Tulsa & OKC Fire Sprinkler MIC Testing - Why Needed?

Fire sprinkler systems are vital to the safety of people and property, but they do have an enemy that should nor be overlooked. Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC) is “an electrochemical corrosion process that is concentrated and accelerated by the activity of specific bacteria within a fire sprinkler system, which results in the premature failure of metallic system components,” Bruce H. Clarke, a fire protection/loss prevention trainer wrote in Fire Protection Engineering.

This corrosion, which can quickly attack metal piping in the sprinkler system or create obstructive deposits of bacterial colonies, is why MIC testing and treatment is so vital.

But doesn’t some corrosion normally happen with metallic systems? Yes, general corrosion does normally occur and, as Clarke wrote, is generally not a major concern in fire sprinkler systems because it doesn’t “change the pipe’s interior surface roughness (i.e., C-factor) . . .” General corrosion is a slow rate of decay that happens pretty evenly throughout the pipe. But MIC is both concentrated and accelerated which poses a much greater threat to the integrity of the fire sprinkler system. While it doesn’t create a new corrosion process, MIC results from the activity of specific bacteria that cause this “rapid system destruction” by accelerating and concentrating the general corrosion process. This, in turn, causes “premature failure.” How premature?

According to Clarke and Anthony M. Aguilera, director of loss prevention and risk management for Honeywell Aerospace, many of these documented failures due to MIC happened only after 5 to 20 years of service, and in some cases systems began to show signs of MIC in less than one year. This is much less than the normal life expectancy of a fire sprinkler system. “. . .with proper maintenance a sprinkler system is typically expected by the industry to last over 50 years before major repairs are required,” Clarke and Aguilera wrote.

This premature failure due to MIC can happen in two ways. MIC can cause pinhole-sized leaks that require component replacement or can cause obstruction of the piping system because of a build-up of biological growth often called biofilm or biosludge. This biological build-up can cause full blockage of the piping and sprinklers so that the system fails to work in a fire.

Thus, MIC causes serious fire control problems that can be life threatening and result in costly repairs or even liability issues. Signs that your Tulsa or OKC fire sprinkler system may have a problem with MIC include pinhole-size leaks, a rotten egg smell, or discolored water (black or rust-colored) from the fire sprinkler system.

The fire sprinkler system specialists at Mac Systems in Tulsa and Oklahoma City can conduct a thorough MIC testing and analysis of your system to determine if your system has been affected by MIC and then provide the best treatment to ensure your fire sprinkler system will work properly during a fire.

“In most cases of MIC, it has appeared that after treatment of the affected areas, healthy systems can be expected to exceed this normal life expectancy,” Clarke noted. So Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC) testing and treatment are crucial to the life safety of your organization and the life of your fire sprinkler system.