FP-07:   Multiple Threats Corrosion’s True Threat To A Dry Or Pre-Action Fire Sprinkler System Is Far Worse Than A Water Leak Any time water is introduced into steel piping it will corrode that pipe to varying levels and produce a potentially substantial volume of iron oxide rust product as a result.  This rust product in turn causes various negative impacts to building piping systems ranging from reduced heat transfer efficiency, to accelerated pump seal damage, to severe under deposit pitting resulting in system failure. For a recirculating system, rust typically migrates around until it settles into low flow or dead-end areas, cooling tower basins and sumps, heat exchangers, condenser heads, or is captured by strainers and water filtration units.  Normal maintenance performed on most HVAC piping systems will reveal evidence of a corrosion problem, which if acted upon appropriately and in a timely manner, will minimize the damage caused. Fire systems, however, are static, and any rust product created through corrosion remains trapped within the system where it is hidden from view.  For fire systems, there is no advance notice of a…

FP-06:   Internal Rust Product The Greatest Threat To Dry Fire Sprinkler Systems A first level of concern for any piping system is obviously due to low wall thickness in some areas which may present the opportunity for leaks to occur.  This is of great importance for dry fire sprinkler systems wherever computer equipment is involved, and especially so at critical facilities.  Although defined and designed as pre-action piping systems where water should not exist and is actually assumed to be dry, sufficient water typically remains within the piping after testing to leak on electronic equipment and the occupants below should a failure occur.  In fact, any dry or pre-action fire sprinkler system is “dry” in name only, and many sections can remain filled 25 % or more with water. Even having the best and most effective design and installation, and having a grade which is otherwise rarely installed, no pre-action fire system will fully drain of water.  Once again, such systems are assumed to fully drain although they never will.  Some designs have their one and only drain at the pre-action discharge…

FP-05:   Fire Sprinkler Corrosion The Pros And Cons Of Different Alternatives To Controlling Pipe Corrosion Corrosion activity in fire systems is greatly dependent upon a variety of factors related to its function, design, construction, materials of construction, pipe quality, testing frequently, renovation performed, and overall maintenance.  In most examples, the fire system will provide decades of reliable and trouble free service.  But for others, problems can arise within just a few years. In an unfortunately large number of examples, and primarily for dry and pre-action systems, corrosion can quickly deteriorate the piping to the point requiring replacement.  In the worst of those cases, as we have documented in many of our own investigations, the fire system was likely not functional when the need for replacement was finally discovered – a frightening reality most prefer not to consider… While no introduction to corrosion in fire protection systems is likely necessary to other professionals in the field, we offer a large Photo Gallery on this site showing specific problem areas for wet and dry fire systems, as well as for fire water storage tanks. Various responses…

FP-04:   Life Threatening When Pipe Corrosion At A Fire Protection System Can Cost Lives Corrosion, once it has been identified at a fire protection system, is typically viewed exclusively in terms of the cost for pipe replacement.  By the time it is finally recognized, years of deterioration have often occurred. With repair, corrosion remediation, and with the removal of rust deposits a difficult and often unlikely to succeed option, partial or complete fire pipe replacement is often the only alternative – at tremendous expense and inconvenience. Greater Problems Today The incidence of corrosion problems at fire piping, virtually unheard of 25 years ago, has now become an every day issue.  Approximately 30% of our involvement in corrosion and ultrasonic pipe testing today relates to failures at fire protection systems.  With some of the oldest fire protection piping at near 90 years old still in excellent condition, and capable of providing many decades of additional service.  Clearly there are factors related to more recent installations which are responsible for today’s more advanced failures. The predominant use of thin wall schedule 10 pipe, more…

FP-03:   Premature Failures Major Misconceptions Within The Fire Protection Industry Prehistoric cavemen likely figured out how to put a fire out with water long before they learned how to create it.  In the millions of years since, and especially within the past four or five decades, major improvements and innovation within the fire protection industry have dramatically reduced this threat and saved countless lives With the ever increasing sophistication of today’s fire protection systems, however, corrosion problems not entirely recognized, not understood, or simply not addressed, have emerged.  The failure of fire protection systems due to corrosion is growing in terms of frequency, severity, cost, and in a few very tragic examples – in human lives. Corrosion Is Enemy # 1 The primary threat to the longevity and proper operation of all fire protection systems is corrosion.  Add water to steel pipe and it will attack the steel to produce an iron oxide rust product.  It is an unstoppable electro-chemical act of nature as reliable as gravity.  Allowed to continue at an advanced rate and only two results are possible…

FP-02:   Interior Rust Deposits The Multiple Threats Of Corrosion To A Fire Protection System Although rarely used, the most critical piping for any building property or plant operation is unquestionably at the fire sprinkler system.  Corrosion problems and induced failures at cooling tower condenser water, chill water, steam, or other HVAC and plumbing piping may produce a loss of service, inconvenience, property damage, shutdown, and even millions of dollars in monetary losses, but the failure of a fire sprinkler line always threatens the loss of human life. Often considered trouble free, corrosion related failures at fire sprinkler lines have greatly increased over the past two decades – raising not only operating and repair costs, but the threat to building inhabitants as well. No Corrosion Protection Provided Unlike most HVAC and industrial cooling applications, chemical corrosion protection is rarely provided to the steel pipe which carries fire protection water.  This is because traditionally, corrosion problems have not been a significant concern.  It is also due to the virtual impossibility of providing effective chemical protection to a system that is essentially comprised…

FP-01:   Multiple Threats The Many Corrosion Factors Affecting A Fire Sprinkler System The most critical piping system for any building property or plant operation is unquestionably the fire sprinkler service.  Often considered trouble free, corrosion related failures at fire sprinkler lines have dramatically increased over the past decade – raising not only operating and repair costs, but the threat to building inhabitants as well. By definition, fire sprinkler service always exists under a corrosion threat since carbon steel black pipe is traditionally used, and its water is almost never chemically treated.  This raises the importance of recognizing and addressing other corrosion influencing factors in order to maximize its useful service life. CorrView International’s decades of involvement in ultrasonically testing fire sprinkler systems has provided us with an extensive database of hard, factual wall loss and corrosion rate data.  It has also allowed us to define very clear relationships between the design and operation of fire sprinkler systems, and resulting corrosion conditions. Prior investigations have identified 75 year old sprinkler pipe in virtually new condition, and yet nearly new 4-5 year old installations…