Restaurant sprinklers hang over heat, grease and open flame. They get one chance. A licensed technician has to inspect and test them on the schedule set by NFPA 25, and the Montebello Fire Department checks that your system is current when it does its annual fire and life safety inspection. We do that inspection and testing work for Montebello restaurants, whether you run a counter at the Shops at Montebello or a dining room on Beverly Blvd.
What a restaurant sprinkler inspection covers
NFPA 25 sets the calendar. Here is how it breaks down:
- Quarterly: a technician walks the system and checks gauges, control valves and alarm devices.
- Annually: a fuller inspection and test of the whole system.
- Every five years: an internal pipe assessment, gauge replacement or testing, and the five-year service and certification that California's Title 19 requires from a State Fire Marshal licensed contractor.
- At 50 years: sprinkler heads in service that long must be replaced or sample-tested.
Kitchens are hard on heads. A head coated in grease or damaged by heat may not open when it should, so we look closely at the heads near your cooking line and tell you what we find. If a head, fitting or gauge needs work, see our restaurant sprinkler repair service in Montebello.
Restaurant sprinkler testing, step by step
Inspection means looking. Testing means making the system work. On a typical annual visit the technician opens the inspector's test connection to confirm that water flows and the waterflow alarm sounds, then runs a main drain test and compares the pressure readings with past results. Control valves get operated too. Each one has to move freely and end up back in the open position.
Warn your staff first. The alarm will sound. When we're done, the service tag on the system shows the date and who did the work, and that tag is usually the first thing a fire inspector looks for.
Getting ready for the Montebello Fire Department
In Montebello, fire code work for businesses goes through the Fire Department's Community Risk Reduction Division. It handles new business license inspections, fire and life safety inspections, and plan review for new construction. The department does state-mandated annual inspections throughout the year. You can schedule one at (323) 887-4507 or fireinspection@montebelloca.gov.
Opening a new restaurant? Get your sprinkler inspection done before the business license inspection, so your records are current when the inspector walks in. If you aren't sure which code edition or local requirements apply to your space, ask the division directly.
Who may inspect your sprinklers
In California, our work is done by Hedrick Fire Protection. Hedrick holds C-16 (fire protection) and C-10 (electrical) contractor licenses and is licensed by the California State Fire Marshal under Title 19 for portable extinguisher service and for inspection, testing and maintenance of water-based systems like yours. Hedrick is also licensed to install and service commercial kitchen hood fire suppression systems. That's a separate system on a separate schedule (every six months under NFPA 96 and NFPA 17A), covered on our Montebello kitchen hood suppression service page.
To book a restaurant sprinkler inspection in Montebello, call us at (213) 568-0188 or email us at socal@1profire.com
More for Montebello businesses: the Montebello fire protection hub, fire sprinkler service for all building types and annual fire extinguisher certification. Outside the city, see restaurant sprinkler inspections in Los Angeles County and restaurant sprinkler inspections in Orange County.
Restaurant sprinkler questions
How often does a restaurant sprinkler system need inspection?
NFPA 25 calls for quarterly and annual inspections. California also requires a five-year service and certification under Title 19.
What is the cost of the inspection?
It depends on the system. Call us with your address and a rough description of the space, and we'll give you a quote.
Will the fire alarm go off during testing?
Yes. The flow test is supposed to trip the waterflow alarm, so tell staff and guests before it starts.
What does an extinguisher inspection cost if we add one?
Recent Montebello quotes for annual extinguisher inspection have run $35 per extinguisher, with recharges and 6-year or 12-year cylinder service billed separately. A kitchen with a hood suppression system also needs a Class K extinguisher.
How do I schedule the city's fire inspection?
Call the Montebello Fire Department at (323) 887-4507 or email fireinspection@montebelloca.gov.