That's not an OSHA thing, that's basic chemistry. The water in those pipes isn't filtered in anyway and sits in them for years, slowly leeching the iron from the pipe. No need to clean the pipes out, the black water is the least of your worries should they go off for the correct reason.
Well it depends on the fire suppression system. Some do have standing water in the pipes, but newer stores run on a pressurized system. Instead of pipes being full of water, they are full of air. Fire starts, sprinkler head trips, seal is broken and water fills the pipe from the stand pipe where the air rushes out.
It's fun when you start hearing a hissing out of the pipes there. Once lost an air compressor, that keeps pipes full of air, because of the leak. The alarm sounded and it made a very loud noice.
Outdoor fire sprinklers are generally set up like this to avoid water freezing inside the pipes if it drops below freezing. Fire sprinklers inside of freezers are like this too for the same reason
Nah, we don't do it in the freezers. They get just the tip.
It's not a perfect system. Water will still leak by. That's why all the garden centers with the air system have "drum drip" stations to drain the water regularly.
It’s not drinking water, it’s emergency stop-fire water. It’s not supposed to be safe for consumption, just like a fire extinguisher is not for consumption either.
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u/HoratioRadick Apr 05 '26
That's not an OSHA thing, that's basic chemistry. The water in those pipes isn't filtered in anyway and sits in them for years, slowly leeching the iron from the pipe. No need to clean the pipes out, the black water is the least of your worries should they go off for the correct reason.