Monthly, six-monthly, annually and at five years, with longer routines beyond. AS 1851-2012 has the sprinkler system tested every month: water supply and gauge readings, control valves confirmed open and locked or sealed, an alarm test by dropping pressure at the test valve, the alarm valve and water motor gong operated, and the pump auto-start proved where one is fitted. Six-monthly adds the control valves, strainers, anti-freeze loops, tamper switches and the interfaces to the fire indicator panel. The annual routine inspects every sprinkler head, the pipework, hangers, bracing and signage, runs a flow test against the hydraulic design, a main drain test and a pump performance test. At five years the alarm valve is overhauled and the system assessed, and the standard sets ten-, twenty-five- and thirty-yearly routines including sprinkler head sampling.
The intervals
| Interval | What happens | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | Water supply and system gauge readings, control valves open and locked or sealed, alarm test by dropping pressure at the test valve, alarm valve and water motor gong operation, pump auto-start where fitted. | Sprinkler or fire services contractor |
| Six-monthly | The monthly routine plus control valves, strainers, anti-freeze loops where fitted, valve tamper switches and the interfaces to the fire indicator panel. | Sprinkler or fire services contractor |
| Annual | Inspection of every sprinkler head, pipework, hangers, bracing and signage; flow test against the hydraulic design; main drain test; gong service; pump performance test. | Sprinkler or fire services contractor |
| Five-yearly | Alarm valve overhaul and system assessment. | Sprinkler contractor |
| Ten-, twenty-five- and thirty-yearly | The standard's longer routines for wet pipe systems, including sprinkler head sampling and testing; tracked against the installation date. | Sprinkler contractor |
Who does it and what to keep
A sprinkler contractor, or a fire services contractor with sprinkler competence, attends every month; the monthly alarm test is coordinated with the monitoring service so the brigade is not called. The record is the system logbook at the valve set with every gauge reading, test and defect, the annual flow test results against the design figures, and the five-yearly assessment report. The dates of the longer routines are calculated from the installation date, so a building that has changed hands needs that date in the register. In New South Wales the system is an essential fire safety measure on the annual fire safety statement.
The rule behind the interval
AS 1851-2012 Routine service of fire protection systems and equipment, Section 2, sets the sprinkler intervals. AS 2118.1 is the design and installation standard the flow test is checked against. The building regulation of each state requires the system to be maintained to the standard it was approved with, and the insurer of a sprinklered building usually requires the AS 1851 records at renewal.
Common questions
Can the monthly test be done by building staff?
The standard's monthly routine is a service routine, in practice done by the contractor, because it operates the alarm valve and the pump. Staff can read gauges and confirm the valves are locked open between visits, and should.
What is head sampling?
At the longer intervals a sample of sprinkler heads is removed and tested by a laboratory to confirm they still operate at their rated temperature and flow. A failed sample means the heads of that age are replaced across the system.
Put it in the register
An interval only holds when the asset is listed with its tasks, its contractor and where the record lives. Standara's library carries this asset with the tasks above attached, so adding it to a site's register produces the year's schedule, the monthly to-do list and the completion record the auditor or insurer asks for. The fuller picture, with the neighbouring assets and the rule behind each interval, is in the AS 1851 maintenance schedule.
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- A worked example: one club's register, planner and records for a year
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