Things You Should Know About Fire Protection Inspections
If you are a property owner or a building manager, you should be aware for the need for inspections and testing of your fire protection systems. It can be hard to know the do’s and don’ts for taking care of your fire protection systems. Luckily, with the help of a fire protection contractor, taking care of your systems is simple.
Why Should I Get Inspections with a Fire Protection Contractor?
- Inspections should be performed on regular schedule
- Inspection and service multiyear contracts can give you discounts
- Professional inspections allow your systems to keep operating properly
- Inspections are required by the property insurer, and city regulations
- Reduce the risk of business shutting down
What Components of Fire Protection Systems Need to be Inspected?
Inspections of your sprinkler systems include visual checks of all the sprinkler system components. Inspection frequency is dictated by NFPA 25.
- Sprinkler heads
- Control valves
- Tamper switches
- Signage
- Fire dept connections
- Caps
Things you Should Avoid Doing When It Comes to Inspections
- Do NOT wait until you get an inspection letter from the city to get an inspection. Have your inspections performed in advance to avoid consequence such as fines or shutdowns.
- Do NOT neglect inspections and maintenance if your building is empty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Your systems still need care and attention even if your building is not occupied.
- Do NOT wait to schedule an inspection. Inspections should be scheduled in advance so your fire protection contractor can get it done when it is needed and when it fits your schedule.
- Do NOT work on a live sprinkler system. Working on live systems is not only dangerous, but it could also cause flooding and costly damage to your property. If your sprinkler system needs repair or service, call your fire protection contractor.
What Maintenance Tasks Should Be Done by the Building Owner?
Although a fire protection professional needs to perform quarterly, annual, and 5-year inspections and testing, building owners are still responsible for some maintenance tasks. Performing maintenance and visual checks of your fire protection systems between visits by your contractor can help you catch issues with your system and prevent system failure and property damage. The building owner is responsible for:
- Visual checks of sprinkler system valves to make sure they are open and allowing water flow to the sprinklers. Closed control valves are a cause of sprinkler system failure.
- Make sure systems are free from obstruction: the building owner must make sure that all components of the fire protection system have clear access and are not obstructed.
- Keep wet systems properly heated: It is the duty of the building owner to make sure that areas where there is a water filled pipe present are heated to a minimum of 40 degrees (F).
- Signage: the building owner is responsible for making sure that there is proper signage placed at the system control riser
What Happens if You Don’t Prioritize Inspections?
Failing to perform inspections, testing and maintenance of fire sprinkler or fire protection systems can have devastating consequences. Some consequences of neglecting inspections include:
- Leaking, rusty, and damaged components
- Property damage due to false activation
- Shortened system life span
- Fines, penalties, or shutdowns due to not meeting regulations
- Fire protection system failure
Why Work with WSFP for Inspections?
The team at Western States Fire Protection is ready to help you with all of your inspection needs. We want to make it easy for you to manage the inspections and testing of your fire protection systems. At WSFP, we offer inspections testing and service for all of your fire protection systems. When you bundle our services, you can save as much as 20% on your fire and life safety inspections.
We stock components from most major manufacturers and can provide replacements for many fire protection system components such as:
- Sprinkler heads
- Control valves
- Fire dept connection caps
- Flow switch alarms
- Tamper switch alarms
- Corroded, leaking pipes, fittings
We want to help you make sure your system is functioning properly and remains code compliant. If you are interested in working with us for fire protection inspections, contact us today.