Why and When Do Fire Sprinklers Need Inspections?
Your home or business relies on a whole suite of firefighting mechanisms to keep you and your loved ones safe. These items can range from extinguishers to sprinkler systems, but they’re only useful if you know they’ll work when the time comes.
Take your fire sprinkler system inspection checklist, for example. Regularly running through that is the only way to ensure that you can rely on the equipment. What needs to be checked? Why are inspections so important? When should they occur?
Read on for more insight into which parts should be checked and when per the standards of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA):
- Complete test: This is the whole enchilada. This testing process will hit everything on your fire sprinkler system inspection checklist and should be done annually. These procedures include low-flow tests, alarm tests, deluge, fire pump tests, antifreeze-concentration tests and trip tests. If you can check all of these boxes with a functioning and efficient system, you should be in good shape for the year to come.
- Gauges: Your fire sprinkler system inspection checklist should include taking a look at the gauges on a weekly basis if you have a dry, pre-action or deluge system in place. They’re no good to you or your loved ones if they can’t operate, and the entire system seizes up if they’re not functional. As a result, they require the most frequent inspections. Alternatively, if you have a wet pipe system, they only need to be inspected on a quarterly basis.
- Water flow alarm devices: When you’re thinking about how often you should get your fire sprinkler inspected, you should know that some additional pieces need an annual inspection in addition to the complete test described above. The components falling under this umbrella include supervisory signal devices, control valves, hydraulic nameplates and supervisory alarm devices.
- Pipes, fittings and other details: These numerous and diverse sprinkler components include everything from pipes and fittings to bracings to spare sprinklers to information signage mounted around your building(s). These are items that are either unlikely to be dislodged or damaged during regular usage or are otherwise needed more for a rainy day than for regular functioning. As a result, you can probably get by just fine with an annual inspection of these pieces.
- Sprinkler piping: An item on your fire sprinkler system inspection checklist that only needs to be done every five years is a thorough internal inspection of the sprinkler’s piping. Checking for rust and corrosion is important but only needs to be done twice a decade or so due to the durability of most piping used in modern systems.
If you’re in the market for a professional fire sprinkler system inspection company to perform these services, look no further than our team right here at AAA Fire Protection Resources, Inc. We provide all sorts of fire protection consultations and can help you create the protection plan that your home or business needs. We’ve been providing this service for 40 years. protecting your friends, neighbors and colleagues. We stand on this quality and longevity, and our reputation speaks for itself, so call us today.
Categorised in: Fire Sprinkler Contractors
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