How to Maintain Your Fire Sprinkler System

Having a working fire sprinkler system in your home, office, or restaurant is the single best way to protect your building from a damaging fire. But if you want to make sure your fire sprinkler system will take care of you, you have to take care of it – follow the tips below to ensure that your Houston fire sprinkler system will be able to keep your building safe from fire at all times.

Keep Current on Your Quarterly Fire Sprinkler Inspections

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends at least quarterly fire sprinkler inspections to make sure your fire sprinkler stays in top shape. In addition, the NFPA advises that you have your sprinkler tested whenever you:

• Add or change a backflow preventer or water meter
• Significantly change the occupancy or use of your building
• Make significant remodels to your home, office or restaurant
• Face changes in public water supply, such as droughts

Benefits of Regular Fire Sprinkler System Inspection

Insurance Rate Premiums

Having a working fire sprinkler system can provide numerous benefits beyond excellent fire protection. Most homes, restaurants and office buildings with well maintained fire sprinkler systems enjoy sizable insurance benefits, often 5-10% off their basic insurance premium. On the other hand, insurance companies often levy harsh penalties on companies that do not get their fire sprinkler systems inspected. These penalties can add up quickly, and after a short amount of time even a building that has a fire sprinkler system installed will be rated as “unsprinklered” if that system goes untested.

Peace of Mind

Keeping on top of regular fire sprinkler maintenance can save you from the stress of scrambling to set up an inspection a few days before the fire marshal comes in. It can also help you find minor, easy-to-fix issues before they become major, costly disasters.

Freedom From Liability

Local courts often hold business owners responsible for damages if their building did not have a working fire sprinkler installed – even if their building codes did not require them to have a system in place. Payouts for the fire damages sometimes cost business owners millions of dollars. Even owners who do have fire sprinklers installed have had to make the same payments if their sprinklers weren’t in working order. Don’t let this happen to you!

How to Take Care of a Sprinkler System

In addition to scheduling quarterly fire sprinkler inspections, there are a number of steps you can take on your own to make sure your home, office or restaurant’s fire sprinkler system stays in shape between these inspections.

• Never paint your fire sprinkler heads
• Never hang anything from your fire sprinkler heads
• Never stack anything close to your fire sprinkler heads (as a general rule, try to keep items at least 18 inches below it)
• Always report damage to your fire sprinkler system immediately
• Always make sure your control valves are in the open position (this is fairly easy to check – tamper switches will let you know when they have been closed)

Installing a working fire sprinkler system and never having it inspected is like buying a brand new car and never changing the oil. If you think you might be behind on your inspection and operate a business in the Houston, Texas area, contact Kauffman Co. today today!