Guaranteed Protection and Peace of Mind; Maintaining Your Commercial Sprinkler System

If you own or oversee a commercial facility, it's important that you take all possible steps to keep yourself and your employees protected in the event of an emergency. A fire is one of the most serious situations that any business owner may face, so it's important that you have automatic response measures in place that can maximize the odds of recovery.

However, simply installing a sprinkler system may not be sufficient to guarantee protection. If you don't take an active role in keeping your sprinklers strong, they may not be there for you in your moment of need, leaving you with an emergency that's far more serious than it otherwise may have been.

Below, you'll find a guide to some steps you should take to maintain your commercial sprinkler system. Following these suggestions can help you receive the performance from your system that you desire, which may turn out to be absolutely essential in the event of an emergency.

One of the biggest challenges in maintaining your fire suppression system is that you may not notice any faults until the system activates. Once that happens, it's almost certainly too late to do anything about any problems, so any steps you can take to increase your awareness are incredibly valuable. Rather than relying on manual checks, you might see some substantial benefits from turning to automation.

In some cases, you may be able to directly integrate your sprinkler system into your broader building security setup. Having your sprinklers attached to your alarm can guarantee that any fault will be automatically noticed, as a warning will be sent to your alarm company. These faults might vary between anything from a low pressure warning to a total failure of a smoke alarm, so being able to notice them and respond in a timely fashion is essential.

 

If your sprinklers have to be activated, it's important to make sure that they aren't blocked from performing up to their highest capacity. The spacing and height of sprinklers on your ceiling is carefully calculated to guarantee maximum coverage, so if there are impediments to that coverage, you might find yourself dealing with a fire that gets out of control even though your sprinklers activated and should have been able to contain it.

Businesses frequently install sprinklers in storage spaces or other areas with a great deal of inventory, but it's important that you make sure that inventory doesn't become a challenge. Stacking things high to the ceiling can leave you unable to get maximum coverage from your sprinklers, creating substantial damage that may be hard to recover from. Make sure to consult your fire protection service about the proper clearance and always follow those guidelines.

When a fire occurs, the automatic response mechanism of your sprinkler system is likely to active quickly as long as it's been properly maintained. The flow of water may pose a more difficult challenge, but it's one you should be able to preempt.

Your sprinkler control valves should always be left completely open to guarantee constant flow of water to your sprinklers. It is impossible to predict when a fire will occur, so making sure that you're prepared at every possible moment should be the overarching goal of your fire suppression strategy.

FireWatch has the experience to provide you with a full range of services that will keep your sprinklers in their best possible state. Make sure to call with any questions or concerns. You can be confident that your questions will be answered with the information you need to stay safe.