4 Step Guide to Minimizing Water Damage Caused by Sprinkler Systems

7/28/2021 (Permalink)

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Sprinkler systems can malfunction and disperse gallons of water in a commercial property.

We have all seen sprinkler systems before, but how often do we think about the water damage that sprinklers may cause? Sprinkler systems are a great way to keep a property safe when a fire breaks out. However, a sprinkler system can cause water damage when they malfunction from a false alert. 

The following blog post is for a commercial property owner or property manager whose property has recently been affected by water damage due to a malfunctioning sprinkler system. We will discuss four steps you can take to minimize the water damage caused by sprinklers to get your property back in operation quickly.

Case study of water damage left after a sprinkler system malfunction

In the fall of 2020, the professionals at SERVPRO of South Cobb received a call from a property manager who manages an apartment complex in Smyrna, Georgia. During the initial call, they let us know that their property has been damaged by a malfunctioning sprinkler system and needed us to perform commercial water damage restoration services. 

Within an hour after our call, we had a crew at their property ready to respond. The majority of the damages that our professionals found were damaged drywall and flooring. Unfortunately, the property also had a few water-damaged oriental rugs and computers. The property manager was happy to find out that we offer oriental rug cleaning and can potentially restore electronics damaged by water. 

Due to our extensive drying techniques, the property was dry within five days, allowing us to move forward with the reconstruction portion of the project. Within two weeks, the property was fully operational, "Like it Never Even Happened." 

How water sprinkler systems are designed

Commercial sprinkler systems are an important part of any property. A commercial sprinkler system consists of multiple sprinkler heads that release water to extinguish fires. In most cases, the water that gets released from the commercial sprinkler system has sat for an extended period and will appear as a grayish-black color.

The good thing about commercial sprinkler systems is that not all sprinklers within the system will be released at once because only the sprinklers in the direct area that trigger the water release will be affected. 

4 steps to minimize sprinkler system water damage

A property owner will want to act quickly when gallons of water are released inside their commercial property. The following steps are designed to minimize sprinkler system water damage.

Step One: Immediately turn off the water supply line of the sprinkler system. Ask the building engineer or reference the property's blueprints if you are not sure of the whereabouts of the location of the sprinkler system shut-off valve. 

Step Two: Contact your sprinkler repair company. The sprinkler repair company will be able to assess where in their network of pipes or valves are responsible for releasing water. 

Step Three: Contact your insurance provider to start the claims process. When calling your insurance provider, make sure you have documented proof of the damages that occurred to the property. Your insurance adjuster may ask for video or pictures to show all that was damaged. 

Step Four: Contact a reliable commercial water restoration company. When choosing the restoration company you want to work with, you need to make sure that they are an IICRC certified firm and have the personnel to handle any size water damage disaster. The right restoration company will respond quickly and start extracting the excess water in the property. 

Wrapping up 

We hope that this blog post helped you understand the steps needed to minimize water damage caused by a sprinkler system malfunction. When it comes to water damage in Smyrna, Georgia, you can rely on the professionals at SERVPRO of South Cobb for quality restoration services. 

SERVPRO of South Cobb is available 24/7, 365 days a year, so feel free to contact us at any time for any size water damage disaster.