Why sprinkler water isn't clean water
A wet-pipe sprinkler system gets filled once and then sits, often for years. The water picks up rust, scale and sediment from the steel pipe, and it can smell strong. Some systems also carry antifreeze in sections exposed to cold, such as loading docks or entry vestibules. When that water hits carpet, ceiling tile and inventory, it stains and smells in ways tap water wouldn't.
That's why restoration professionals often treat sprinkler discharge as more than clean water, especially once it has sat on materials for a while. Expect porous items that took a heavy soaking to be evaluated carefully, not just dried. Wet ceiling tiles usually get replaced, partly because they stain and sag and partly because they can drop without warning.
How the first day usually goes
- First minutes
- Move people away from falling water and electrical hazards. A qualified person closes the valve, and someone tells the alarm company it's a non-fire event.
- First hour or two
- Electronics, paper records and inventory come off the floor. Photos and video record the spread before cleanup starts.
- Same day
- Crews extract standing water and take down wet ceiling tiles. The fire protection contractor replaces the broken head and recharges the system.
- Next several days
- Dehumidifiers and air movers run, and someone takes moisture readings in walls, flooring and any wet insulation until each reaches its drying goal.
- Before reopening
- Someone confirms fire protection is back in service and schedules repairs to damaged finishes.
What people forget after a discharge
- A fire watch. Many jurisdictions require one while sprinklers are out of service, so ask Aurora Fire Rescue or your fire protection contractor
- Telling the property manager and every tenant on the affected floors and the floor below
- Checking elevator pits and electrical rooms, which collect water running down shafts
- Bagging and tagging damaged inventory instead of tossing it before the adjuster sees it
- Asking the cause. A frozen head, a struck head, corrosion and a faulty head each need a different fix
- Keeping the broken sprinkler head for the insurer, who may want it inspected
Questions for the insurer and contractor
- Does the policy treat accidental sprinkler leakage differently from other water damage?
- Will someone keep the broken head in case the manufacturer or installer is responsible?
- Has the water been categorized, and does that change which materials have to come out?
- Who coordinates with the fire protection contractor to get the system back online?
Common questions
Why did only one sprinkler head go off?
Each head opens on its own when its element gets heated, broken or damaged. A single head discharging is typical of accidental breaks, and of small fires too.
General information for Aurora, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.