Maintenance Tips for Your Building’s Fire Sprinkler System

As long as your sprinkler system does its job, it can prevent small fires from becoming severe problems. Keeping your fire sprinkler in working order can literally mean the difference between life and death. That’s why maintaining your sprinkler system is so imperative for your building. You want yourself and your residents to stay safe, so make sure you perform inspections regularly. Here are our maintenance tips for your building’s fire sprinkler system.  

Use Visual Cues for Your Staff  

The valves on your sprinkler system need to stay open. They can close for various reasons—including employees closing them. To avoid this, put up signage near your sprinklers that says informing workers to leave the valves for the sprinkler open. You can also include information about the hazards of closed valves. Let your staff know the importance of keeping valves open so that they get in the habit of checking.  

Use Lockout Devices 

If you want to make sure nobody ever closes a valve on your sprinkler, you can also invest in lockout devices. These will lock the valve in the open position, ensuring that nobody can close it. Using a lockout device is the most reliable way to make sure your valves stay in the open position. 

Train Your Staff on NFPA Code 25  

To educate your staff, train them on NFPA Code 25. Doing so will teach them the basics of sprinkler systems and how system safety can save lives. A simple training session can go a long way to form good habits in your staff.  

Everyday Tips To Follow  

Here are some things to keep your eyes open for each day in your building: 

• If the space has recently been painted, make sure to remove all painter’s tape from around the sprinkler heads.
• If your sprinkler is in a high-heat area, replace the heads frequently to make sure they don’t fail.
• If you have boxes stacked up next to your sprinkler heads, you’ll need to replace the heads more frequently.

Tips for Inspections 

Every month, you should do a detailed inspection of all your sprinkler heads. Here are some guidelines to follow: 

• Replace gauges and inspect your pipes.
• Change out sprinkler heads every 20 years.
• Inspect your control valves, backflow preventers, and alarm switches.

These are some candid maintenance tips for your building’s fire sprinkler system. As long as you inspect your sprinkler heads and backflow preventers, you’ll ensure they continue to function correctly.