5 Ways to Avoid Sprinkler Accidents in Cold Weather

Don’t let Winter Temps Be The Cause of Accidental Sprinkler Activation.

As the temperatures plummet, the risk of accidental fire sprinkler discharge increases.  Regular maintenance and testing is critical to ensure that the automatic fire sprinkler system is functioning properly.  However; the cool temperatures bring with it the additional risk of frozen pipes and damaged sprinkler heads.  Every year, the news is filled with stories about pipes bursting, sprinkler heads rupturing and the extensive, costly, water damage that results.

Don’t be the next news story!  This winter put a prevention plan in place to keep your building protected from accidental fire sprinkler activation.

5 Ways to Reduce the Risk of Sprinkler Accidents

1) Check for drafts which could let in cold air, and then seal them.  Open windows, cracks in foundation, missing insulation, and lack of weather stripping can make the room cooler and increase the risk of frozen fire sprinklers or pipes.

2) Close any cold weather valves.

3) Keep the room temperature above 40 degree Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius)

4) Keep secondary heating units away from the sprinkler heads to prevent accidental discharge from overheating.

5) In the case of accidental discharge, keep a Shutgun sprinkler shut off tool nearby for fast and easy shut off.

Most winter freeze ups tend to occur in the nooks and crannies that may miss a quick visual scan. Attics, basements, and wall and floor joists are often the more vulnerable areas. The key to avoiding the extensive damage from accidental fire sprinkler discharge is having a strategic prevention strategy.

Cold weather doesn’t have to be the arch nemesis for automatic fire sprinklers if the right steps are taken.

For more information visit: http://www.ecclesiastical.ca/2012/avoiding-freeze-ups-and-malfunctions-of-automatic-fire-sprinkler-systems/

Shutgun exhibiting at AMSA: March 20th to 23rd

On March 20th to 23rd, Technicraft Product Design Inc. will be demonstrating their line of products at the American Moving and Storage Association Conference. Protect your investment by keeping a Shutgun tool in every office and on every truck.

Come by and visit, President, Greg Patterson at Booth 702 and share your Shutgun story!   While at the booth, why not fill out a ballot to be entered into a draw to win a Microsoft Activity Band!

Moving companies and storage facilities are in the business of protecting other individuals’ investment. People are coming to you to both store and transfer their valuables. They want to ensure that everything arrives safely. Fire prevention strategies, such as automatic sprinklers, are one of the best ways to foster this reassurance for your client. No matter how diligent the moving team is, it is always possible to inadvertently hit the sprinkler head with a piece of furniture or other equipment.

Accidents happen. Mitigate this risk by having the Shutgun tool on hand.

Thankfully accidental discharge does not happen often, but when it does occur, the last thing you want to do is scramble to find the tool.Water from a sprinkler head is released at pressures as high as 170 psi and up to 25 gallons per minute, which can easily result in tens of thousands of dollars in damage. Every second wasted increases the amount of damage exponentially. This is why Shutgun has developed a bright yellow protective case specifically designed to hold all their tools whether it’s the original Shutgun, the Sheared head Shutgun, or Concealed head Shutgun.

We firmly believe that the Shutgun is only as good as its closest toolbox and at the $50 price point, it’s insurance that lets you place one on every truck.