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Built for the Bottom Line.

It might seem like an abstract thought, but fire sprinkler corrosion can seriously impact your bottom line.

Most property owners and managers ensure code compliance out of obligation, but did you know that code compliance does not necessarily mean risk reduction?

The biggest risk to your sprinkler piping is corrosion within the pipes. As the piping degrades over time, standard inspection methods don’t tell the complete story and your ability to manage one of your buildings largest assets is limited. Therefore, even when your system meets code requirements in the short term, corrosion might be affecting your system’s long-term integrity... or worse.

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Fire Sprinkler Monitoring System and Sprinkler System Maintenance

25-year-old-wet-system-sprinkler-maintenance-corrosion Corrosion occurs over the life of a sprinkler system, but there are specific events when understanding your risk level is critical.

• When purchasing or selling a building
• During your 5-year internal inspection
• After leaks have developed on the system

ECS Consulting Group can help determine your current level of risk, so you know how to manage corrosion in your sprinkler system over the life of the building.

long-term issues due to corrosion include:

Sprinkler pipe obstruction
Sprinkler plugging
Reduced hydraulic performance
Pinhole leaks
Shortened service life
Repair costs
Damage to property
Business disruption

ECS closes the gap between compliance and risk mitigation for property owners and managers.

It’s in our name. Engineered Corrosion Solutions not only identifies corrosion – we solve corrosion.

We know your property is valuable and we take the time to understand your needs, goals, and concerns. Then, we’ll work with you to build the right solution for your system, and for your business and safety needs. In practice, this enables you to identify corrosion issues before leaks develop and implement a strategy to extend the useful service life of your piping.

We’ve worked for decades to save our clients millions of dollars in pipe replacement costs and business continuity expenses.

Let us to resolve your challenges and protect your profitability.

Frequently asked questions:

I’m purchasing a building and I’m planning to perform a water sample analysis to evaluate my sprinkler piping’s condition. Is this a good idea?

ECS has performed hundreds of water sample analyses in conjunction with pipe sample metal loss analyses. What we’ve discovered over the years is that the primary driver of corrosion in fire sprinkler systems is oxygen, not bacteria. Even more, we found no correlation between the number of bacteria in the water and the amount of metal loss on the pipe. In summary, testing your water for bacteria will NOT tell you the current condition of the sprinkler piping, and relying on a water sample before purchasing a building is not a good way to manage your sprinkler system’s corrosion risk.

Instead, perform a pipe sample metal loss analysis. This analysis directly observes the amount of metal left on your pipe wall, and it will gauge the current rate of corrosion and expected future life of your pipe.

My sprinkler system has a leak problem and it’s getting worse. What should I do?

Because sprinkler system leaks are often caused by oxygen, once leaks begin, they won’t stop. At this point, action needs to be taken to avoid a significant impact to your operating budget from continued leak repairs.

Performing a Corrosion Risk Assessment will give you the data and insight you need to be able to implement the most cost-efficient remediation and prevention strategy possible. During many past projects, ECS has been able to recommend a strategy that avoids significant pipe replacement and saves the client up to 90% compared to the next best alternative.

My sprinkler system doesn’t have any leaks right now. Should I still be concerned?

Corrosion in fire sprinkler systems can occur without any outward signs. Although you may not have leaks now, code mandated system testing, and standard sprinkler system design makes corrosion and its resulting leaks inevitable.

Even if you don’t have leaks now, it is critical to perform proactive analysis to determine your system’s current level of damage. Think about it this way, we manage the lifecycle cost of almost every system in the building, but without knowledge of the current condition of your sprinkler system, its lifecycle cost can’t be managed.

I’m considering replacing my entire sprinkler system with new pipe. Is this necessary?

Because the driving elements of corrosion are not evenly distributed inside the sprinkler system, corrosion is often very localized. This means that even if pipe replacement is required to eliminate leak risk, it is often only required on small portions of the sprinkler system.

Use a comprehensive Corrosion Risk Assessment to understand the severity of your corrosion, where it is located, and what actions are required to eliminate leak risk. In many cases, using the information provided in a Corrosion Risk Assessment will allow you to implement a solution to eliminate leak risk for up to 90% less than the next best alternative.

I’ve already had inspection work performed on my sprinkler system. What additional work could be needed?

Code mandated testing of your fire sprinkler system is important to ensure the functionality of the system in the event of a fire. However, it is not designed to characterize the current level of corrosion damage. To accurately capture the level of corrosion damage, we recommend employing a pipe sample metal loss analysis. This analysis will identify corrosion damage before it’s too late, allowing you to take the steps necessary to save money over the long term.

How does corrosion start?

Corrosion starts when oxygen and moisture come into contact with metal. This process is called oxidation. When metal oxidizes, it weakens, and over time, this weakening can lead to safety hazards or equipment failure.

That’s why it's important to be proactive about corrosion assessment – the consequences of equipment failure or safety hazards can be severe.

The ECS Advantage

Industry Experts

Experienced team of Corrosion Engineers
Existing system analysis and independent reporting
Industry recognized innovations and patents

Critical Solutions

Minimize equipment installation in high-risk environments
Easy deployment and maintenance for maximum uptime
Comprehensive monitoring capabilities

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Work with your preferred service provider
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Case Study

An aerospace manufacturing facility was experiencing significant leaks that exposed high-value equipment to potential permanent damage and put delivery to customers at risk. Working with their service contractor, ECS put together a plan to assess the condition of the system and mitigate future risk due to corrosion. Read more.

Assessments were performed on 25 sprinkler systems, and a full analytical report was provided.
Presented with the data, the manufacturer chose to perform Wet Pipe Nitrogen Inerting (WPNI).
As a result, all leaks were eliminated.
Complete system replacement was prevented, resulting in millions saved.

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Studies, Videos, and more.

REDUCE RISK WITH TECHNOLOGY.

Built for the Bottom Line.

When Should I Be Concerned About Corrosion?

long-term issues due to corrosion include:

It’s in our name. Engineered Corrosion Solutions not only identifies corrosion – we solve corrosion.

Frequently asked questions:

The ECS Advantage

Industry Experts

Critical Solutions

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Corrosion Management Downloads & Resources

Case Study

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REDUCE RISK WITH TECHNOLOGY.

Built for the Bottom Line.

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When Should I Be Concerned About Corrosion?

long-term issues due to corrosion include:

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It’s in our name. Engineered Corrosion Solutions not only identifies corrosion – we solve corrosion.

Frequently asked questions:

The ECS Advantage

Industry Experts

Critical Solutions

Support

Corrosion Management Downloads & Resources

Case Study

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