Northbrook, Ill.–Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) has revised UL 199, Standard for Safety for Automatic Sprinklers for Fire Protection Service, to prohibit the use of O-ring water seal constructions in sprinklers after January 2003. The revision was published July 9.
The action follows a two-year UL-funded investigation of the field performance of O-ring sprinklers The project included extensively examining, testing, and analyzing samples from more than 200 locations across the country. The sprinklers samples were from hospitals, schools, offices, warehouses, and residences.
According to Jim Beyreis, UL’s vice president of Global Engineering, the research revealed that “some O-ring sealed sprinklers can degrade over time due to corrosion or buildup of minerals, salts, and other elements in water that could affect how the sprinklers activate in a fire.”
The revised UL 199 includes the following changes as well.
� A dry sprinkler deposit loading test has been added; the test will expose representative samples to a carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide atmosphere at elevated temperatures. The additional tests expose sprinklers to even harsher environmental conditions.
� Brass sprinkler parts exposed to sprinkler system water and containing more than 15 percent zinc must be subjected to a dezincification test. Selective removal of zinc from bass sprinklers can weaken pressure-retaining capabilities and potentially cause leakage or inhibit sprinkler operation, according to UL.
UL has issued the following public notices pertaining to the operating performance of certain sprinklers and has recommended precautionary actions: January 22, 1999, and March 3, 2000 public notices concerning dry sprinklers and February 2, 2000, and April 24, 2001 notices regarding Model GB series sprinklers manufactured by Central Sprinkler Company. Central has recently initiated a voluntary replacement program for these and other similarly constructed sprinklers. Information on the replacement program may be obtained from the Web site www.SprinklerReplacement.com.
UL is urging, as a precautionary measure, that sprinkler systems not part of the Central Sprinkler replacement program be inspected immediately and that all sprinkler systems with O-ring water seals be sample tested, regardless of their year of manufacture or installation location. Building managers and property owners can determine whether sprinklers use O-ring components by contacting the sprinkler manufacturer of UL.
Building owners may have their installed sprinklers tested by UL without charge. They should consult with the sprinkler manufacturers for information regarding how to remove and replace test samples and the terms of the manufacturer’s warranty before sending the representatives sprinkler samples to UL.
The samples should be sent to Kerry Bell, UL, 333 Pfingsten Road, Northbrook, IL 60062 for operational testing. Bell can be reached by phone at (847) 664-2629 or by e-mail at kerry m. bell@us.ul.com.
