stopped updating their websites or have not sold any since I started to offer FREE versions) leaving those few users now stranded.

You can easily check if your chosen program will be affected - just hover your mouse over an "OK", "Cancel" or "Apply" button; if you don't see a 'hint' or it's border does not change colour or the screen looks just like it did for Windows 95 / 98 (when 800x600 pixels was considered high resolution on a 15" CRT screen!), then it could have been developed using VB3-VB6 and may need to be rewritten in VB.NET for Windows 8.

Other sprinkler rules ...

Do the fire protection authorities in your country have their own set requirements for hydraulically designed systems - pipe types / equivalent lengths or types of fittings / any other factors - that are different from the EN / CEA / NFPA / FM Rules?

If so, just Email me those schedules, tables or notes and I will add them to whichever of my software packages that best suits your needs. No charge - all part of the service.

You need never buy any sprinkler design / hydraulics software again ...

If you currently have the older CALCER, CALCPLUS, COMMERCIAL 5.8, DASHBOARD, FHC, FIRE, HYDRACALC, PIPENET, SHC, SPRINKCALC or WINSPRINK hydraulics programs, then my FREESHP and/or AACALC7 software will be a complete FREE replacement suitable for all your future projects in the metric units of measurement. Beginners or students can also choose from EASYSHP, VSHP or HYD with 3RD for Residential / Domestic systems and HPCO2 for your high pressure CO2 fire protection systems.

Yes, I offer essentially complete FHC programs, entirely FREE to download, FREE to use, FREE Email technical support, FREE to print on paper / to PDF files, FREE updates (so you will always get the latest version), FREE upgrades, FREE to pass on to Reviewers or others and FREE transfers between computers / locations for private, personal, educational, training, business or commercial uses at home, in the office, other branches (even in other countries), on site, in client's offices etc. without any restrictions / limitations that you have to pay to remove. Each hydraulic calculation you do will cost absolutely ZERO for software. Previously you would have to spend thousands of dollars or euros for a single program (to use how many times a year?) but I now provide many alternatives, to suit differing requirements, and just give them all away.

There is no need to use 'torrent' software to get free copies of my programs from very dubious sources as they don't cost anything in the first place! Your existing laptop / desktop computers, if purchased in the last 10 years, will be adequate to run all my programs, any CAD software is optional and you may not even require a printer as you will be Emailing your data files or PDFs of results to Reviewers. You do not have to buy any new computers, especially as prices are rapidly increasing due to the flooding in Thailand.

Feedback ...

If you have previously used another FHC program, then my one(s) will be very easy to adjust to as they nearly all involve much the same processes. You may prefer to 'draw' out your pipework scheme (FREESHP, AACALC7, 3RD or CO2) or wish to continue with a screen editor / spreadsheet format (EASYSHP, VSHP or HYD). You can therefore email me if you have any questions or if you get stuck on a specific point - please put the program name in the 'Subject' line. If that particular program proves not of benefit, then no problem, you can just chose another of the similar software packages that, I and only I, offer for FREE on this website.

If you have NOT previously used any sprinkler hydraulics programs, then you have come to the right place on the Internet as only I provide, entirely FREE, a complete range of finished, established and proven software packages ranging from the very simple up to the very comprehensive. You can therefore choose the one that 'looks' right to you and learn about it at your own pace - you don't need to attend any expensive training courses as they always bombard you with so much information in a few hours that you cannot possibly take it all in and will have to learn for yourself, at home or in the office, in any case.

To assist, I provide many demonstration examples within the programs that you can start with and there is extensive 'Help' text at the appropriate sections. I would suggest that you create a small pipe layout (or follow the little schemes in the various Sprinkler Rules) and enter, amend and evaluate those pipe sizes (why can't they all be 50 or even 25mm?), sprinkler head / nozzle sizes (are bigger ones better for the smaller hazards?), positions of the design areas (why is sometimes the most remote head on the second range from the end?), bigger pumps / tanks and smaller pipe sizes (or vice versa?). Only when you become proficient at whichever program you select, will be able to confidently proceed with a real, live project.

If my programs do not satisfy your needs ...

What does matter to me is if NONE of my programs are applicable to your projects or method of working, which is why I will always answer your Emails with any (sensible) suggestions. As I am the only person in the UK actively developing new / free sprinkler design software for the Windows 7 (soon to be 8) operating systems, then I am also the best person to contact if you have any ideas in this matter :-

• Have you seen or used other similar software that gets some parts right but are completely useless in other respects, or are just too expensive?
• If you have adopted a good method of producing your sprinkler layout drawings in CAD but are not able to do any AutoLISP routines to 'fill in' the data forms for your current sprinkler hydraulics program?
• Do you have any specific ideas for an alternative method of entering pipes / nozzles etc, the hydraulic calculations or results presentations but do not have the programming knowledge required, then perhaps I could assist using Visual Basic, C++ or Delphi? Obviously, I am not going to help you in writing entire programs that compete with my ones, but, as they are all FREE, you are going to find that pretty difficult! I assume you have already seen the little BASIC listings on the NEWS page.
• Do you have any specific requirements for other programs for use on site or within your design office, that are not covered by any of the existing packages?
• Do you think I should resurrect the separate GRIDEST program (just 9 numbers required to determine and calculate the 2 design areas in a gridded pipework system) I did (for MS.DOS) for the Fire Surveyor magazine back in June 1990? With DOSBOX, I could do this tomorrow if of interest.
• Do you think I should resurrect the old CAD2FHC program idea from 1999 if that was a sensible alternative to mark up the 'nodes@heights' at pipe junctions / heads in your CAD program?
• Do you think I should redo the Installers Pump Data Sheet program dating from the introduction of EN12845 before they abandoned the 70/140% idea and went back to Qcap / Qmax?

then I would welcome a full discussion on those, or other, subjects - just have the title line of "Feedback" in your Email - all such new programs will, of course, be entirely FREE.

If you are based outside of the UK / Europe ...

I would readily concede that Full Hydraulic Design Calculations are not for everybody, especially overseas, where English is not your first language (so you have great difficulty in reading this extensive website) or where nearly all the existing sprinkler installations are of the Pre-Calculated or Pipe Schedule types. Also, you may have found out that there are NO software companies in your country that offer FHC programs in your own language so rightly assume that the corresponding Reviewing Authorities have NEVER seen the sorts of programs / results sheets as described on this website, so you just carry on as before.

The entry of the "right" data for my programs takes hours, not minutes, so if you think you can just download my software and have all the pipes, heads, pumps and tanks sized and drawn out that day for a complicated project, then you are going to be disappointed! If you cannot be bothered to enter pipework systems pipe by pipe, range by range (as if there was any other method!) or you do not have the right expertise or confidence to carry out such essential calculations, then you may be better off engaging another, specialist company to do the project for you and many have now been set up. I gather lots of clever people have been made redundant from established sprinkler companies recently and now work from home, at minimal cost, using the latest free CAD / hydraulics software packages, so can offer very competitive rates compared to your own staff.

I suggest you check with your local reviewing authorities as to which computer printouts / drawings they have seen recently or just do a "search" for appropriate companies - don't forget that they do not even need to be based in the same country as everything will have to be in English and all the project data files / drawings can be quickly Emailed for you just to pass on. I repeat that ALL my programs are FREE so your Reviewers / Fire / Insurance etc. authorities can just download that particular software to view the same calculations / drawings.

In fact, I will only be too pleased to help individuals to set up their own on-line businesses as you will, hopefully, be using my programs. I cannot guarantee to get you any commissions, of course, but I can advise on CAD / hydraulics and web design software that may help - my Email address is at the top of this page.

Start at the water supply OR furthermost operating head ...

Whilst all sprinkler software, including my ones described here, uses "node" numbers to identify pipe junctions, operating heads and pipes, most demand that you MUST start at the source - pump, gravity tank or city / towns main and work OUTWARDS to the hydraulically demanding area. However, FREESHP is unique in only requiring "node refs" at the much fewer tees / crosses, not at the start and end of EVERY pipe in your system. This also means that you can begin at the pipe to the furthest operating head / nozzle and then specify the previous pipes leading BACK to the source one-by-one, updating the drawing each time and using the Copy / Paste options to repeat any common pipes (remember, no actual "node" numbers). Every few pipes / heads so added, you can use the "Calculate" option to ensure that any pipe sizes you give are correct for the corresponding flow rate before typing in the remaining upstream pipes. You will not get the right answer, of course, until you finish at the source but you may find this method more intuitive and quicker in practise than always starting at node 100.

I offer only FULL software ...

My hydraulic analysis programs are not simply 'trials' or 'demonstrations', like my competitors offer for free, but only for one, usually fairly old program, and then for just 15 / 30 days when they charge you. All my programs are essentially complete and proved on actual projects by many hundreds of users now over the last 2 years or so. I realise that you will never be doing hydraulic calculations all day, every day, so cannot justify the high cost of alternative software packages. However, I can only offer English language / metric units / Windows versions of them to the latest editions of the various sprinkler Rules and all are all classed as "FREEWARE", not "shareware" or "open source". They cannot be downloaded from any other websites, will never be available for purchase and are not suitable for Precalculated / Pipe Schedule sized sprinkler systems.

Please note ...

My programs are not applicable for use in Australia, Germany, Italy, Myanmar, Poland, Singapore, South Africa or the United States of America as their Sprinkler Rules / units of measurement are different. Also, I am unable to assist with the actual DESIGN of sprinkler systems so please do not ask 'how many sprinklers / what size or arrangement of pipework' is needed in a specific size of building as several people have emailed recently!

Updates / Support Fees ...

Nearly all the other hydraulics software suppliers levy substantial annual fees to "lock" you into continually paying for the program you bought several years ago. These are simply intended to prevent you changing to another package so if you ever stop paying, the program will stop working and you may not be able to modify / run your old projects. This does NOT apply to my programs as there are no time limits (or any features that disappear) and all updates / upgrades are free.

If your current program supplier has increased their update fees and/or not actually made any substantial changes this year, then I am sure that one or more of my programs would be a suitable alternative. Perhaps you could ask why this yearly fee stays constant or goes up above the rate of inflation? Surely you have now got used to that programs quirks and foibles so have not actually asked any questions / needed clarification over the past 12 months, or the supplier always said their program was "finished and comprehensive" (why change it - did you ask for something), so why do you have to pay at all?

Perhaps you should suggest that a much cheaper "pay per question" approach would be better or they have just lost so many users to my FREE alternatives that all the people who want to stay with them have to pay more.

Try my programs ...

In fact, you can have ALL my programs, with their FREE updates / support, several times a year, for less than you now pay for one months update fee, let alone what you pay for a whole year.

As nearly all such programs operate in the same basic general way, then once you have got used to running ONE program (designing, noding up, typing in, selecting the area for calculation, determining the source duty, amending data and getting the results printouts etc), it will be very easy to change to any of my more modern ones, selected from the list below - no further training will be required.

Besides, these could be described as 80 / 20 programs - 80% of your time is spent using 20% of the options / commands - the rest being there for infrequent, special or specific cases. You are bound to encounter some problems the FIRST time you run any program (everybody does!) but once you have completed, say, 2 or 3 projects, everything will become clear as to why I have arranged the program(s) the way I have. After all these are not my first hydraulics programs, (are they?), unlike some of my competitors who have produced, how shall we say, very unique programs, that even they have difficulty using and describing!

If you are just starting on the full hydraulic calculation of sprinkler systems, then just think what would happen if you paid thousands of dollars or euros for a program and then found it was too complicated for you to use? Would you then pay even more for training of staff (who may just leave!), buy another program (perhaps not!) or just go back to pre-calculated systems? All my FHC programs can be evaluated, anonymously, for as long as you wish, for absolutely nothing - a much better alternative, I think you will agree.

Reviewers ...

All your reviewers can also have my FREE programs, so you only need email them the project data files (they are just 'text' so cannot harbour viruses), rather than static results printouts / PDFs, that the alternatives force you to do. However, you can still print out the results presentations or produce PDF files if you really, really want to! Please note that these programs are NOT "approved" or "listed" by any reviewing authority as none of them have yet got around to approving / listing any software in this essential area.

It is also very easy to SHARE your project data files with other members of the design team as they can just download my programs for FREE. You can only do this with the paid-for alternatives if everybody you deal with has the same hydraulics program which will cost hundreds / thousands of dollars / euros!

Your privacy is assured ...

You only have to type in your company name / address on the first run of each program, just for the results presentations and not for transmittal to me nor anybody else. If you wish to have several 'identities', then just copy the chosen program to different folders / directories for each one. I therefore do NOT have your address, telephone number, Email address, credit card or any other details, so if you never contact me, the program originator, then I will not know you have them and so cannot contact you! I will ONLY ever reply to any Email you may send to me and do NOT share them with any 'partners' and do not record / retain them so you will never get unsolicited Emails from me. Each program is completely self-contained in just one .EXE file - no unzipping, Java / .Net framework / support files are required - even the "Help" screens and "demonstration" jobs are inside the programs.

About me ...

As I am just a private individual (based near Peterborough U.K), not a company, the programs listed here did not cost anything to produce (just a bit on electricity and headache tablets) so I can offer them to you for nothing. Just ask yourself how many other people / companies do you know have written their own hydraulics programs going right back to SPRINKLE for the Amstrad PCW8256 in 1985, then SPRAY, SDS, SHP up to FHC for Windows 95 in 1997. I also did various tree / grid estimating programs and articles / listings in specialist magazines - my first was in 1979!

All the brand NEW programs described on this site below have been developed, by me and me alone, since 2009 so are the most recent, up-to-date and comprehensive ones you can download and use completely FREE OF CHARGE in your sprinkler design offices. HYD dates back to 2000 and CO2 to 2003 but was converted from the MS.DOS one I did in 1988.

Kindly note that I am NOT on FaceBook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, About.me, Instant Messaging or Skype - that's why there are no 'Like' buttons, RSS feeds, Forums or similar or any photographs of me anywhere on the Internet. I do not use Google, Apple or Microsoft browsers, only use DuckDuckGo for search and (as far as I am aware), there are no links to this website. You can therefore contact me by Email or telephone (ordinary land-line - I don't even have a mobile phone! - don't laugh!) or not at all, as YOU choose, as I have no other way of ever communicating with you.

Websites offering FREE full hydraulics programs :-

If you want the lowest possible price for FHC software, ie. FREE, then these are your choices :-

• freehc.net [FREESHP, EASYSHP, VSHP, AACALC7, 3RD and HYD - this site!]

Thats all - just me! Well, there is SPRINKLE (not my 1985 one) at sourceforge.net - an "open source" project in the C programming language that you can download but, as there hasn't been a single line of code added (not even by the originator) since 2002, then I think you will be wasting your time there.

Websites offering full hydraulics programs YOU CAN BUY :-

If you wish to pay up-front and an annual charge for updates / support, then just ignore the above programs and select one of the following, how shall we say, "established" providers. You may find, however, that these websites have not been updated for many years and their products have only had minimal additions and "bug" fixes since being originally developed, some as far back as Windows 95 / 98 - just look at some of their screen shots for dates. Most are in the range of 1000 to 3000 dollars / euros but I have excluded those who do not quote the cost ("if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it") or are not in English :-

• canutesoft.com [FHC by Canute LLP in Leeds]
• elitesoft.com [FIRE by Elite Software in USA]
• fireacad.com [FireAcad and CalcPlus by FireAcad Inc in Canada]
• hydratecinc.com [HYDRACAD and CALC by HydraTec Inc in USA]
• hydronicseng.com [COMMERCIAL 5.8 by Hydronics Eng in USA]
• igneusinc.com [SHC by Trevor Spain in USA]
• mepcad.com [AutoSprink by M.E.P.CAD in USA]
• omnicadd.com [OmniCADD by OmniCADD Inc in USA]

Be aware that some of the above websites do not bother to illustrate what INPUT DATA you have to prepare for a given project. You must therefore download their free trial (to get your Email address?) to find out it is just too complicated / involved for your use. Likewise if the RESULTS are not shown, then they can't be much good, can they?

Reasons for now producing AAINFO :-

28th July 2011 - After two years of successful operation by allowing you to download FREE copies of my hydraulics programs, somebody deliberately overloaded this website by initiating over 20Gb in a few hours. I then asked interested visitors to Email me and I would forward the requested programs as 'attachments'. I then found that my 'inbox' was completely full of SPAM messages, every single day, from hundreds of weird 'services' that I cannot cancel. I have therefore no other option but to delete this Email address and have also discovered that some students in India and Malaysia have used a binary-file editor to modify some key data items in my programs and had tried to sell them to unsuspecting sprinkler firms.