Below are some key tips that you should follow to prevent a disaster at your place of business:
- Insulate all attic penetrations such as partition walls, vents, plumbing stacks, electric and mechanical chases, and access doors that are not properly sealed.
- Ensure that there are proper seals on all doors and windows. Depending on the building or room size, fan tests can be conducted to ensure room and pressurization tests.
- Seal all wall cracks and penetrations including domestic and fire protection lines, electrical conduit, other utility service line, etc.
- Sprinkler systems should be constantly monitored by an attended central station to provide early detection of a sprinkler pipe rupture due to freezing.
- Insulation and/or heat trace tape with a reliable power source may be installed on various wet sprinkler system piping. This includes main lines coming up from underground passing through a wall as well as sprinkler branch lines.
- UL-approved gas or electric unit heaters can be installed in unheated sprinkler control valve/fire pump rooms. If back up power is provided, the heaters should also be connected to this power source.
Author: Michael S. Weaverling, CSP, VP Client Resource Services