Old plant inspections
A timely inspection of old systems is crucial to ensure the operational safety of your fire protection system. Ageing processes and environmental influences can have a considerable impact on effectiveness.
Fire protection systems such as sprinkler systems, water spray extinguishing systems, foam extinguishing systems and high-pressure water mist extinguishing systems are subject to a natural ageing process that can impair their operational safety. Deposits, corrosion and non-functioning sprinklers or extinguishing nozzles can lead to serious problems. An old system inspection by qualified specialists is therefore essential in order to check the condition of the system and determine measures to maintain its operational readiness.
For example, deposits or corrosion in the pipe network can lead to cross-sectional constrictions and thus to the failure of the system. The same applies to non-functioning sprinklers or extinguishing nozzles. In a non-destructive test, the pipe network is opened at various points under the supervision of a recognized installer and examined from the inside by VdS Schadenverhütung using an endoscope. At the same time, the residual pipe wall thicknesses are measured and compared with the required residual pipe wall thicknesses. If a laboratory inspection of the sprinklers or extinguishing nozzles is already required, this is also carried out as part of the inspection and the required number of nozzles is taken for this inspection.
The conditions found are then documented in a test report and the measures to maintain operational readiness are defined. As a rule, sprinklers must be subjected to a laboratory inspection after 25 years. However, shorter intervals are also possible depending on the sprinkler type or operating mode. For dry groups in sprinkler systems, water spray extinguishing systems, foam extinguishing systems and high-pressure water mist extinguishing systems, the old system inspection must be carried out after 12.5 years of operation. For wet groups in sprinkler systems, the old system inspection must be carried out after 25 years of operation. Thereafter, the inspection is required after every 12.5 years of operation.
Detailed information on the respective trades can be found in the VdS 2091 and VdS 3460 leaflets on maintaining operational readiness and the respective VdS guideline for the trade. Information on VdS laboratory testing of existing sprinklers can be found here.