Keep Your System Protected

The following guidelines will help you know when the various parts of your sprinkler system are required to be inspected. There are also some tips to help you maintain your system in between inspections.

Weekly Inspections
• Verify all control valves are in the correct position
• Verify that all gauges on dry/preaction/deluge systems read correct psi
• No flow fire pump test

Closed control valves account for nearly half of all sprinkler system failures, making it the principal threat to effective sprinkler protection. Valves are closed for a number of reasons, most of them legitimate, and then forgotten. However, one in every three control valves discovered shut was closed without permission. Therefore, a visual inspection of each valve is critical. And, while electronic monitoring of tamper switches is a valuable safeguard, it does not replace physical inspection.

Monthly Inspections
• Verify all gauges on wet systems read correct psi
• Verify all tamper switches activate correctly

Quarterly Inspections
• Fire department connections are okay
• Main drain flow test (s)
• Water flow alarm test(s)
• Drain all drum drips and low point drains

If you are getting a considerable amount of water out of your drum drips and low point drains during quarterly inspections, you may want to drain them more frequently. This can help to prevent pipe corrosion and freezing during colder months.

Whitewater Fire Sprinkler is happy to train your staff on how to perform and document the weekly, monthly and quarterly inspections that are required at your facility. However, while trained facility staff can easily perform quarterly inspections on wet systems, it is typically recommended that a fire sprinkler contractor perform quarterly inspections on dry/preaction/deluge systems.

Annual Inspections
• All control valves exercised
• All visible Sprinklers okay
• All exposed pipe, fittings & hangers okay
• All backflow devices tested
• Full flow fire pump test

Annually, prior to the onset of freezing weather, all areas of the building that are serviced by a wet sprinkler system should be checked for adequate heat. This includes windows, skylights, blind spaces, unused attics, stair towers, roof houses and low spaces under buildings. These are areas that are not typically accessed by the fire sprinkler contractor during his or her routine inspections but must be heated to at least 40 degrees to prevent freezing.

Three Year Inspections
• Full trip of dry/preaction/deluge system

Five Year Inspections
• Internal Obstruction Investigation
• Hydrostatic and/or flow test of standpipe systems
• Replace or test all water/air gauges
• Overhaul backflow preventers

Keep in mind these guidelines are only a brief summary of the inspection and maintenance required for a sprinkler system. Every facility has a different combination of components and environment and requires different testing. Please consult your fire sprinkler contractor for more information on what you can do to protect your sprinkler system.