Fires are dangerous and expensive, especially in commercial or industrial settings. Fortunately, fires in warehouse settings have decreased sharply over the last 30 years, totaling only 1,200 in 2011. One of the biggest reasons behind this decline is major improvements in safety standards, but another contributing factor is superior fire sprinkler services.
But the only reason fire suppression technology like sprinklers are able to help stop fires is their intensive maintenance. Whether you’re looking for fire sprinkler repair in Atlanta or you want to beef up your regular maintenance, here’s what you need to do.
Spot Inspections
While regular fire sprinkler inspections are always a good idea to protect your commercial building, you should also be aware of the common signs that you require immediate fire sprinkler repair services. If you spot any of these warning signs, contact repair services ASAP:
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- A loose or damaged sprinkler head
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- Any amount of leaking water
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- You find that tenants or employees have been hanging wires, clothing, lights, or other items from sprinkler pipes
- A false or tripped alarm
Additionally, make sure you’re following all local fire regulations. For instance, here in Atlanta, in addition to the weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual inspections described below, many systems will also require an internal inspection every five years. Remember to retain the results of all inspections.
Weekly Maintenance
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- Gauges
Gauges on dry or deluge systems should typically be inspected weekly to ensure normal reads on both air and water pressure. If there isn’t a normal read, it’s important that you seek out fire sprinkler maintenance and repair.
- Gauges
- Control Valves
These are essentially what control different parts of your sprinklers, so it’s important to make sure they’re intact, locked, and properly sealed.
Monthly Maintenance
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- Wet Pipe Gauges
If you’re using a wet pipe system, it’s important that the gauges are checked monthly. You should be looking for steady water pressure and any physical damage.
- Wet Pipe Gauges
- Alarm Valves
You don’t have to dismantle a sprinkler system for this inspection, as an external inspection will do the trick.
Quarterly Maintenance
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- Alarm Devices
Your alarm devices should be checked once approximately every three months. The biggest factor in your fire sprinkler inspections should be checking for physical damages.
- Alarm Devices
- Hydraulic Nameplates
Above all else, this should be secured to the sprinkler riser and it should be clearly visible to anyone passing. If it’s not legible, you need to make moves to replace the nameplate or re-position it.
Annual Maintenance
When it comes to annual maintenance, you should entrust the task to a licensed technician. Any commercial fire sprinkler repair in Atlanta should be handled exclusively by the company responsible for installing your sprinkler systems. Annual fire sprinkler inspections should include:
- Gauges
- Control Valves
- Alarm devices
- Sprinkler Heads
- Pipes and fittings
- Main drain
- Water flow alarm
Having a fire sprinkler system in place is one thing, but making sure it’s properly installed and maintained at specific intervals is another process entirely. And it’s one of the most important to remember! With this comprehensive maintenance checklist, you should be prepared for anything.
