Would you risk your commercial building without getting a proper fire suppression system? If you don’t want to do that, you should get a properly-maintained fire sprinkler system. It can offer much-needed protection to your building during a fire emergency. Along with that, you can continue to save lives and property.
What exactly is a fire sprinkler system?
A fire sprinkler system can help you with suppressing a fire that arises within your property. The main elements of a fire sprinkler system in a structure are:
- A source of water.
- Water distribution pipes.
- Sprinkler heads that are mounted in ceilings and walls.
To contain or put out a fire, fire sprinkler systems spray water in the affected regions. We design these systems to provide the most coverage wherever they are deployed. Fire sprinklers typically release water and sound an alarm when they detect an interior temperature that is higher than a predetermined threshold.
Why do fire sprinkler systems sometimes malfunction?
Numerous multifamily buildings and commercial buildings depend on fire sprinkler systems to operate properly. It’s critical to understand why these systems malfunction from time to time.
Over 600 sprinkler system failures are reported each year, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The good news is that most fires can be effectively put out by well-maintained fire sprinkler systems since they work properly more than 95% of the time.
The following are common reasons why fire sprinkler systems malfunction:
- Manual assistance
- Sprinkler system damage
- System settings
- Inadequate system design
- Insufficient upkeep
The majority of these problems may be readily avoided by performing routine fire safety system checks. The NFPA advises doing inspections every month, every three months, and every year.
Inspections of fire sprinkler systems every month
A monthly examination of a fire sprinkler system should validate the following:
- Accessible, properly labelled, leak-free valves are present.
- Wet gauges provide accurate water pressure readings and are in excellent working order.
- Standard water pressure is shown by dry gauges, which also reflect the same pressure for the quick-opening mechanism and the dry pipe valve.
Quarterly inspections of fire sprinkler systems
The following should be checked during a fire sprinkler system checkup every quarter:
- Check for physical damage on the supervisory alarm and the water flow alarm.
- Confirm that all connections to the fire department are accessible.
- Verify that none of the fire department’s connections have leaks.
- Inspect pressure-reducing valves to check for leaks and maintain the pressure downstream.
Annual inspections of fire sprinkler systems
A qualified code-compliance inspector must conduct a thorough examination of the fire sprinkler system every year in addition to checking all the elements mentioned above for tagging and documentation.
For the protection of their property and the safety of their tenants, commercial property owners are required to keep their fire sprinkler systems in good working order.
Contact professional help if needed
You need to get in touch with a professional services provider to get a fire suppression system installed. After installation, you must contact expert support to maintain it properly. Make sure to work with an expert and ensure that your fire sprinkler system is working properly at all times.