Although you may not be aware, corrosion in sprinkler systems is quite prevalent. At first, it goes unnoticed but eventually leads to leaks, blockages and damage to the building–and possibly equipment or fixtures inside the building. Moreover, your sprinkler system’s operation is also hindered. If you have encountered such problems with leaks in your sprinkler system already, get in touch with us today. We’re the experts in corrosion prevention for sprinkler systems and can help you mitigate future problems.
Corrosion mechanisms in Sprinkler systems
Corrosion is defined as the deterioration of a material due to reaction with its environment. In the context of Sprinkler systems, corrosion can be caused by many factors including chemicals, water, humidity, and even bacteria. Microbial influenced corrosion (MIC) is a special type of corrosion that is caused by bacteria.
While corrosion in Sprinkler systems is often thought to be caused by water or chemicals, MIC is actually the most common type of corrosion in these systems. MIC can occur in any Sprinkler system, but it is especially common in systems that use well water or recycled water.
MIC is difficult to control because it is caused by living organisms. The best way to prevent MIC is to maintain a clean and disinfected Sprinkler system. If you suspect that your Sprinkler system may be suffering from MIC, get in touch with us today. We can test your system and recommend the best course of action.
Keep your sprinkler system in good health
Sprinkler systems are an important part of any fire safety plan, and it is essential to keep them in good working order. Corrosion can cause serious problems in Sprinkler systems, but with proper maintenance and care, these problems can be prevented. There aren’t many industry standards around Spinklers, but the US National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is an important organization to set tresholds and produce relevant industry standards. It is their recommendation to carry out microbial testing for every Spinkler system. Although culture based methods, such as BART are frequently mentioned as a test method, we highly encourage to use more advanced methods, such as qPCR. A more in dept explanation is provided at our Masterclasses. Culturing is generally assumed not to provide very reliable results and not recommended by industry standards.
You can find information about these test methods in this article from Corronation. A more advanced test method for Sprinkler testing is offered by the field test kit from MTest. The costs to execute a very advanced DNA based test is not very different from regular culture based tests. Another benefit is that it will provide you with results in about 1,5 hours.
