Understanding How to Maintain Emergency Sprinklers

1/1/2022 (Permalink)

How to Keep Emergency Sprinklers in Working Order

As a commercial building owner in Holly Springs, NC, you have to perform a lot of maintenance. From cleaning your HVAC unit to repairing your roofing system to performing emergency sprinkler maintenance, you're expected to do everything you can to keep your property up and running. Because the emergency system rarely gets used, you may wonder why this maintenance is important. Regular maintenance ensures the following:

• Sprinkler heads are not plugged.
  
• Sprinklers do not have accidental activation.
  
• System has proper power.
  
  

Your commercial remediation expert may be able to help you better understand why this maintenance is important. The professional may also be able to go over what is involved in the maintenance.

Clean the Heads

Dirt and dust can build up around the sprinkler heads. This gunk may stop your fire sprinklers from properly releasing water in an emergency. A non-corrosive cleaning agent should be used to remove the buildup. If any of the heads have been painted over, your cleaning crew may need to find a way to remove the paint film.

Check Valves and Gauges

One important step of sprinkler maintenance is checking that the valves and gauges of the system are in the proper position. Depending on the style of your system, most valves should be open to ensure water can travel throughout the piping system. The gauges should show there is water pressure in the pipes. Without water pressure, the sprinklers may be unable to send out a forceful spray of water. Checking valves and gauges can also tell you if your system is currently getting the power it needs to run.

Have Annual Inspection

While you may want to look at the system yourself, it is often best to have a fire service professional look over the fire sprinklers. This expert can look for signs of wear and make sure the system can function in an emergency.

If you want to be prepared for the unexpected, you need to have regular emergency sprinkler maintenance. Without this maintenance, you may not discover your sprinklers are broken until there is a fire.