What your restaurant's sprinkler system is due for
Atwood's business strip runs along Orangethorpe Avenue, where restaurants share the street with markets, a bar and small shops. If your dining room or kitchen has sprinkler heads overhead, NFPA 25 and California Title 19 set the inspection calendar, and an inspector may ask to see that you've kept to it. The calendar has three layers.
- Quarterly: a visual inspection of gauges, control valves and alarm devices.
- Annual: a full inspection plus the operating tests described below.
- Every five years: an internal pipe assessment, gauge replacement or testing, and the Title 19 five-year service and certification, which in California must be done by a contractor licensed by the State Fire Marshal.
Old heads have an end date too. Once sprinkler heads reach 50 years in service, NFPA 25 requires replacing them or sending samples to a lab for testing.
Restaurant sprinkler testing during the annual visit
Inspection is looking. Testing makes the system move water. A technician opens the inspector's test connection to confirm that flowing water sets off the waterflow alarm, then runs a main drain test and compares the pressure readings with past results, so a weak water supply shows up on paper before it shows up in a fire. Control valves are checked to confirm they're open and sealed or locked.
Kitchens get a closer look. Heads near the cook line can collect grease and corrosion. NFPA 25 calls for replacing loaded or corroded heads. Wiping them off doesn't count. When a test turns up a problem, our restaurant sprinkler repair service in Atwood handles the fix.
Your hood system runs on its own schedule
A restaurant kitchen with a hood suppression system has two fire systems to keep current. The sprinklers follow NFPA 25. The hood system over the fryers and griddles follows NFPA 96 and NFPA 17A, is inspected every six months, and gets its metal-alloy fusible links replaced at least that often. See our fire kitchen service in Atwood for that visit.
Kitchens with a hood system also need a Class K extinguisher, which our Atwood fire extinguisher service covers. Ask about lining the visits up.
Placentia Fire and Life Safety covers Atwood
Atwood isn't a city of its own. Placentia annexed the neighborhood in the early 1970s, and since July 2020 the city has run its own fire department, the Placentia Fire and Life Safety Department. That department's fire prevention staff inspect businesses. Its fee schedule includes a reinspection charge, so a failed item can mean paying for a second visit. Have your sprinkler paperwork ready.
If an inspection leads to moving or adding sprinkler heads, the department also handles fire plan check and permits in Placentia; plan questions go to (714) 993-8135.
Who does the work
California work for 1 Pro Fire is done by Hedrick Fire Protection. Hedrick holds C-16 (fire protection) and C-10 (electrical) contractor licenses and is licensed by the State Fire Marshal under Title 19 for inspection, testing and maintenance of water-based fire protection systems and for portable extinguisher service. Hedrick is also licensed to install and service commercial kitchen hood suppression systems.
To schedule a restaurant sprinkler inspection in Atwood, call (949) 558-2201 or email socal@1profire.com Have your last inspection report handy.
Related services
- Fire protection services in Atwood
- Fire sprinkler service in Atwood
- Restaurant sprinkler repair in Atwood
- Restaurant sprinkler inspections in Orange County
- Restaurant sprinkler inspections in Los Angeles County
Restaurant sprinkler inspection questions
How often does a restaurant sprinkler system need inspection?
Quarterly and annually under NFPA 25. Every five years, California also requires the Title 19 service and certification.
Is restaurant sprinkler testing the same as an inspection?
No. Inspection is a visual check, while testing runs water through the system to prove the alarm and the supply work, and the annual visit includes both.
Who inspects Atwood restaurants for fire safety?
The Placentia Fire and Life Safety Department, through its fire prevention staff.
Do greasy sprinkler heads need to be replaced?
Yes. NFPA 25 calls for replacing heads that are loaded with grease or corroded, and the heads closest to the cook line are where technicians look first on every annual visit.
Does the sprinkler inspection cover my hood system?
No. The hood suppression system is a separate service on a six-month cycle.