The sprinkler system is the only system that applies water to a fire without human intervention, and when operating correctly, it generally stops the fire in the volume where it started. However, the entire system depends on water reaching the heads in the ceiling; a single closed valve in between renders the entire investment non-functional.
We provide periodic inspection, alarm valve and flow switch testing, piping and head inspection, troubleshooting, and maintenance service for wet pipe, dry pipe, and pre-action sprinkler systems.
What Is Included in Maintenance?
Valves and water supply
The first and most critical item of maintenance is verification that water can reach the heads. For this purpose:
- The main control valve and all zone valves are individually checked for position; they are secured in the open position and locked or sealed
- Valve position monitoring switches (tamper switch) are closed to verify that a fault signal is sent to the panel
- Check valves and pressure reducers are inspected
In facilities without valve position monitoring switches, physical inspection is the only way to detect a closed valve. For this reason, valve inspection must never be omitted from maintenance.
Alarm valve and test-drain line
- The test line of the wet alarm valve is opened to provide actual flow; the alarm gong (motor siren) operation and signal transmission to the panel are monitored
- The flow switch triggering time and delay setting are verified
- Pressure gauges are read, and the pressure differential before and after the alarm valve is evaluated
- Drainage is performed from the drain line to observe water quality and sediment in the line
Dry pipe and pre-action systems
These systems carry different risks than wet systems and require additional inspection:
- Air/nitrogen pressure is maintained within the correct range and compressor operation
- The dry alarm valve opening (trip) behavior is tested
- Water accumulation in the piping is checked — critical in areas with freezing risk
- In pre-action systems, the triggering logic between the detection system and valve is tested
Heads and piping
- Heads are checked for paint, dirt, corrosion, or mechanical damage
- The suitability of the head type and temperature rating for the location
- The free space beneath the head is not blocked by subsequently installed shelving, suspended ceilings, ducts, or panels
- Integrity of hangers and clamps, corrosion and leakage in the piping
- The spare head cabinet is present and the heads inside match the types in the field
Change in occupancy useis the most frequently overlooked source of non-compliance in sprinkler systems. Converting a space designed as an office into storage, increasing shelf height, or adding partition walls invalidates the hazard class for which the system was designed and the head placement. In this case, what is required is not maintenance, but recalculation.
How Is the Interval Determined?
The standard that determines the maintenance period for sprinkler systems is TS EN 12845; BYKHY Article 100 makes it mandatory and leaves the frequency to this standard. The standard defines a tiered program ranging from frequently repeated brief inspections (valve positions, pressures, water source) to less frequent comprehensive work (alarm valve testing, water tank internal inspection, piping evaluation). Pump group tests are an integral part of this program and fire pump maintenance are conducted together with it.
| Period | Inspection carried out |
|---|---|
| Weekly | Pressure gauges and the water tank level are read, the alarm gong is sounded, and automatic pump start-up is tested |
| Monthly | The diesel pump's batteries and electrolyte level are checked |
| Quarterly | Spaces are reviewed for any change in use that alters the hazard class; supply and alarm connections are checked |
| Semi-annually | In dry pipe systems, the dry alarm valve is operated and tested |
| Annually | Pump flow and pressure performance at full load is measured, and the system is checked from end to end |
| Every three years | The water tank and the stop and check valves are inspected |
| Every ten years | The water tank is drained, cleaned inside and inspected |
| After 25 years | Sample heads are sent for testing, or the heads are replaced |
Weekly and monthly checks are the job of the facility's own staff; we set up a form-based routine for them and review the kept records at our quarterly and annual visits. A weekly test that is not recorded is as good as a test that was never done.
If you are wondering whether sprinklers are mandatory in your building, see the page where we explain Article 96 thresholds .
Items Determining Maintenance Cost
In sprinkler maintenance, the cost is not a single figure; the facility itself determines it: the number of zones, alarm valve count, pump group type (electric/diesel/jockey), accessibility of test-drain points, head sampling quantity, and reporting scope. How these items translate into price is explained item by item on our maintenance pricing page without providing a fixed figure; each quote is based on a detailed survey.
Why Should You Procure This Service from a Single Firm?
Fire safety is not a single system, but two interdependent engineering disciplines: mechanical side (pump unit, sprinkler, hydrant, fire cabinet, piping) and electronic side (detection, alarm, announcement, suppression triggering, control panels). Few firms in the market perform both sides together; most facilities obtain mechanical maintenance from one firm and electronic maintenance from another.
The problem starts here. What activates the system during a fire is not individual devices, but the connections between them: the flow switch will alert the panel, the panel will trigger the pump and damper, the announcement will sound before the gas system discharges, the elevator will descend to the evacuation floor. If there is a gap in responsibility between two firms in the middle of this chain, both firms may hand over their equipment as "working" while the system as a whole does not function. The most frequent fault we observe in the field is not a defective device, but an interface that no one owns.
As ASPEK Mühendislik, we are headquartered in Ankara and serve throughout Turkey. We conduct mechanical and electronic maintenance within the same team schedule; the installation, filling, and maintenance of sprinkler, hydrant, and fire pump units and FM-200 and Novec 1230 gas suppression systems fall within this scope — areas where finding a qualified technician is most difficult.
We structure our scope accordingly: from detection to gas suppression, from sprinkler and hydrant lines to fire pump units, we maintain every fire safety system in a building end to end — single contract, single point of contact, single reporting format. For facilities that request it, we also add the periodic maintenance of camera (CCTV) systems to the same contract; when fire and security infrastructure is consolidated under one roof, there is no such thing as a "fault falling between two firms."
Legal Basis for This Maintenance
Regulation on Fire Protection of Buildings (BYKHY) maintenance of fire safety systems is defined not as an optional improvement, but as an obligation incumbent upon the building owner and administrator defines it as follows:
- Article 84 — Emergency lighting, signage, and fire detection and alarm systems shall be subject to periodic inspection, testing, and maintenance as required by the system specified in the applicable standards, under the responsibility of the building owner and administrator or the building official to whom they have delegated responsibilities in writing.
- Article 100 — Fire suppression systems shall be subject to periodic inspection, testing, and maintenance as required by the system specified in the applicable standards, under the responsibility of the building owner, administrator, or the building official to whom they have delegated responsibilities in writing is a requirement.
The common aspect of both articles is this: the regulation does not prescribe the period itself, but refers it to the standard the system is subject to. In other words, maintenance frequency is set not by the regulation but by the standard the system was designed to (TS EN 12845 for sprinklers, the TS EN 54 series for detection, TS ISO 14520 for gas systems) and by the manufacturer's own manual. A specification that says "the regulation requires this frequency" is built on the wrong basis.
The Ministry's regulation guide explicitly requires retention of these records: information, documents, and records related to inspections, maintenance, and tests must be kept in a secure place by the building owner, administrator, or responsible party for submission to relevant authorities in any emergency. Maintenance being performed is not enough; it must be documented that it was performed.
Related Products and Guides
- Fire suppression products catalog
- Fire pump maintenance — the source supplying the sprinklers
- Fire suppression systems guide
To Set Up Your Maintenance Program
One contract, a solution for everything: we provide end-to-end maintenance to fire detection, gas suppression, sprinkler, hydrant, and pump units in their entirety; if you wish, maintenance of camera (CCTV) systems can also be added to the same contract.
If you do not have the brand, age, and last maintenance record of the existing system on hand, that is not a problem; the first step is anyway inventory and current condition assessment. Setting up an annual program without seeing what is there in the field means selling maintenance for a system that does not exist.
You can examine your system brand's product equivalents in our product catalog ; for requirements specific to your facility's use class, you can visit our sectoral solutions pages.
For a survey and quotation, write to us via our contact page or call +90 312 385 15 66 directly. Survey is free within Ankara; for facilities throughout Turkey, the visit plan is established jointly before contract.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is sprinkler testing performed?
The core of system testing is monitoring the alarm valve, flow switch, and alarm bell operation through actual flow supplied from the test-drain line and verifying that signal reaches the panel. This is accompanied by verification of valve positions, pressure readings, and water source confirmation. Heads are not tested by individual actuation; heads are inspected visually.
Should sprinkler heads be changed within a certain period?
Heads are not changed collectively on a calendar basis; they are inspected visually and changed as required. Heads that are painted, corroded, mechanically damaged, have foreign material accumulation, or are exposed to unsuitable ambient temperatures require replacement. For systems in long-term service, the standard requires sampling and testing of heads.
What clearance should be maintained below a sprinkler head?
Nothing should obstruct the head's water distribution cone; therefore, free space must be maintained below the head. If a subsequently installed shelf, suspended ceiling, ventilation duct, panel, or partition obstructs this space, the system will not function as designed and the layout must be reevaluated.
We changed our warehouse layout; is the sprinkler system still adequate?
Probably not. Sprinkler design is based on the hazard classification of the space, storage height, and stored materials. An increase in rack height, change in material type, or addition of partitions invalidates the design assumptions. In this case, what is required is not maintenance but recalculation of the system.
Will the sprinkler system freeze in winter?
Wet pipe systems cannot be used in areas subject to freezing risk; dry pipe or pre-action systems are required in such areas. One of the critical maintenance items for dry systems is checking whether water accumulates in the piping — accumulated water freezes and blocks the line, rendering the system inoperable.
Who can perform sprinkler system maintenance?
It takes a mechanically oriented team that knows TS EN 12845 practice and can work on alarm valves, flow switches, the test-and-drain line and zone valves. ASPEK carries out sprinkler maintenance with its own staff and, where needed, handles head replacement and pipework modifications from the same team. We are based in Ankara and work throughout Turkey.
Can the maintenance company also perform the periodic inspection?
Maintenance, testing, and deficiency correction are handled under one roof by us. For facilities requiring independent inspection, a Type A inspection body comes into play; however, the body cannot remedy deficiencies it finds due to impartiality requirements. We prepare the system before inspection and correct any deficiencies identified in the inspection report afterward.
What document is provided at the end of maintenance, and will the fire authority accept it?
A maintenance report is prepared together with alarm valve testing, flow switch signal testing, zone valve position verification, and line pressure values. This report documents system maintenance status in fire authority inspections and licensing processes; we use the same report format in Ankara and nationwide throughout Turkey.
What happens if I do not perform maintenance?
Sprinkler systems stand idle for years without operation; this is precisely the problem — only maintenance can reveal a closed zone valve or painted, corroded head. BYKHY places the responsibility of keeping the system operational on the building manager. In a fire, a single unopened zone valve disables the entire system; post-loss insurers first request maintenance records.
Does the insurance company request sprinkler maintenance records?
Policies for sprinklered facilities are generally issued on the assumption that the system is maintained in working condition; it is common practice for the adjuster to request maintenance and test records in case of loss. Exact conditions depend on the policy; a regular maintenance report is your strongest document in the claims process.