How to Prevent the Fire Sprinkler System from Activating Accidentally?

Fire sprinkler systems are designed to be activated automatically during a fire. They detect the heat and immediately get triggered to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading. As per the NFPA statistics, fire sprinklers are highly effective in reducing fire damages and mortality rates by 85%. Thus, as per the regulations, every residential and commercial building needs to install a code-compliant fire sprinkler system to lessen the risk of death or injuries during fire emergencies. Furthermore, a fire sprinkler system allows the occupants of a building more time to escape through the fire exit.

Although the fire sprinklers are equipped with powerful sensors, they don’t get triggered randomly that often. In fact, it is a rare occurrence for a fire sprinkler system to accidentally activate unless they have been tampered with or accidentally damaged. However, accidental activation of fire sprinklers may result in wastage of gallons of water and cause water damages to the property. Thus, accidental sprinkler activation can be an expensive mistake for business owners, and it must be prevented at all costs.

Following are the common causes of sprinkler system accidental activation and tips to avoid it:

Avoid Damages to the Sprinkler Heads

Fire sprinklers usually activate one by one as each sprinkler head has its own heat sensors, and only the sprinklers directly above the heat source would be triggered to extinguish the fire. However, in industrial buildings, the sprinkler heads are vulnerable to damages if they are struck by tools or equipment that may activate them accidentally. Therefore, it is crucial to educate your staff regarding being careful when moving things to avoid damaging the sprinkler heads.

Do Not Hang Decorations from Sprinkler Heads

During special occasions such as Christmas, it is common for residential and commercial buildings to put decorations everywhere. However, putting decorations on sprinkler heads may not be a good idea. In fact, if the decorations are heavy or when taking the ornaments off, there is a higher risk of sprinkler heads getting damaged. In addition, it may cause accidental fire sprinkler activation & discharge.

Use a Protective Guard or Cage for Sprinkler Heads

Even if your staff is cautious and tries to prevent accidental damages to sprinkler heads, accidents may still happen. Therefore, you need to take additional measures to safeguard the sprinklers in your vicinity. Sprinkler heads can be protected against accidental damages by installing a protective guard or cage made of solid metal around each sprinkler head.

Manually Stop the Water Flow

All the methods mentioned above can prevent the fire sprinkler from accidentally activating. However, these may not be useful if the sprinkler system gets accidentally triggered by any other unexpected causes. In that case, you need some prevention tools to stop the water flow and prevent water wastage and damages. Thus, it is recommended to invest in a quick-stop talon, fire sprinkler stop valve, or sprinkler wedge to stop the water flow manually.

Train the Occupants

In case of an accidental fire sprinkler activation, you need to act fast to deactivate the sprinkler system. It would require proper knowledge of stopping the water flow manually to prevent the damages. However, if the occupants are not well-trained, it may delay the process. Therefore, it is best to ensure that all occupants in the residential or commercial building are well-aware of shutting down the fire sprinkler system manually to avoid unnecessary damages.

It is crucial to ensure that your sprinkler system is well-maintained and proper plan is in place to handle accidental activations. Proper installation as per the building design, regular inspections, and upgrading the system when required are essential to keep the fire sprinkler system well-maintained. So, if you want to keep your fire sprinkler in top condition, it is best to consult with our certified professionals for sprinkler inspection and maintenance periodically. Get in touch with our team for expert assistance today!