AirPocketsandPressureSurges:TheInvisibleThreat

Manyofthecatalyststhatresultinproblemswitha
plantssprinklersystemgounnoticeduntilitistoolate.
Oneofthemostcommoncausesforsystemdamage
thatisoftenoverlookedisthepresenceofairpockets
withintheundergroundsupplypiping.These
symptomsareoftenimperceptibleunlesspressure
gaugesarecloselymonitored;allowingtheseproblems
theopportunitytointensifyuntilsystemsexperiencea
falsetriporsustainmajordamage.Fortunately,there
aresimplemeasuresthatcanbetakentoprevent
supplypipingairpocketsfromthwartingsystem
functionality;itisjustamatterofexecutingbest
practicesandrecognizingproblemsearlybeforethey
escalateintobrokenequipment.

Ifairispresentinthesystemand
gaugesarenotcarefullymonitored,
pressurescanexceedthePSIratingof
thefireprotectionsystem,causing
seriousdamageorhinderingthe
effectivenessofthesystem.

HowDoAirPocketsFormWithinaSprinklerSystem?

Thereareanumberofwaysinwhichairpocketscandevelopwithinawatersupplysystem.
Whenanewsystemisinstalledatafacility,itisinitiallyfilledwithairatatmosphere.Itisthe
actionsthataretakenbeforethesystemisputintousethatdeterminewhetherornotthose
pocketsremain.Similarly,whenrepairsoroutagesoccur,airisallowedtoenterthesystem,
whichcancreatethesameproblemsaswhenasystemisfirstinstalled.Anotherwayinwhich
aircanaccumulateinthesystemisfromthewateritself.Overtime,oxygencanseparatefrom
thewaterandformairpocketsthroughoutthehighpointsinthesystem.

HowDoesTrappedAirBecomeaThreattoSprinklerSystems?

Regardlessofhowtheairentersthesystem,thesepocketswillalwaysnaturallygravitate
towardsthehighpointswithinthesupplysystem.Astheairaccumulatesatthesehighpoints,it
becomesmoredifficultforwatertopassthroughtheseareasbecausetheairactsasa
restriction.Asthewaterisforcedtopassthroughrestrictions,itsvelocitywillsubsequently
increase,untilithasreachedahighenoughvelocitytodislodgetheair.Asthewateristhen
stoppedagainbyanotherhighpointortheendofamain,theabruptchangeinvelocitycan
resultinpressuresurgesorwaterhammer.Anotherscenariothatcanresultinwaterhammer
isatthetimeofsystemstartup.Ifwaterenterstheemptypipeataratetooquicklyforairto
escape,asurgeofairpressurecausedbytherushofwatercancreateawaterhammer.

2265CarlsonDrive,Northbrook,IL60062
8478498720www.femoranshs.comfemoranshsinfo@femoran.com

WhatAretheConsequencesofaPressureSurge?

Ifcaughtearly,minorpressuresurgeswillhavelittleeffectonafacilitysfireprotectionsystem.
Gaugescanindicatethatapressuresurgeisoccurringandtheappropriatemeasurescanbe
takentorectifytheoriginoftheproblembeforeitcausesdamagetothesystem.However,ifa
surgegoesunnoticedandtheissueescalates,theconsequencescanbedestructivetothe
systemanditseffectivenesscompromised.

Whenapressuresurgeoccurswithinawatersupplysystem,pressurelevelscanreachupwards
of300poundspersquareinch(PSI)andbecometrappedonthesystemsideofasprinkler
systemvalve.Thestandardequipmentassociatedwithsprinklersystemsinpowergenerating
andchemicalprocessingplantstypicallyhavearatingof175,inaccordancewithNFPA
standards.Whensprinklerequipmentissubjectedtopressuresthatexceedtheirrating,
equipmentcanfailandcomponentssuchasvalvesandpumpsaresusceptibletodamage.Even
ifpressuresurgesofalowermagnitudeoccurrepeatedly,therepeatedstresscyclescanweaken
thesystemcomponents.

Fireprotectionsystemsthatsufferdamageasa
resultofpressuresurgesarerenderedineffective
whilerepairsarebeingmade,puttingthefacility
atriskuntilthesystemisfunctionalagain.
Alternatively,whendamageisnotimmediately
recognized,facilitiesaresubjectedtoaneven
greaterthreatbecauseitispossiblethatthe
faultyequipmentwillnotberealizeduntilproven
ineffectiveintheeventofafire.

Perhapsthemostprevalentconsequencerelated
topressuresurgesinsprinklersystemsisthe
Whenafireprotectionsystemsustains
damageasaresultofapressuresurge,
occurrenceoffalsetrippingofdryvalvescaused
systemsaretakenoutofservice,leaving
bysurges.Falsedischargethatistriggeredbya
facilitiesvulnerabletofireswhilerepairsare
pressuresurgeisburdensomeforplantstaffand
made.
alsotakesacriticalcomponentofthefire

protectionsystemoutofservice.Oncedischarge
hasoccurred,plantstaffmustshutthesystemdownanddrainit,exposingthefacilitytorisk
whilethesystemisbeingserviced.Furthermore,ifanaccidentaldischargeoccursinfreezing
conditionsanditisnotimmediatelyrecognized,thereisapossibilitythatpipescouldfreeze,
causinglongtermimpairmentstothesystem.

Beyondtheissuesrelatedtodamagedequipmentandfalsetrips,theoverallperformanceofa
drysprinklersystemcanbeimpededbythepresenceofair.Ifthedifferentialvaluesofair
pressurewithinthesystempipesareskewedtocompensateforsurges,itcantakelongerfor
watertodischargeintheeventofafire.Excessiveairpressureandrestrictionscausedby
pocketsofaircanresultinslowerdeliveryofwatertotheopenhead,allowingfirestogrowin
intensity,makingthemmoredifficulttocontrol.

2265CarlsonDrive,Northbrook,IL60062
8478498720www.femoranshs.comfemoranshsinfo@femoran.com

SafeguardingFireProtectionSystemsfromPressureSurges

Takingintoconsiderationallofthepotentialproblemsthatcanstemfrompressuresurges
causedbytrappedairinawatersupplysystem,thebestsolutionispreventingpressuresurges
fromoccurringaltogether.Therearedifferentmethodsforpreventingairfrombecoming
trappedwithinawatersupplysystemandthemosteffectivesolutioninvolvescarefulplanning
thatbeginsinthedesignphaseofaproject.

Becauseairinherentlymigratestothehighpointsofasystem,undergrounddesignsthatinclude
manychangesinelevationaremoreproblematicthanleveldesigns.
Oneofthemostcriticalmeasuresthatmustbetakentopreventairfrombecomingtrapped
withinthesystemtakesplaceafterthesystemhasbeeninstalledandisbeingfilledwithwater.
Linesshouldbefilledslowly,allowingairampleopportunitytoescapefromthepiping.
Additionally,hydrantsandleadinsshouldbeflushedinasystematicmanner,beginningwiththe
backofthesystemandmovingtowardsthefront,ensuringthateverysectionofthesystemis
thoroughlyflushedbeforebeingputintouse.Airshouldbebledfromallofthehighpointsof
thesystemtoexpelanyremainingairthatexists.And,afterthesystemisoperational,these
actionsshouldbeperformedonaregularbasistopreventanyaccumulationofairwithinthe
sprinklerpipes.

DiligentMaintenanceMitigatesRisk

Thenegativeeffectsofneglectingtrappedairwithinfireprotectionsystemscanbedirewhen
theperformanceofthesystemisinhibitedasaresult.Damagedequipmentcannotonlybea
costlyandtimeconsumingproblem,butthesafetyofaplantisdiminishedwhenvital
componentsofafireprotectionsystemarenotoperatingatpeakperformance.Lessobvious
impediments,suchasalinerestriction,canalsohaveharmfuleffectsifnotadequately
addressed.Diligentexecutionofsimple,yeteffectivepractices,suchasventingpocketsofair
fromthehighpointsinthesystemcanhelpensurethatfireprotectionsystemsarefunctioning
attheiroptimalcapabilityintheeventofafire.

2265CarlsonDrive,Northbrook,IL60062
8478498720www.femoranshs.comfemoranshsinfo@femoran.com