Fire Sprinkler System Flow Testing

The 2016 edition of nfpa 13 standard for the installation of sprinkler systems section a 24 2 2 in the testing of water supply section also covers the basics of conducting a hydrant flow test but refers to nfpa 291 for specifics.

Fire sprinkler system flow testing.

Fire flow is formally defined as the flow rate of a water supply measured at 20 psi 138 kpa that is available for fire fighting. When installation of all pipe and fittings is complete a flow test is recommended to insure the system supplies enough water for proper fire sprinkler operation. Sure testing is performed to comply with nfpa regulations insurance requirements and to keep you out of trouble with the fire department ahem violations. These checks include water flow tests fire pump tests antifreeze concentration tests in applicable systems alarm tests and trip tests of dry pipe deluge and pre action valves.

If you have a fire sprinkler system you don t actually need to test it right. I couldn t count the number of projects where fire flow has been assumed to be sprinkler related. Therefore the water can become stagnant and public safety officials do not want it flowing back into. The nfpa 13d installation standard does not require flow verification.

But how much flow and pressure does a sprinkler system need. Fire flow is not the volume of water required for the fire sprinkler system. This article will cover the basics of conducting a fire flow test to reduce the chances of a poor result or having. During a complete fire sprinkler system test the technician should perform physical checks on all parts of your fire sprinkler system.

A main drain test is used to identify major reductions in water flow for the system under. If you are designing a fire sprinkler system use this test residual hydrant separate downstream flow hydrant. Read more from capitol fire sprinkler a service provider in nyc. Residential fire sprinkler system flow test instructions.

When a system lacks an adequate water supply under enough pressure it may be considered impaired under the guidelines of nfpa 25. Backflow in sprinkler systems can be a serious problem because a large volume of water never moves when it sits in a building s sprinkler system unless it s flowing during a sprinkler test a fire activates it or a sprinkler line breaks.