Ansul System Inspection Checklist: What Happens at the Semi-Annual Visit

Monthly owner check (you, not the technician)

NFPA 17A asks the owner to check the system monthly. It takes a couple of minutes:

• The system is in its normal position and nothing has been discharged.
• The manual pull station is unobstructed and its tamper seal is intact.
• The current inspection tag is in place and not past its due date.
• If the cylinder has a pressure gauge, it reads in the operable range.
• Nozzle blow-off caps are in place and nozzles are not covered in grease.
• Cooking appliances have not been moved, swapped, or added under the hood.
• Write down the date and your initials, or keep a log.

Semi-annual technician inspection checklist

• Confirm the hazard has not changed: appliance types and positions still match the nozzle layout the system was designed for.
• Inspect the agent cylinder(s): mounting, physical condition, gauge, and nameplate.
• Check the expellant cartridge (on cartridge-operated systems) by weight or as the manual directs.
• Inspect the detection line, pulleys, and conduit, and replace fusible links as the manufacturer and NFPA 17A require.
• Trip the system from the detection line and the remote manual pull station (with the agent isolated) to prove the release mechanism works.
• Verify the gas shutoff valve closes and any electric shunt trip de-energizes the cooking appliances on release.
• Verify any fire alarm interconnect signals the panel.
• Inspect nozzles: correct type, aimed at the appliances, clean, caps in place.
• Check the piping and hood/duct penetrations for damage.
• Confirm a Class K portable extinguisher is in the kitchen.
• Reset the system, seal the pull station, attach a new dated tag, and leave a written report listing any deficiencies.

Longer-interval items

• Hydrostatic testing of wet-chemical agent cylinders at 12-year intervals.
• Recharge after any discharge, and a full inspection after the system is put back in service.
• System modification or replacement when appliances change or the system is no longer supported by the manufacturer. Many fire marshals expect systems to meet UL 300.

Ansul R-102 example: the 12-year hydrostatic test

Ansul’s R-102 design, installation, recharge and maintenance manual says maintenance must be conducted at six-month intervals, or earlier if the situation dictates, and that twelve-year maintenance must include agent tank hydrostatic testing. The manual also says that under normal conditions the stainless steel agent tank requires hydrostatic testing every twelve years, and that the date of manufacture is stamped on the tank nameplate.

Culver City Fire Department’s plan notes likewise say hydrostatic testing of a wet chemical extinguishing system shall be completed at intervals not exceeding 12 years, citing NFPA 17A. Other brands have their own intervals, so check the manual for your system. Ask your inspector to note the tank manufacture date on the service report so the test due date is on record. Details vary by model and manual revision, so treat the manufacturer’s current manual as the authority.

How to prepare for the visit

• Schedule outside peak service. The technician needs the appliances cool and the line reachable.
• Have the last inspection report ready, and photos of the cylinder nameplate if it is a new vendor.
• Know where the gas shutoff and the electrical panel are.
• Clear access to the cylinder cabinet and the pull station.
• If the hood is heavily greased, schedule hood cleaning separately. A dirty hood can be written up.