By Deneen on August 12, 2016
In knowing your fire sprinkler system, it is important to understand the intricate engineering in the design, and functionality of how to maintain the system. This will help you better protect your property, assets and as always, to protect lives. Setting up a walk through with
To ensure your fire sprinkler system is functioning properly here are some helpful maintenance tips:
- Always avoid painting over the sprinkler heads.
It is crucial to never paint over sprinkler heads. If a fire were to occur, the paint may not allow the bulb to break, thus failing to release the necessary water supply.
- Never hang objects from the sprinklers heads.
Never hang decorations, or objects from the sprinkler heads, pipes or guards. This will prevent the sprinkler from covering the necessary areas and can cause damage to the sprinkler head.
- Objects need to be placed minimum of 18″ from the sprinkler deflector’s in the vertical position.
Stacking objects too close to the ceiling or near the heads will also obstruct the range of coverage.
It is vital to test your fire sprinkler systems on a semi or annual basis.
- Always contact a professional if you have concerns.
Last but not least, always contact a fire sprinkler professional if you have any defects, or concerns, and consider scheduling regular inspections annually.
Contact us today to set up your walk through!
Helpful Links: http://www.firesprinklerinitiative.org/advocacy-tools/fact-sheets/how-sprinklers-work.aspx
Posted in Fire System Maintenance, News |
By Deneen on June 27, 2016
Recently we had a customer contact us who stated he had a sprinkler operate in one of his smaller bathrooms. The system has been in operation 12 years. The owner had left a candle burning, which ignited the paint on the wall. Candles left burning are one of the most common causes of home fires.
Although this fire was small, the home owner was fortunate the sprinkler system did what it was designed to do, and extinguished what could have been a disastrous and devastating home fire. This bathroom was under 55 SF and per NFPA #13D does not require fire sprinkler protection. However, there was a sprinkler installed in this particular bathroom.
Upon speaking with the home owner, we learned, he did not contact the local fire department or call 911. He decided since the fire was extinguished and did not spread or cause damage to anything beyond the bathroom that it was not an emergency and calling them was not needed.
We cannot express enough the necessity of contacting your local fire department if this scenario happens to your home or place of business. Not only would the fire department have helped with clean up, but they would also need to document the success of a fire sprinkler operation.
We at Platte Valley Fire Protection are proud to be a part of ensuring the safety of homes, businesses and lives. Always remember, support your local Fire Department, and don’t forget to have your sprinkler systems inspected regularly.
http://www.nfpa.org/public-education/sby-topic/top-causes-of-fire/candle :to read more about how candle fire safety
Posted in News |
By Deneen Gillespie on April 15, 2014
It is safe to say that water is vital to our existence on this planet. What was once in abundant supply is now being rationed due to the growth of the populous; therefore making it crucial for us to protect what resources we have as best we can.
In the fire protection industry, we must do our part to protect the water supply. The most sensible way, at present, is through a Backflow Protection Program. An ever-growing number of cities and small towns are requiring approved backflow preventers to be installed downstream from the municipal water supply.
Before installation in Texas, for example, a backflow preventer must be an approved assembly by TCEQ, “Texas Commission on Environmental Quality”, and the local authorities. The backflow preventer keeps your pressurized fire sprinkler water line from flowing back into the municipal water line, which is possible if there is a loss of pressure from the municipal water line. Backflow preventers eliminate the possibility of polluting the municipal water system through cross-contamination.
Once an approved backflow preventer has been properly installed by a licensed company, it must have an initial test performed by a licensed Backflow Tester (an individual who has completed the required course for backflow testing and has successfully passed the TCEQ State Test for certification).
Contact us for more information today.
Posted in News | Tagged backflow preventer, backflow prevention, backflow tester, water supply |
By Deneen Gillespie on April 15, 2014
We read about fire deaths too many times during any given calendar year. Witnessing this unnecessary pain and suffering in person or through the news media is truly heartbreaking. Most often these fires originate in mobile or permanent homes causing nearly 4,000 deaths and many more disfiguring injuries each and every year in the United States. The larger death tolls occur in nightclubs, motels and factories unequipped with fire sprinkler systems.
Our governments, both state and federal, have authored several pieces of legislation mandating that fire sprinklers be installed in most all group A occupancies (an occupancy where 300 or more people gather) of new construction. Additionally, there have been several high rise or retro-fit laws placed on the books addressing nursing homes, schools and dormitories since the year 2000. While great progress has been achieved with these new sprinkler systems in new and retro-fit projects, the required maintenance is often misunderstood or totally neglected.
While administrators are now (or quickly becoming) aware of the life safety advantages of these systems, we need to educate them on the significance of regularly scheduled inspections and quickly make service repairs to keep these systems in top working order. With limited staff due to tight budget constraints, many of these companies and institutions rely on their local fire sprinkler companies to partner with them to ensure they are maintaining the systems in accordance with their insurance requirements as well as local authorities having jurisdiction over them.
System readiness is critical to the reliability of any mechanical or electrical fire system. Some of the most frequent system impairments include alarm bells not working properly, systems not being retro-fitted when small architectural projects were completed, deteriorated water supply as discovered through a proper main drain test and most devastating, valves left in the CLOSED position.
Remember, it is the PROPERTY OWNER’S responsibility to maintain their fire systems and the local AHJ’s will typically enforce the annual inspection. If you need help with your system, give us a call today.
Posted in Fire System Maintenance | Tagged fire sprinkler maintenance, group a occupancies, system impairment |
