Placentia Restaurant Sprinkler Inspections

Restaurant sprinklers take a beating

A restaurant is hard on sprinklers. Heat, steam and grease from the cooking line drift onto the heads closest to the kitchen, and a head coated in grease or corrosion may open late or not at all, which is why NFPA 25 calls for replacing it. Dining rooms have their own habits. Decorations get hung from pipe. Boxes get stacked toward the ceiling in dry storage. Paint lands on heads during a quick refresh. When we inspect a Placentia restaurant, the technician looks for each of these and points out what needs work before a fire inspector sees it.

Placentia runs its own fire department

The Placentia Fire and Life Safety Department took over fire and emergency response on July 1, 2020. Before that, the Orange County Fire Authority covered the city by contract for 23 years, so old paperwork or stickers that name OCFA are out of date. The city handles it now.

Placentia's commercial fire inspections cover fire protection systems, exits and fire lanes, and your sprinkler riser, its gauges and its service tag sit squarely in that review. Planning a remodel that moves or adds heads? Since March 20, 2023, the department has handled all fire plan checks and permits, so plans go to the city before the work starts.

The NFPA 25 schedule for restaurant sprinklers

NFPA 25 sets the calendar.

• Quarterly: inspection of gauges, control valves and alarm devices.
• Annually: a full inspection and test of the system, including the heads you can see from the floor.
• Every five years: an internal assessment of the pipe, plus gauge replacement or testing. California's Title 19 also requires a five-year service and certification by a State Fire Marshal licensed contractor.
• At 50 years: heads that old must be replaced or sample-tested.

Not sure where you stand? Check the tag on the riser. If it's missing, or the dates have lapsed, start with an annual inspection and we'll tell you which other items are due on your system.

Restaurant sprinkler testing, step by step

If you searched for restaurant sprinkler testing, this is the part that involves water.

1. The technician confirms each control valve is open and secured.
2. A main drain test flows water from the riser and records static and residual pressure, so a drop in your water supply shows up when compared with past results.
3. The inspector's test valve is opened to check that the waterflow alarm sounds and, if the system is monitored, that the signal goes out.
4. Results go on the tag at the riser.

The alarm is loud. Book the visit before opening or during a slow afternoon, and tell your alarm monitoring company before the test starts if your system reports to one.

Who does the work, and how to reach us

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 California State Fire Marshal under Title 19 for inspection, testing and maintenance of water-based fire protection systems. We've taken calls from Placentia about sprinklers, extinguishers and hydrostatic testing.

If the inspection turns up a bad head or a leaking valve, see restaurant sprinkler repair in Placentia; for sprinklers in a non-restaurant building, see fire sprinkler service in Placentia. Hood suppression is separate. It runs on a six-month cycle under our fire kitchen service. Outside the city? We also cover restaurant sprinkler inspections across Orange County and in Los Angeles County. Find every service we provide on our Placentia fire protection page.

To book a restaurant sprinkler inspection in Placentia, call (949) 558-2201 or email socal@1profire.com

Placentia restaurant sprinkler questions

Is it safe to leave an improvised cap on a sprinkler head?

No. A capped head can't spray water on a fire below it, and a makeshift cap may not hold system pressure. Have a licensed contractor replace the head with the correct type.

Does the owner need to be there for the inspection?

Usually not. We need someone on site who can unlock the riser room and back areas and who knows whether the alarm system is monitored by an outside company.

Who schedules a city fire inspection after a remodel?

The Placentia Fire and Life Safety Department schedules fire inspections for plan review projects at (714) 993-8135. Keep the permit and approved plans on site. Without them, the inspection is cancelled.

Do you serve all of Placentia?

Yes. Placentia, ZIP codes 92870 and 92871, is part of our service area.