How timely Fire Sprinkler Maintenance can protect your commercial building from damage?

Fire Sprinkler is the most effective equipment for the protection of life and property from the fire breakouts. With the right safety measures and compliance, damage to the commercial building can be prevented. Therefore, it is necessary for every commercial building to have a sprinkler system installed to ensure the safety of its occupants and assets from fire. 

However, most people are only concerned about the installation of fire sprinklers. Along with the installation, fire sprinkler maintenance needs to be done to make sure that it must work properly during an emergency. It should be done by the team of trained professionals who carries out timely inspection and reporting, periodic testing of all the components, repair, and replacement of parts if required. 

The decision to install a fire sprinkler system needs to be taken after significant research, preparation, and proper planning. How well the fire sprinkler system has been operated and how long they last depend largely on the hiring of the reliable fire sprinkler company for their complete process from installation to the fire sprinkler maintenance. 

Some tips that can be taken into consideration while choosing a fire sprinkler company for fire sprinkler maintenance

Licensed: It is important that fire protection or fire sprinkler company that you choose holds the proper licensing. They must meet statutory compliance and safety standards as per the NYC fire code. 

You can check whether they are licensed with the local authorities for the work they perform. Most often, these licenses have been issued by the state’s fire marshal or by the contractor licensing authority. Moreover, you can visit the secretary of state’s website to check if the company is registered or not and for how long they are into this. 

Complete Service: Make sure that the fire sprinkler company can help you with the entire services of the sprinkler system. They must perform the complete process of installation, maintenance, testing, and violation removals. Expert professionals will be transparent in telling you about the number of services they offer and about the complete cost of the installed fire sprinkler services. 

Trust Factor: You need to hire a professional company that knows all the codes. If you are looking for Fire Sprinkler Services, make sure to read the contract of an inspection and testing agreement properly so that you know what services are covered.

Read carefully all the terms and conditions so that everything should be included and there should not be any hidden cost that would eventually have to pay. 

In Closing

Fire Sprinkler Maintenance depends on the type of system installed in your building. All sprinkler systems need visual inspections but some system requires additional monthly, quarterly, or semiannual maintenance. So, you should choose a professional company very carefully that meets all the requirements set by the New York City Fire Code and standards. 

4 Tips to keep your fire sprinkler system working properly

A well-installed and maintained fire sprinkler system can not only protect your building from fire mishaps but also prohibit a fire from turning into a raging inferno. This means keeping your fire protection system working properly can bring a huge difference between substantial losses and a more manageable situation.   

A fire sprinkler system is designed to prevent catastrophic fire emergencies. Thus, it is important to ensure that they are always in a pristine working condition. Many property owners think getting a fire sprinkler system installed on their property is enough. But that’s where the problem begins. Besides having a well-installed system on your property, regular fire sprinkler maintenance and inspection are underlying virtues to success. 

Fire safety is a serious business. Get it wrong - and experience devasting damages. To protect your property and its occupants safe and sound, you need to pay more attention to your fire protection system. In this blog, let’s see how you can make the most of your fire sprinkler system. 

Here are certain tips to keep your fire sprinkler system working properly. 

• Schedule regular maintenance 

Maintenance is extremely crucial to the proper working of your system. Scheduling regular maintenance not only ensures that the fire sprinkler system won’t ditch you in an emergency but also prevents hefty penalties of not following fire safety standard laws. 

• Don’t forget about fire sprinkler inspection 

Fire sprinkler systems are the standard building code necessity. As per the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), every property owner needs to hire fire sprinkler inspection services regularly. A licensed inspector should visit your property and thoroughly inspect the sprinkler system to ensure it’s in compliance with the state laws and in a proper working condition. 

• Don’t block the fire sprinkler

Even though sprinkler systems are extremely powerful equipment in protecting fire mishaps, they are sensitive to blockages. To ensure your sprinkler systems are always in a working condition, make sure you do not paint over your sprinkler heads or block with decorative items of furniture. If their heads are blocked by anything, they may not be able to detect smoke and get activated in an emergency. 

• Always keep the control valves open 

Control valves are important components of your fire sprinkler system. It’s crucial that you keep the control valves open always. They are responsible for controlling the water flow. If they are not opened properly, the water may not flow properly to the sprinklers and they will fail to perform when you need them the most.

Apart from these tips, there are some other things to keep in mind such as staff training, and conducting fire drills every now and then. Remember, don’t take fire sprinkler inspection services for granted. They can save lives and property damage. 

How often you should Seek Maintenance Service For Fire Sprinkler Parts

Advent in technology has helped the human race to keep themselves, their loved ones and property protected from the impact of accidental fire. And with the help of continuous attempt (necessary repair and maintenance of fire protection system) to keep the fire protection systems in working condition, it can make their living and working place a safe haven. Today, in this post, we have tried to cover the frequencies of repair and maintenance services that are necessary for fire sprinkler system components to function efficiently at time of emergency.

Parts of sprinkler systems that require annual inspection

According to NFPA, you need to get in touch with a proficient and reliable company for fire sprinkler maintenance. The company and the employees must be licensed for a specific set of jobs. They must be well equipped with state of the art technology to offer you top quality inspection and maintenance service for components that need inspection after a year that includes:

• Gauges
• Main drain
• Water flow alarm
• Control valves
• Pre-action/deluge valves
• Backflow prevention components
• Hangers/bracing
• Pipes and fittings
• Sprinkler heads
• Antifreeze solution
• Alarm devices

Parts of sprinkler systems that require quarterly inspection

The checklist of quarterly inspection of fire sprinkler components is quite small in comparison to annual checklist. The maximum duration to stretch the inspection can be between 3-5 months. The components included are:

• Alarm devices – Check that these are free from physical damage especially after the change of seasons.
• Hydraulic nameplate – check that this is secured to the sprinkler riser and legible.

Parts of sprinkler systems that require monthly inspection

Gauges (on wet pipe systems) – The expert will inspect the water pressure that is necessary to maintain along with no sign of physical damage.

Alarm valves – these should be externally inspected each month.

Parts of sprinkler systems that require weekly inspection

• Gauges - you normally check the reading of air and water pressure of the gauges on dry, pre-action, and deluge systems.
• Control valves – you should check these weekly to ensure that they are free from leaks, locked, properly sealed, and in the open position.

Being a caretaker of a building, you can keep these points in mind that can help you take the necessary steps to protect buildings from fire.

Responsibility of a business owner towards fire safety

Being an owner of a hotel, restaurant or any other food chain, you can imagine the consequence of fire to your business. Even a tiny fire can fly out of control in an instant and things like cooking oils, electrical connections, paper products, cleaning chemicals, and open flames can all make the situation worse. It can lead your property to turn into ashes, cause loss of revenue, and even permanent closure of your restaurant. Thus, a state of the art fire safety system is essential to ensure that your employees and customers are safe and have adequate equipment to put out the fire in a fraction of seconds.

Thus, there are a few things that you must keep in mind as a business owner to ensure that your business has a proper fire safety system.

Inspection of Fire Suppression System - No matter which type of fire suppression system is installed in your commercial building, it’s more important that they are regularly inspected. You must hire proficient experts for fire sprinkler inspection in New York so that they can work efficiently to suppress the fire in the least possible time.

Portable Fire Extinguishers - Placing portable fire extinguishers around the kitchen as backups can really help during disasters. Class K type fire extinguishers work the best for putting out fires that result from grease, oils, and fats. You can also use classes A, B and C according to your strategy throughout the rest of your restaurant.

Automatic Sprinkler Systems - The entire restaurant should also be protected with automatic fire sprinkler systems. Consider fire sprinkler installation in New York to extinguish any fires that occur in or spread to the other areas of your restaurant.

Automated Fire Alarm System - When the fire is out of human control, an automated fire system is another essential form of fire protection that one can consider for the safety of people who might get affected at the time. The sensors used in an automated fire alarm system are sensitive to smoke and fire that rings automatically to make people aware of the situation.

These are a few things that a business owner must keep in mind and follow accordingly to maintain fire safety.

A different variety of fire sprinkler systems for fire safety

Fire can bring great harm to lives and property. Its devastating impact can be seen in the Amazon forest. Even in our day-to-day life, we are surrounded by potential life threatening elements that can result in massive fire mishaps in buildings, restaurants, hotels, malls, movie theaters and many other places. Thus, the best way to prevent fire mishaps is by cutting off the root cause and that is possible with a fire sprinkler system that can be installed in every corner of the building that helps to detect the fire and sprinkle water when they detect smoke.

Thus, if you are thinking about opening your own restaurant or moving to a new residence as a tenant, make sure that the place is equipped with fire safety systems. And if not, you can get in touch with fire sprinkler services in New York to get them installed or even get the previously installed systems inspected.

Here is the list of sprinker systems you can install for complete fire protection.

Wet pipe sprinkler - These are one of the simplest forms of fire sprinkler systems that are easy to maintain and install. Wet pipe sprinklers contain water in the fire sprinkler pipes that sprinkle immediately when smoke is detected.

Dry Pipe Systems - As the name suggests, these systems contain nitrogen gas instead of water. They are completely different from wet pipe sprinkler systems. And, the water is held back by a valve until the system is activated and the pipe contains pressurized air and they are often installed where the wet pipes are at risk of freezing.

Pre-action Sprinkler System - These are quite similar to the dry sprinkler system with the only difference being that each sprinkler head is activated individually when the fire is detected. These systems are great in places where an accidental discharge of sprinklers would cause extensive damage.

ESFR – Early Suppression Fast Response systems are a great option for warehouses. An ESFR system is a high volume, high-velocity system that is located in the ceiling to protect the storage area.

These are the few types of Fire sprinkler systems that you can install for great fire safety. If you are looking for proficient experts for fire sprinkler services in New York, then you must get in touch with FireServ.

Fire sprinkler maintenance: Things to know about requirements

Every facility or building in New York is mandated to have a well-planned fire protection system. A fire sprinkler is one of the most important parts of the fire suppression system. It acts as the first line of defense in the event of a fire. Since fire sprinkler is an integral part of our fire safety plan, it should be regularly maintained or inspected.

Now, you must be wondering when it is the right time to consider fire sprinkler system services such as maintenance or inspection. Although today, most of the companies who do fire suppression systems installation also perform regular maintenance and inspection of those systems. These companies usually keep their customers updated when it comes a fire sprinkler maintenance, testing, and inspection. However, it is also important for property owners or business managers to know how often they should get their sprinkler systems maintained or inspected.

Below, we have explained how often you should get your fire sprinkler system inspected or tested.

Fire sprinkler systems are comprised of various different parts, which include gauges, switches, and pipes. And each part needs regular maintenance and inspection to make sure they work well in the event of a fire outbreak.

Read further to know how often should each part of the fire sprinkler gets inspected or maintained.

Monthly - Since the gauges play an integral role in any fire sprinkler system, they should be inspected in pre-action, dry and deluge systems. This needs to be done at least once a week to make sure they remain at their best working conditions. In case of wet pipe gauges, they can go a month without any inspection or maintenance.

Every three months - You need to hire professionals to carry out more extensive inspections once every three months. This type of inspection is usually performed on valve alarm devices, water flow alarm devices, signal devices, control valves, fire department connections, and hydraulic nameplates.

Yearly - Yearly inspections are carried out at the hangar/seismic bracing, pipework and fitting, and the sprinklers.

Every five years - It is advisable to inspect all internal pipework of your fire sprinkler system. This is usually done to check for blockages, and fix it whenever required.

Fire sprinkler system plays a crucial role in any fire safety plan. This is why it should be regularly maintained and inspected to make sure it is fit for the purpose.

What to expect during an annual fire sprinkler inspection?

Each year, thousands of people lose their lives during a fire accident in the commercial as well as residential buildings. This means fire accidents are one of the major causes of death in the United States and around the world. Hence, it is essential to install proper fire protection systems in both commercial and residential buildings. A fire sprinkler system is one of the crucial fire suppression systems that every homeowner and business owner should install. This type of system helps in extinguishing fire flames. However, just installing is not enough, you need to consider proper maintenance and repair fire sprinkler system services to ensure your fire sprinkler system serves the purpose during a fire event.

If you already have a fire sprinkler system and considering to get it inspected for the first time, here’s what you can expect.

Do you know the basic purpose of fire suppression inspections is to help building owners find out the potential problems in their systems? Fire sprinkler inspections usually happen weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually, 3-years and 5-years.

When you hire a fully licensed and certified fire sprinkler inspection professional, you can expect your contractor to inspect for the following:

Your contractor will look for any physical damage - First of all, your contractor will perform a physical check on your fire sprinkler system to look for any signs of damage. Your technician will carefully check at each component of your sprinkler system, such as water flow alarm, check valve, relief valve, main control valve, and sprinkler piping. If they detect any physical damage, your fire sprinkler will immediately undergo repairs.

Your contractor will confirm extra sprinkler heads - Once the physical check is completed, your contractor will confirm whether you have extra sprinkler heads in place or not. For example, if your sprinkler head is damaged, having an extra sprinkler head is necessary. This is to ensure that the damaged head is replaced immediately so that the system gets back into service.

Checking main drain line - A fire sprinkler system is a wet fire protection system. This means it requires a regular and sufficient supply of water all the time, as fire mishap can occur anytime. Hence, your fire sprinkler technician will check your main drain line to make sure your fire sprinkler gets enough amount of water flow.

To conclude -

These are some of the things you can expect during a fire sprinkler inspection. With regular maintenance and inspection of your fire sprinkler, you can ensure the safety of your property, loved ones, or customers, staff, clients, and yourself. If you’re planning to schedule your first fire sprinkler inspection, make sure you keep these things in your mind. It is always a good idea to be well-informed so that you know what is happening during the fire sprinkler system or whether your contractor is doing it right or not.

A Checklist On Fire Sprinkler Maintenance

Fire mishaps are one of most common type of accidents that occur in residential and commercial settings. There are various methods of avoiding such mishaps. And one of them is installing fire sprinklers in the building.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has laid down various standards for protecting the commercial settings against accidental fire mishaps.

If you have fire sprinkler systems installed in the building, it is essential to follow NFPA 25 standards. Under this standard, conducting prior inspection, maintenance, and testing of the equipment is mandatory. Taking such precautionary steps help in avoiding any fire accidents in the building.

Below mentioned is a checklist for fire sprinkler maintenance and inspection.

What to inspect in fire sprinklers?

Remember fire sprinkler inspection should be carried out on a weekly basis.

1. System gauge: The air and water pressure should be monitored when inspecting the system gauge. The readings should match the normal levels.

2. Valves: Inspect for leaky valves. These are an important part of the sprinkler system. The valves should be properly sealed for maximum productivity. Signages should be properly installed. These depict the correct way of using the valves.

Monthly inspection criteria

1. Wet gauge: These gauges are found on the wet pipes of the sprinkler system. Inspect for any kind of damage. Replace the sprinkler with a new gauge in case of any physical damage. Also, take readings of the water and air pressure regularly.

2. Alarm system valves: External inspection should be performed each month to check for signs of any physical damage.

Quarterly inspection and maintenance criteria

1. Alarm equipments: Inspect the alarm equipments for any signs of potential damage. This should be done every three months.
   

2. Hydraulic nameplates: This should be in secure space along with the sprinkler rider.

While conducting fire sprinkler inspection, make sure that the technicians are licensed. As per the standards set by NFPA, only certified professionals should be allowed to undertake inspection activities.

4 perfect fire detection systems for commercial properties

Each property whether residential or commercial requires fire protection system. There are variety of fire suppression systems such as fire extinguishers fire sprinkler system and more. However, before the fire can be taken care of it needs to be detected. It is when the fire is detected they can be prevented through the fire sprinkler systems. 

  

Two basic components of a fire are the heat and smoke. These two are also the reasons why fire is so dangerous. It is through these two elements that the fire is actually detected. Here are the ways to detect the fire in the commercial places and ensure the safety of the occupants:

Ionization

One fire detection system that focuses on the smoke elements is the ionization system. The presence of the fire is detected by these systems through the smoke. The ionization fire detectors have two metal plates in them that have electrical current running through them . In case of fire, when smoke reaches the chamber, the electrical current gets cuts off and alarm blares turning on the fire sprinkler systems. These systems are perfect for the places such as commercial kitchens where fires can quickly spread.

Photoelectric

The Photoelectric fire detector systems are similar to ionization detection system as they also detect the fire through smoke. However, the major difference between the two systems is of the way how they detect the fire. The Photoelectric fire detector systems uses light. When the smoke enters the room, it disrupts the beams of light that the detectors project. This leads to alarm blaring and fire sprinkler systems turning on. The benefits of these systems is that it has ability to detect small fires and are rarely trigger the false alarm.

Heat

To detect the fire through heat is tough and extremely hazardous. The heat based fire detectors are less sensitive than the other detection systems and are most preferred in commercial buildings as they rarely trigger false alarm. The system with all its benefits also has drawbacks in the area where there is humidity, dust or huge amount of steam. Warehouses and storage facilities are right places for these detection system. 

Do you want to install the latest and high-tech fire detection system in your commercial building? Want to know more about the latest fire sprinkler systems? Contact FireServ. They are the leading fire protection safety services in the state of New York since 1999.