When you own and/or operate within a commercial building, one of your key responsibilities is to ensure that the fire safety features of the structure are working properly. While inspecting the sprinkler system, you may have noted that one of the sprinkler heads or piping is broken or corroded, requiring repairs.
Because the task seems simple, you may be tempted to do the job yourself to save money and time spent on having someone else do it. However, there are a couple of reasons why you should have someone who is experienced and licensed with repairing fire sprinkler systems to fix the problems found in your commercial building.
1. Repairing One Section or Sprinkler Head May Not Correct the Issue With the Entire System
One reason why you should have a professional repair your building's sprinkler system is that correcting an obviously broken or corroded section may not fix the problem. While you may see that a sprinkler head is rusted or a pipe is broken, there may be problems further along the line that are causing the problem.
If you have a professional do the job, they will inspect the entire system, and since they have the training and experience, they will know what to look for, such as hidden water leaks or misaligned pipes. They will also know how to plunge test the system after repairs are made to ensure that everything is fixed and working properly.
2. Making Repairs on the System Yourself May Result in Hefty Fines for Building Code Violations
Another major reason why you should not attempt to fix your building's system yourself is that you may face hefty fines if you do so. Since a fire sprinkler system is an integral safety feature, making repairs when you do not have the proper training or licensing will violate building codes.
However, when you have a professional service come and do the work for you, you will be in compliance with these codes. You will also have documentation that the work was done by them.
While you may believe that you are saving time and money by fixing a broken sprinkler head or small section of the system, you may find that there are more repairs needed that are outside of the scope of your own experience and expertise. You may also face fines related to building code violations because you are not trained or licensed to work on the system. Instead of trying to fix it yourself, contact a contractor in your area that offers fire sprinkler system repair services to have them do the work for you.