Common Fire Sprinkler Problems

A lot of the problems your fire sprinkler system can experience are a result of foreign substances getting into the pipes. Depending on their composition, they can build up inside the sprinkler system and wear away the piping’s interior. In some cases, these materials are already in the water your sprinklers use and will gradually leech out of the water and onto the piping. Regardless, keeping your system in good repair can lower the risk of these materials affecting them. As part of Howe’s fire sprinkler inspections and routine maintenance service, our technicians can keep an eye out for signs that something is wrong.

Scaling

Scale is build-up of minerals on the pipe interior surface. As minerals drop out of the water, and attach to the piping surface, the pipe opening constricts. This constriction limits the water flow and can increase pressure loss. Pipe scaling leads to corrosion.

Corrosion

Other minerals or chemicals can eat away at the sprinkler piping. This corrosion is a result of charged ions within the water attracting ions on the interior lining of the pipes. If enough of the pipe is corroded, the pipe can break open and start leaking. Even if the corrosion hasn’t eaten through the pipe yet, the interior of the pipe can break away and accumulate somewhere else in the system.

Many cases of corrosion start from excessively ‘soft’ water, which means the pH balance has fallen below 6.5. Chemical treatment can balance sprinkler water’s pH, lowering the risk of corrosion.

Backflow

A cross connection is a location within a plumbing system where potable water can become contaminated. Normally, the flow of air or water prevents anything from getting into potable water. But if the flow is reversed, the entire supply is at risk of contamination. This is known as backflow.

Backflow affects your sprinkler system’s ability to respond to a fire. And if a facility is connected to a municipal water supply, contamination can pose a health risk to a much larger number of people. Installing backflow prevention devices on your sprinkler system will help minimize the risk of contamination. Just make sure the devices themselves are tested each year, ensuring they’re working as intended.

Blocked Sprinkler Heads

As sediment, scale or other mineral buildup accumulates in a sprinkler system, it can block the openings of one or more sprinkler heads. The more sprinkler heads affected, the less effective your fire protection system is. When a fire starts inside a facility, every second counts.

Leaks

A leak is probably the most common problem any fire sprinkler system will experience. Leaks can affect pressure inside sprinkler systems, preventing the most remote sprinkler heads from getting the water they need. Large leaks can also cause extensive water damage, which can be difficult and time-consuming to resolve for commercial facilities.