Tulsa & OKC
fire sprinkler systems can be in danger of freezing if they are not in a heated area. Fire sprinklers in Tulsa and Oklahoma City are also in danger of a devastating type of corrosion called Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC), which causes premature failure of the sprinkler system. Both of these dangers can result in life threatening fire control problems, expensive repairs and maintenance, and costly property damage. Many companies are now using nitrogen generators to prevent these sprinkler system issues.
fire sprinkler systems can be in danger of freezing if they are not in a heated area. Fire sprinklers in Tulsa and Oklahoma City are also in danger of a devastating type of corrosion called Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC), which causes premature failure of the sprinkler system. Both of these dangers can result in life threatening fire control problems, expensive repairs and maintenance, and costly property damage. Many companies are now using nitrogen generators to prevent these sprinkler system issues.
Compressed air is often used in dry and preaction fire sprinkler systems, but the oxygen and moisture present with this type of supervisory gas causes the fire suppression system’s piping to corrode as well as freeze up in uninsulated areas. On the other hand, using nitrogen as the supervisory gas inhibits MIC as well as galvanic corrosion and dries out the piping system, thus preventing ice blockages.
“Nitrogen can absorb significantly more moisture than compressed air. The dew point of 95% Nitrogen is -40°F which enables Nitrogen to dry out any residual moisture left in the FPS with cyclic venting,” South-Tek Systems, a leading manufacturer of nitrogen generators, noted.
As an inert gas, nitrogen is dry, clean, and nonflammable, and does not support the corrosion process, South-Tek said.
“By using Nitrogen to completely dry out a system, the absence of water will completely eliminate the potential threat of Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC),” South-Tek reported.
And because nitrogen is not a chemical additive, there are no chemical hazards with using nitrogen generators. Nitrogen is eco-friendly and 
has been called by South-Tek, “The Green Solution for Inhibiting Corrosion.”
has been called by South-Tek, “The Green Solution for Inhibiting Corrosion.”
In addition, using nitrogen in place of compressed air in a fire sprinkler system can help to extend the life of the system. The Potter’s Corrosion Solutions team recently conducted a study on the corrosion-inhibiting effects of nitrogen on a dry pipe fire sprinkler system and published their findings in Fire Protection Engineering.
“Using 98% nitrogen gas in lieu of compressed air increases the life expectancy of a dry or pre-action system on an average of 5.3 times,” the study showed.
As the article reported, using nitrogen gas in piping as a supervisory gas has been employed in a wide variety of industries including oil and gas, pharmaceutical, and marine transit.
Using high purity, low pressure nitrogen in fire sprinkler systems can mean less operational costs and maintenance and most importantly, knowing corrosion or ice-blockages won’t prevent your fire sprinkler system from working effectively in the event of a fire.
For more information on how nitrogen generators can safely and effectively help prevent corrosion and freezing in your Tulsa or OKC fire sprinkler system, call the fire protection specialists at Mac Systems, Inc. We can help design and install the best fire sprinkler system to meet your unique needs, and we can regular test, inspect, and maintain the complete fire detection and suppression system.
(Photos via Viking, a distributor of these South-Tek Systems nitrogen generators)
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