DPNI is a process that involves replacing the compressor as the source for pressure maintenance gas in dry (pre-action) fire sprinkler systems with a nitrogen generator.  Through a process of patented fill and purge breathing the oxygen rich air in the piping is replaced with nitrogen gas using a vent that is attached directly to the fire sprinkler system piping.  Once the piping is inerted, the breathing stops and nitrogen gas is used to maintain the pressure within the piping.  DPNI completely prevents oxygen corrosion within the fire sprinkler system. View our Dry Pipe Systems.

WPNI is a process that involves replacing the air in the wet pipe fire sprinkler system piping with nitrogen gas.  A remote vent on the system piping is used to remove all of the oxygen.  The end result is a system that is oxygen free and nitrogen inerted.  WPNI completely prevents oxygen corrosion within the fire sprinkler system. View our Wet Pipe Systems.

Oxygen gas present in the fire sprinkler system piping is the primary cause of corrosion-related failures.  The only way to effectively control corrosion is to prevent or eliminate the introduction of oxygen into the fire sprinkler system piping.

In wet pipe fire sprinkler systems, it is oxygen in the trapped air at the high points that most often cause corrosion.  Periodic testing, draining, and re-filling wet pipe systems accelerate the corrosion with a fresh supply of oxygen gas to react with the pipe metal.  Every time the piping is drained and filled the corrosion reaction is reignited with the fresh supply of oxygen in the air that is introduced. View our Wet Pipe Systems.

In dry pipe fire sprinkler systems, it is the periodic introduction of fresh oxygen from the pressure maintenance gas provided by the compressor that accelerates corrosion.  Oxygen from the compressed air attacks the pipe at areas where there are trapped pools of water. View our Dry Pipe Systems.

Bacteria are always present in fire sprinkler piping.  If you look for bacteria in fire sprinkler systems, you will ALWAYS find them.  They are introduced to the fire sprinkler systems during the initial installation of the piping and they flourish in the warm confines of the fire sprinkler system.  Some bacteria do participate in the process of accelerating the corrosion of steel.  However, in fire sprinkler systems Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion accounts for less than 5% of the leaks that occur. Oxygen-related corrosion accounts for 95% of the leaks that occur. MIC is NOT the primary cause of corrosion in fire sprinkler systems.

In wet pipe systems, corrosion occurs most frequently where the air is trapped in the system piping.   The oxygen in the air dissolves in the water and immediately reacts with the first iron that it contacts.  This generally occurs at the air/water interface in high branch lines.  In dry pipe systems, corrosion always occurs under pools of trapped water, primarily at low point mains.  Water is introduced to the dry pipe system in one of three ways:  during hydraulic testing of the piping, as condensate from the air compressor and during periodic testing of the fire sprinkler system to satisfy code requirements.

In order for oxygen to cause corrosion in fire sprinkler piping, the gas must first dissolve into liquid water.  Then the oxygen accelerates the cathodic half of the corrosion reaction that causes the metal, in this case, iron or zinc, to give up its electrons in the anodic half of the reaction.  This forms a pit in the pipe wall where the metal has been converted into a positively charged ion in the water.  The iron ion reacts with oxygen in the water to form iron oxide (rust).

1. Each time air is introduced into the fire sprinkler system piping the oxygen corrosion reaction is turned back on.  It continues until the newly introduced oxygen is consumed by the corroding pipe.  Every time a wet pipe system is drained and refilled the corrosion rate accelerates.
2. The higher the temperature of the fire sprinkler system the faster the corrosion rate.  As a rule, every 18-degree increase in temperature doubles the corrosion rate.  That means sprinkler systems exposed to direct sunlight and in locations above equipment that produces heat will have higher corrosion rates than the rest of the system piping. View our Wet Pipe Systems.

1. Each time the compressor cycles on it introduces warm, moist oxygen into the fire sprinkler piping.  More oxygen equals more corrosion.  More corrosion equals more leaks.
2. Condensate water from the compressor is acidic and it accelerates the corrosion reaction.
3. Each pool of trapped water within the dry pipe system is a potential source for corrosion to occur, so every trip event will cause additional corrosion. View our Dry Pipe Systems.

Dryers only reduce the amount of new water that is introduced into the dry or pre-action piping.  Unfortunately, most dry or pre-action systems already have plenty of trapped water in the piping from the initial hydrostatic test and from periodic testing of the system to meet code requirements.  

Compressors without attached dryers add warm, moist oxygen each time they turn on.  Compressors with attached dryers simply add warm, dry oxygen to the system piping.  With regard to corrosion in dry systems, adding fresh oxygen is far more damaging to the piping than adding a small amount of condensate water.  Air dryers add significant cost and maintenance but provide little protection against corrosion.

There are two factors that limit corrosion in coolers and freezers:

1. In order to have corrosion liquid water must be present.  It is quite rare to have corrosion in freezers.  Ice blocks can form in the lines because the compressor adds water, but the lack of liquid water in the piping prevents oxygen corrosion.
2. All chemical reaction rates slow with reductions in temperature.  Every 18-degree reduction in temperature cuts the chemical reaction in half.  At cooler and freezer temperatures the rate of oxygen corrosion on the piping is very, very slow.

While corrosion rates in coolers and freezers are very low, supply mains between the risers and cooler/freezer areas located in conditioned spaces can be highly susceptible to corrosion. Learn more about Protecting Cold Storage (Freezer) Applications here.

Galvanized steel piping is subject to highly localized attack by oxygen under the persistently moist, oxygen-rich environments that exist within fire sprinkler piping.  ECS research indicates that galvanized steel piping suffers from corrosion related leaks 3 – 4 times faster than black steel piping under identical operating conditions.  We have seen failures occur in schedule 10 galvanized steel piping in 12 months.  Additional factory mutual research indicates leaks can occur in galvanized pipe within two to three years. ECS recommends against the use of galvanized steel piping in any fire sprinkler application. Learn more about the use of galvanized steel piping here.

The current ASTM standards for fire sprinkler piping does not require heat treatment of the weld seam in the piping to reduce the risk of corrosion in the heat affected zone around the weld seam.  As a result, the weld seam in fire sprinkler piping is highly susceptible to accelerated corrosion rates relative to the remainder of the pipe.  Weld seams under trapped pools of water in dry (pre-action) fire sprinkler systems almost always experience high rates of corrosion and are frequently the point of failure. Learn more about our Pipe Analysis Service.

The process of repairing a leak in a wet pipe fire sprinkler system typically involves draining the system to replace the failed piece of piping.  This repair process adds enough oxygen to the system to fuel the next leak.  The process of leak formation can increase quite dramatically once it starts.  Fortunately, oxygen corrosion attack is highly localized in wet pipe fire sprinkler systems and typically only damages about 20-25% of the piping.  The remainder of the piping is generally unaffected by oxygen corrosion.

Dry (pre-action) pipe fire sprinkler systems generally only have corrosion-related leaks under pools of trapped water.  Here again, the corrosion is localized to only a small section of the main lines where the water collects into pools.  This is generally only about 20-25% of the main piping.  The dry branch lines often show no corrosion because there is no water present in them.  It is not necessary to replace the complete system. Learn more about our Corrosion Assessment Service.

There are generally five approaches to controlling corrosion in any industrial application:

• Corrosion resistant metallurgy
• Use of plastics
• Chemical corrosion control
• Internal coatings on the metal piping
• Removal of the corrosive gas – ECS recommended  

In the fire sprinkler industry:

• Metallurgy is generally cost prohibitive (copper, stainless steel)
• The use of plastic pipe is restricted by the code (light hazard, residential occupancies)
• NFPA 13 Installation Guide restricts the use of chemicals to those that can demonstrate compatibility with all fire sprinkler system components
• There is a significant risk of internal coating delamination and the resultant sprinkler plugging in fire sprinkler systems
• Removal of oxygen is the most cost-effective option in the fire sprinkler industry Learn more about chemical corrosion inhibitors here.

Automatic air vents (PAV-W) provide automatic venting of trapped air in wet pipe fire sprinkler systems. The vents are to be installed at an accessible high point on the fire sprinkler system remote from the system riser where gas can be vented. The ECS Ejector Automatic Air Vent (PAV-W) fulfills the NFPA 13 (2016) requirement to provide a means of venting gas from a wet pipe fire sprinkler system.

ECS provides equipment and services direct to fire sprinkler contractors. Because ECS manufactures all products in house at our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in St. Louis, MO, ECS provides industry best lead times. Please visit our online store or contact ECS directly at 314-432-1377 for information and pricing!

Since inception ECS has used Air Products PRISM® Membrane Separators which represent the highest quality of available technology. Air Products invented nitrogen membrane separation technology in the 1970’s and has continued to improve upon it. Currently their membrane separators are designed for a twenty (20) year life expectancy at a 100% duty cycle (in the fire protection industry we use the membrane separator at no more than a 10% duty cycle).

ECS membrane separation technology allows for the industry’s most simple and compact installation because there is no need for a nitrogen storage tank or refrigerated air dryer. The nitrogen membrane separators used are designed to filter out water vapor with no adverse effect on performance. Our systems are specifically engineered to eliminate the need for both tanks and dryers.

ECS uses simple cartridge based filters in our wall-mount(ed) and stand-alone nitrogen generators. These filters are replaced on an annual basis, and only take a few minutes to replace. You will not find equipment easier to maintain than ECS wall-mount(ed) or stand-alone nitrogen generators.

ECS uses the patented “fill and purge” breathing process to remove oxygen from the fire sprinkler system. Fill and purge (pressure cycling) thoroughly mixes and homogenizes incoming nitrogen with the air in the piping to dilute the oxygen concentration as it is vented to 98% nitrogen purity. This allows for placement of the venting device anywhere on the system piping. The best location for the vent is the riser as this provides easier installation, commissioning, and serviceability throughout the life of the corrosion management system.

Nitrogen purity rates dictate the dew point of the gas. ECS wall-mount(ed) and stand-alone nitrogen generators produce 98% gas with a dew point of approx. -80⁰F. There is not a fire sprinkler system installed that will be operating below this temperature, leaving no chance of our nitrogen generators producing condensate inside the system that will freeze. In addition, the maintenance on ECS wall-mount(ed) nitrogen generators is significantly more affordable and simple to perform than that of traditional air dryers.

The industry preferred tool for assessing corrosion in a fire sprinkler system is a pipe analysis using a sample from the system. ECS provides evaluation and analysis of corroded fire sprinkler piping to investigate both the cause of the metal loss and useful remaining service life data. Analysis will provide the most likely cause of corrosion and/or failures with custom remediation and corrosion prevention recommendations.