What fire sprinkler inspection involves
Fire sprinkler inspection is the scheduled check, test and upkeep of a building’s water-based fire protection system. The work is defined in NFPA 25, the standard for the inspection, testing and maintenance of water-based fire protection systems. It splits into three kinds of task:
- Inspection. A visual check that components are in place, undamaged and in the right position: control valves open and sealed or locked, gauges reading normal pressure, sprinklers free of paint, corrosion and obstructions, and fire department connections capped and clear.
- Testing. Operating parts of the system to prove they work: flowing water through the main drain and the inspector’s test connection, tripping alarm devices, and trip testing dry pipe valves.
- Maintenance. Repairs and replacements found during inspection and testing, such as replacing a damaged or painted sprinkler, a failed gauge or a leaking valve. Larger repairs are handled as fire sprinkler repair.
A typical commercial site has a wet pipe system, where the pipes hold water at all times. Unheated areas such as loading docks, canopies and parking structures may have dry pipe systems that hold air until a sprinkler opens. Some buildings also have a fire pump, standpipes or a backflow preventer on the fire line, and each has its own inspection tasks.
Fire sprinkler inspection requirements: codes and standards
Codes are adopted locally. The fire code official, or authority having jurisdiction, for each location decides which edition of NFPA 25 applies and who may perform and report the work.
- NFPA 25. Sets the inspection, testing and maintenance intervals for sprinkler systems, fire pumps, standpipes and related equipment. The intervals in the table below are taken from a Minnesota Department of Health summary of the 2011 edition. Later editions changed some intervals, so the edition adopted for each location governs.
- OSHA. For sprinkler systems installed to meet an OSHA standard, 29 CFR 1910.159 requires the employer to maintain the system, perform a main drain flow test on each system annually and open the inspector’s test valve at least every two years. It also requires at least 18 inches of vertical clearance between sprinklers and material below.
- Monitoring. Model codes require sprinkler control valves and waterflow to be supervised by a listed fire alarm control unit, according to the National Fire Sprinkler Association. Waterflow and tamper tests are therefore coordinated with the alarm monitoring company.
- Impairments. Under the fire code as adopted in Syracuse, New York (Section F901.7), the fire department and fire code official are notified immediately when a required system is out of service, the owner assigns an impairment coordinator, impaired systems are tagged, and the fire code official can require evacuation or an approved fire watch until the system is restored. Other jurisdictions have similar rules in their fire codes.
Preventive maintenance schedule for fire sprinkler systems
A sprinkler system gives no warning that a valve has been closed, a gauge has failed or a pipe has started to corrode inside. Planned inspection finds those conditions before a fire does, reduces emergency leak calls, extends the life of valves and sprinklers, and produces the records that fire officials and insurers ask for.
| Task | Recommended frequency | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Check control valves are open, accessible, sealed, locked or supervised, and not leaking | Monthly | NFPA 25 (2011), 13.3.2, as summarized by the Minnesota Department of Health |
| Check wet pipe system gauges for condition and normal pressure | Monthly | NFPA 25 (2011), 5.2.4.1 |
| Check dry pipe system gauges for normal air and water pressure | Weekly, or monthly where air pressure is supervised at a constantly attended location | NFPA 25 (2011), 5.2.4.2 and 5.2.4.3 |
| Inspect waterflow and supervisory alarm devices, and the fire department connection | Quarterly | NFPA 25 (2011), 5.2.5 and 13.7 |
| Test vane-type and pressure switch waterflow alarms | Semiannually | NFPA 25 (2011), 13.2.6 |
| Main drain flow test on each system | Annually | OSHA 29 CFR 1910.159(c)(2) |
| Inspect sprinklers from floor level and the spare sprinkler cabinet | Annually | NFPA 25 (2011), 5.2.1 and 5.4.1.4 |
| Partial flow trip test of dry pipe valves | Annually; full flow trip test every 3 years | NFPA 25 (2011), 13.4.4.2.2 |
| Replace or test gauges against a calibrated gauge, and inspect internal piping | Every 5 years | NFPA 25 (2011), 5.3.2 and 14.2.1 |
| Check for storage within 18 inches of sprinklers | Monthly, and after every reset or remodel | OSHA 29 CFR 1910.159 sets the clearance; frequency is Facility First program default, adjusted per site |
The authority having jurisdiction, the manufacturer and the property’s insurer can require more frequent service, and each location’s schedule is set in its program and recorded on every visit. See the preventive maintenance checklist.
Sprinklers themselves have a service life. Under the 2011 edition summary, sprinklers in service for 50 years are replaced or sample-tested by a laboratory acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction, fast-response sprinklers at 20 years and dry sprinklers at 10 years.
Signs a sprinkler system needs attention
- A control valve found partly closed, unsealed or with a broken tamper switch
- A gauge reading zero, reading outside its normal range, or unreadable
- Sprinklers that are painted, corroded, loaded with dust or grease, or bent
- Stock or fixtures stacked within 18 inches of sprinklers after a reset
- Water at drains, pipe joints or the riser, or rust stains on ceiling tiles
- Repeated supervisory or trouble signals at the alarm panel
- A fire department connection with missing caps or blocked access
- A dry pipe system that keeps losing air pressure
Records to keep
- The inspection, testing and maintenance record for every visit, showing the procedure, who performed it, the results and the date, available to the authority having jurisdiction (NFPA 25, 4.3)
- As-built drawings, hydraulic calculations, acceptance test records and device manufacturers’ data sheets, kept for the life of the system (NFPA 25, 4.3)
- Dry pipe valve trip test records, including initial air and water pressure, tripping air pressure and, for full flow trip tests, tripping time
- Impairment records: tags, notifications, fire watch logs and the date the system was restored
- Deficiency reports with the date and provider for each correction
Retention periods are set locally. The Minnesota State Fire Code, Section 901.6.2, for example, requires records to be kept on the premises for at least three years.
How Facility First runs fire sprinkler inspection across a portfolio
Facility First manages the work. Licensed sprinkler contractors in each location’s market perform it.
- Schedule. Each location’s systems, edition of NFPA 25 and inspection intervals are set up in its program, and visits are scheduled before they fall due.
- Dispatch. A vetted local provider receives the work order with the system type, prior reports and open deficiencies.
- Coordination. The alarm monitoring company is placed on test, and the location is told when water will flow.
- Inspection and report. The provider completes the report, with photos of the riser, gauges and any deficiency.
- Deficiencies. Critical items are escalated at once. Others are quoted, approved within the client’s limits and scheduled. See NTE meaning.
- Impairments. Where a system must be taken out of service, the impairment steps above are followed. Where a failure leaves a location unsecured, McCray can post an officer until the work is complete. See Security by McCray.
- Close-out and invoice. Reports are filed to the location’s record and work is invoiced in one format.
What affects the cost of fire sprinkler inspection
- Number of systems, risers and zones at the location
- System type: wet, dry, preaction, deluge or antifreeze
- Whether a fire pump, standpipes or backflow preventer are included
- Five-year tasks such as internal pipe inspection and gauge replacement
- Ceiling height, lift access and after-hours scheduling
- Alarm monitoring coordination and local report filing
- Number and type of deficiencies found
Fire sprinkler inspection for retail stores, restaurants and offices
Retail stores. Stockrooms and displays change with every season, so storage clearance is the most common finding. Inspections are scheduled before opening, and in shopping centers the landlord may own the riser and run its own inspection.
Restaurants. Kitchen hoods are protected by a separate suppression system, but dining rooms, storage and coolers are covered by sprinklers. Grease and steam can load nearby sprinklers.
Offices. In multi-tenant buildings the landlord usually controls the riser and valves, and tenants are responsible for keeping their fit-out clear of sprinklers. The lease sets who pays for deficiencies.
Frequently asked questions
How often does a fire sprinkler system need to be inspected?
It depends on the component. Under the 2011 edition of NFPA 25, control valves and wet pipe gauges are checked monthly, alarm devices quarterly, sprinklers annually, and gauges and internal piping every five years, and OSHA requires an annual main drain flow test where it applies. The edition adopted by the local fire code official governs.
Who can perform a fire sprinkler inspection?
The authority having jurisdiction decides who may inspect and whether reports are filed with the fire department. Facility First dispatches providers that hold the licenses the location’s jurisdiction requires.
Does the water get turned off during an inspection?
Routine inspection does not shut the system down. Some tests flow water briefly, and any repair that takes the system out of service is handled as an impairment, with notifications and tagging.
What is a five-year sprinkler inspection?
It adds tasks that NFPA 25 sets on a five-year interval, such as an internal inspection of piping and replacing or testing gauges against a calibrated gauge.
Do old sprinkler heads have to be replaced?
Under the 2011 edition, sprinklers in service for 50 years are replaced or sample-tested by a recognized testing laboratory acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction, with shorter intervals for fast-response and dry sprinklers.
Sources
- OSHA: 29 CFR 1910.159, Automatic sprinkler systems
- Minnesota Department of Health: Maintenance and Testing of Fire Sprinkler Systems (NFPA 25, 2011 edition)
- NFPA: NFPA 25 Standard Development
- National Fire Sprinkler Association: Supervising Station Alarm Systems and Sprinkler Monitoring
- City of Syracuse Fire Prevention Bureau: Fire Protection Systems Out of Service, Code Requirements