At Allstate Sprinkler we offer an extensive repair division consisting of skilled mechanics in Queens, NY. Our professionals have experience in repairing the smallest leak or the largest pipe break above and below the ground.
Many know that New York City is a vibrant city millions call home. It’s important that our NYC residents are kept safe and secure in their homes, which is why at Allstate Sprinkler Corp we recommend you install a sprinkler system in your NYC home.
Fire sprinklers protect lives and property. To ensure a proper design and effective operation, always work with a trained and competent fire sprinkler system installation contractor like Allstate Sprinklers. From time to time “do-it-yourself” articles or kits appear that encourage consumers to install their own automatic fire sprinkler systems. The American Fire Sprinkler Association “strongly discourages the installation of fire sprinkler systems by people who have not been trained in the proper installation of fire sprinklers. Fire sprinklers should always be installed in accordance with standards of the National Fire Protection Association using approved and/or listed materials.”
- Automatic fire sprinklers have been in use in the U.S. since 1874.
- Fire sprinklers are widely recognized as the single most effective method for fighting the spread of fires in their early stages – before they can cause severe injury to people and damage to property.
- When one fire sprinkler head goes off to fight a fire the entire sprinkler system does NOT activate. Sprinklers react to temperatures in individual rooms.
- The chances of a fire sprinkler accidentally going off are extremely remote.
- Installation of fire sprinklers can provide discounts on insurance premiums.
An efficient and effective fire sprinkler system uses as much as 90 percent less water than using fire hoses, too. Early intervention in a fire by an expertly installed fire sprinkler system also reduces the amount of damage, debris, and toxins produced in a fire by localizing the fire and its damage.
Fire sprinklers are “first responders” to a fire while it is still small, controlling the spread of deadly heat, flames and toxic smoke – whether or not the occupants have been able to respond to the signaling smoke alarm. Fire sprinklers provide a life-saving cushion of time to escape a fire.
Allstate Sprinkler Corporation is the most reliable, responsive and respected fire sprinkler contractors in Queens and throughout the New York City metropolitan area. Allstate Sprinklers is committed to assist you with all of your commercial and residential fire protection needs. Our services include:
- complete design-build abilities for installation
- alterations and repairs of fire sprinkler and fire standpipe systems
- NFPA 25 inspection and testing services
- Local Law 26 evaluation and compliance
- prompt correction of all FDNY violations
- 5-year hydrostatic pressure tests of sprinkler and standpipe connections
- emergency service and repairs
- fire pump installations, testing and repairs
- fire extinguisher sales and recharging; and all fire safety related products and equipment.
If you need emergency assistance, Allstate Sprinkler Corp is a 24-hou emergency fire suppression contractor in New York City. Contact us today at 718-597-4060.
A hydrostatic pressure test is an examination that affirms the good working condition of a fire protection system (sprinklers). The New York City Fire Code section 903.5 states that fire department sprinkler connections must be tested and witnessed by a fire department representative at least once every 5 years. The test can only be performed by a fire suppression contractor who has a Class A or B license issued by the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB).
What is a hydrostatic pressure test?
Five-year hydrostatic pressure tests are lifesaving procedures. These tests simulate fire department activities that take place during an actual fire. A hydrostatic pressure test basically is a confirmation that the tested sprinkler system will perform as designed and will function adequately for at least two hours under the highest water pressure that the system is likely to experience.
When freezing conditions prevail, the hydrostatic test may be postponed, provided a dry pressure test (using air or nitrogen) is performed in the interim. The dry test must be witnessed by a DOB inspector or special inspector, as does the hydrostatic test. If the hydrostatic test is deferred due to freezing temperatures, the hydrostatic test must be performed when freezing temperatures no longer exist.
FDNY Violations & Testing
Have you been served with a violation from the New York City Fire Department? Allstate Sprinkler Corp. will assist you with all the necessary paperwork, scheduling, testing and repairs in order to satisfy the conditions of these violations. Our management staff offers an unprecedented level of experience handling these violations. We have a continuous and close working relationship with the fire suppression unit of the New York City Fire Department. Allstate Sprinkler Corp. performs five-year hydrostatic pressure tests on a daily basis with fire department personnel. Our testing crews work on sprinkler and standpipe systems supplied by gravity tanks, pressure tanks or street-level city water supplies.
Call Allstate Sprinkler Corp. if your property is due for a NYC Fire Department hydrostatic pressure test. The best insurance you can buy to ensure a clean bill of health after a five-year inspection to have your sprinkler system inspected before the test. Allstate Sprinkler Corp.can inspect your system, repair any obvious issues, and make recommendations to improve or upgrade your system if it needs it.
A pre-test is a simulation of the fire department test without the fire department being present. This allows any necessary repairs to be made to your system to make sure it passes the test when the fire department is present. Allstate Sprinkler Corp. will go to your location to perform the pre-test and will report back with recommendations. Pending your approval, Allstate will make the necessary repairs to the system and re-test until the test is successful, significantly limiting your risk for test failure – saving you time, money and frustration from repeat tests and additional paperwork.
Sprinkler systems in major office buildings in New York City are complex, specialized, and they save lives. They’re also part of the New York City standard fire code. With all this to consider, Allstate Sprinkler Corp. is the go-to team in Manhattan for commercial and residential fire sprinkler installation, inspection, and repairs.
FDNY Violations & Testing
Has your commercial or residential building in Manhattan been served with a violation from the New York City Fire Department? Allstate Sprinkler Corp. will assist you with all the necessary paperwork, scheduling, testing and repairs to satisfy the conditions of these violations.
Our management staff offers an unprecedented level of experience handling these violations. We have a continuous and close working relationship with the New York City Fire Department and their fire suppression unit.
Common FDNY Violations
To avoid receiving a violation, you should schedule regular inspections for your fire sprinkler system. Some of the most common violations are:
- VC1- Fire Extinguishers
- VC5- Inspection Record Keeping
- VC6- Signs
- VC7- Color Coding
- VC12- General Maintenance (Spare Heads etc.)
- VC17- Certificate of Fitness
- VC20- 5-year testing
Allstate Sprinkler Corp can help with all your fire sprinkler testing and inspection needs.
Have you been issued a violation? Find out what to do when you receive an ECB violation.
Fire Sprinkler Testing
We perform 5-year hydrostatic pressure tests on a daily basis with New York City Fire Department personnel. Our testing crews work on sprinkler and standpipe systems supplied by gravity tanks, pressure tanks, or street-level city water supplies.
Five-year hydrostatic pressure tests are life-saving procedures. These tests simulate actual fire department events that take place during a fire. We perform these tests accurately and diligently to ensure that your sprinkler system will always be fire ready.
Fire Sprinkler Repairs
Allstate Sprinkler has an extensive repair division of skilled mechanics. New York City is always under repair. We have the experience to repair the smallest leak or the largest pipe break whether it is above or below ground. To keep your fire sprinkler systems in proper working order, Allstate Sprinkler Corp offers a variety of fire sprinkler repair services.
Fire Sprinkler Mechanical Repairs
To stay compliant with FDNY fire code and NYC building codes, you should repair any mechanical failures immediately. This may include repairing valves, sprinkler heads, standpipes, fire hydrants, water tanks, fire hoses, and fire pumps. Our repair division can help detect and repair the problem.
Fire Sprinkler Plumbing Repairs
Allstate Sprinklers can help repair frozen fire sprinklers or standpipe lines, ruptured fire sprinkler lines, leaky fire hydrants or fire house connections, rusted valves and sprinkler heads. Avoid FDNY violations; hire a licensed fire sprinkler contractor to repair your system in Manhattan.
Who We Are
Allstate approaches their business with values like:
- Respect: Listening to and appreciating another person’s point of view
- Integrity: Keeping our promises
- Responsibility: Taking ownership for every decision
- Quality: Meeting or exceeding internal and external requirements
- Loyalty: Being faithful to the well-being of the people of our organization
For the past forty years, Allstate Sprinklers has operated with the work ethic of three generations of family, the expertise and dedication to protecting the buildings of New York City, and servicing our customers with outstanding knowledge and products.
Call us at 718-597-4060
The fire sprinkler system heads we see above us in so many public spaces are there to keep us safe from a fire. We take for granted that these systems are life savers and not just building-code requirements. These fire suppression systems are sophisticated systems delivering a very basic service: water to extinguish a fire. And because these systems are not constantly active, but rather they lay in wait for the unexpected to strike, their maintenance and repair are critical functions during down time.
The Seven Types of Fire Sprinkler Systems
• Wet pipe systems—are the most commonly experienced fire suppression system in use today. Wet pipe systems supply pressurized water through pipes and to sprinkler heads installed throughout the building. When a fire is detected, the sprinkler heads in the affected areas activate and rain water down on the fire. Wet pipe systems are effective, reliable, and easy to maintain.
• Dry pipe systems—probably the second-most-common type of fire suppression system in use today. These systems do not hold water within the pipes, which could burst if they ever froze. A positive air pressure is maintained in the pipe to keep closed a check valve to prevent water intrusion from other sources, like other pipes. Dry pipe systems are most often used in facilities that go unheated during cold winter weather (like parking garages). When a fire is detected, a valve releases the air pressure within the system, and that allows water to flow freely to extinguish the fire
• Deluge systems—a fire suppression system where all the sprinkler heads that are connected to the water deliver pipes “open” (i.e., not individually activated). No water is present in the pipes on a constant basis, like a dry pipe system. When a separate fire detection system detects a fire, it sends a signal to open a valve and lets water freely on the fire.
• Pre-action systems—are specially activated systems used in such facilities as museums and libraries. Pre-action systems combine the features wet, dry, and deluge systems to protect valuable installations from accidental or indiscriminate fire suppression methods.
• Foam water sprinkler systems—uses a mixture of foam and water through special nozzles to encapsulate a burning transformer, fuel tank, or vehicle.
• Water spray—similar to foam water sprinkler systems, but spraying only water.
• Water mist systems—sprays tiny droplets of water into the atmosphere where a fire is present. The effect is to cool the atmosphere and reduce heat damage from the fire.
Allstate Sprinkler has an extensive repair team of skilled mechanics that are experienced in above- and below-ground system repairs. Fire sprinkler systems plumbing repairs like freeze-ups, ruptures, leaks, or rusted valves and sprinkler heads are just some of the repairs Allstate Sprinkler can fix. Allstate Sprinkler is expert in mechanical repairs to valves, sprinkler heads, standpipes and hydrants, water tanks and pumps. Allstate Sprinklers are the experienced experts in Queens for fire sprinkler system inspection, repair, and maintenance.
Consistent testing and inspection of fire sprinkler systems in Brooklyn and throughout New York City is mandated at regular intervals by the New York City Fire Department. These inspections save lives by focusing attention on areas that need improvement or remediation before being certified as safe and in good operating order.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a nonprofit organization established in 1896, in 2014 (the last year data was collected), there were 1,298,000 fires reported in the United States. These fires caused:
• 3,275 civilian deaths
• 15,775 civilian injuries
• $11.6 billion in property damage
494,000 were structure fires, causing 2,860 civilian deaths, 13,425 civilian injuries, and $9.8 billion in property damage.
193,500 were vehicle fires, causing 345 civilian fire deaths, 1,450 civilian fire injuries, and $1.5 billion in property damage.
610,500 were outside and other fires, causing 70 civilian fire deaths, 900 civilian fire injuries, and $237 million in property damage.
In 2014, fire departments in the United States responded to a fire every 24 seconds. One structure fire was reported every 64 seconds.
• One home structure fire was reported every 86 seconds.
• One civilian fire injury was reported every 33 minutes.
• One civilian fire death occurred every 2 hours and 41 minutes.
• One outside and other fire was reported every 52 seconds.
• One highway vehicle fire was reported every 3 minutes and 8 seconds.
Structure fires accounted for 20% of the fires, but 47% of civilian deaths, 82% of civilian injuries, and 69% of direct property damage.
Heating equipment (14% of total) and shop tools and industrial equipment (also 14% of total) were the leading causes of structure fires in industrial or manufacturing facilities.
A mechanical failure or malfunction was a factor contributing to the ignition of one in four structure fires (24%) in industrial or manufacturing properties, accounting for 23% of civilian injuries and 21% of direct property damage.
Fire suppression systems like sprinklers are the “first responders” to a fire before the real first responders (your fire department personnel) can reach you. A fire sprinkler system is designed to buy time to allow complete evacuation of the site, keep the fire localized to where it began and prevent it from spreading to other parts of the structure, and preserve unaffected structures and inventory from damage or destruction by fire. In urban environment like Brooklyn, where many structures are grouped close together, fire sprinkler systems can prevent a fire situation from burning out of control and involving other buildings and people.
Allstate Sprinkler Corporation is recognized as the most reliable, responsive and respected fire sprinkler contractors in the New York City metropolitan area. As a full-service organization, we are committed to assist you with all of your commercial and residential fire protection needs. Our services include: complete design-build abilities for the installation, alterations and repairs of both fire sprinkler and fire standpipe systems; NFPA 25 inspection and testing services; Local Law 26 evaluation and compliance; prompt correction of all FDNY violations; 5-year hydrostatic pressure tests of sprinkler and standpipe siamese connections; emergency service and repairs; fire pump installations, testing and repairs; fire extinguisher sales and recharging; and all fire safety related products and equipment.
Allstate Sprinklers also carries a large selection of fire safety equipment, including smoke detectors, fire hydrants, fire extinguishers, and first aid kits. We can help your make sure your building is compliant under Local Law 26 as well as NFPA 25, and also help you fix any FDNY Violations you may have been served. If you need emergency assistance, Allstate Sprinkler Corp is a 24hr emergency-based fire suppression contractor in New York City. Contact us today at 718-597-4060.
What does it take to be a New York City Fire Sprinkler System Inspector?
A New York City fire sprinkler system inspector is a civil-service job and as such it is a position that is recruited through a standardized written examination given by the NYFD. The application materials for just the test are specific and may take some effort for the potential test taker to gather and complete for submission.
Certificate of Fitness
New York City Fire Department requires a “certificate of fitness” application to be submitted before being scheduled for the instpector’s exam. The application is available for download from the City as a PDF.
Application Information
There is a $25.00 application fee payable by cash, credit, money order, or personal check. Note that debit cards are NOT accepted as a form of payment. Application Fees: $25.00 for originals and $5.00 for renewals. Checks should be made payable to the New York City Fire Department. The $25.00 fee must be paid before being allowed to take the test. Application forms are available at:
Public Certification Unit
1st Floor
9 MetroTech Center
Brooklyn, NY 11201
or at this link: http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/pdf/a20.pdf
Test Information
The New York City Fire Department examination for Fire Sprinkler Inspectors is known as S-12. The NYFD advises prospective test takers that, “the S-12 test will consist of 75 multiple-choice questions, administered on a ‘touch screen’ computer monitor. It is a time-limit test. A passing score of at least 70% is required to secure a Certificate of Fitness.
Call (718) 999-1988 for additional information and forms.
The following materials will be provided to you as reference material when you take the test (however, the booklet will not be provided to you during the test).
- Temperature Ratings Classifications and Color Coding Table
- Reference Guide for inspection, testing and maintenance (Section XII)
- Inspection Testing and Maintenance of Sprinkler Systems Activities & Records (Section XIII)
- Reference guide for inspection, testing and maintenance (S-95 Supervision) for fire alarm systems & other related systems
Please always check for the latest revised booklet at the FDNY website before you take the test: www1.nyc.gov/site/fdny/business/support/support.page
Qualification requirements
- Applicants must be at least 18 years of age.
- Applicants must have a reasonable understanding of the English language.
- Applicant must provide two forms of identification, at least one form of identification must be a government-issued photo identification, such as a state-issued drivers’ license or non-drivers license or a passport.
- Applicants must present a letter of recommendation from his/her employer. The letter must be on official letterhead and must state the applicant’s full name, experience, and the address where the applicant will work. If the applicants are self-employed or the principal of the company, they must submit a notarized letter attesting to their qualifications. The sample letters are available at the link: www1.nyc.gov/site/fdny/business/support/support.page
or at:
Public Certification Unit
1st floor
9 MetroTech Center
Brooklyn, NY 11201
- Applicants not currently employed may take the test without the recommendation letter. If the applicants pass the test, FDNY will issue a temporary letter with picture for the job seeking purpose. The Certificate-of-Fitness card will not be issued unless the applicants are employed and provide the recommendation letter from his/her employer.
Are you considering a career as a New York City Fire Department sprinkler inspector?
What is a Hydrostatic Pressure Test?
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), “Hydrostatic testing is the method used to pressure test … critical components for leaks and structural flaws by pressurizing them with a liquid.” A hydrostatic pressure test is a method of testing fire extinguisher canisters and fire suppression system plumbing like pipes, tanks, boilers, and tanks for strength and to discover any leaks, which may reveal themselves only under pressure.
Systems
A hydrostatic pressure test involves filling the vessel or system to be tested with water under pressure. Sometimes, the water in the system will be dyed a bright color to make any leaking liquid more pronounced visually when it does actually leave the system. The system’s pressure readiness is measured by how much pressure is lost after the system is pressurized to a specific PSI (pounds per square inch), and its strength is measured by any permanent deformation done to the vessel under pressure.
Hydrostatic pressure tests may be required by law to be performed at regular intervals to ensure safe up-to-date operation of the system when it is needed. These tests are performed to identify and correct any defects or degraded materials that make up the system when exposed to a normal or above-normal operating pressure.
Cylinders
Most cities in the United States have laws or building codes that require pressure vessels like fire extinguishers to be tested regularly, for example every two years (with a visual inspection annually) for high-pressure gas cylinders and every five or ten years for low-pressure ones such as fire extinguishers. Gas cylinders which fail are normally destroyed as part of the testing protocol to avoid them being reused. These common gas cylinders have the following requirements:
- DOT-3AL gas cylinders must be tested every 5 years and have an unlimited life.
- DOT-3HT gas cylinders must be tested every 3 years and have a 24-year life.
- DOT-3AA gas cylinders must be tested every 5 years and have an unlimited life. (Unless stamped with a star (*) in which case the cylinder meets certain specifications and can have a 10-year hydrostatic test life).
Typically organizations such as ISO, ASTM and ASME specify the guidelines for the different types of pressure vessels.
Fire Sprinkler Testing
All State Sprinkler Corp. performs five-year hydrostatic pressure tests on a daily basis with New York City Fire Department personnel. Our testing crews work on sprinkler and standpipe systems – supplied by gravity tanks, pressure tanks, or street-level city water supplies.The scheduling of these tests is handled directly with the fire department’s appointment desk.
Five-year hydrostatic pressure tests are life-saving procedures. These tests simulate actual fire department operations that take place during a fire. All State performs these tests as accurately and diligently to assure you that your sprinkler system will always be fire ready.
Types of Fire Sprinkler Systems
Fire suppression systems, sprinklers, in New York City save lives and keep properties safe from catastrophe when a fire breaks out. We’ve become used to seeing the fire sprinkler systems’ components overheads as sprinkler heads, on the walls as standpipe connections, and even behind the scenes as annunciator panels for alarms. Recognizing these components as life-saving security devices allows us all to focus on the more immediate aspects of our busy lives. But consider the fire sprinkler system in all its forms. Sprinkler systems in New York typically are one of four types of systems designed to retard or extinguish a building fire.
Pre-action systems. Pre-action fire sprinkler systems are designed to work in conjunction with a smoke or heat detector. Pre-action systems work so that no water is actually in the system’s pipes until a fire is detected and the system is called upon to fight it. Pipes are typically filled with air until an alarm goes off. Two switches then activate to release the air in the system and to being flowing water through the pipes to the sprinkler heads. This kind of system is preferred in facilities with contents that may suffer from water damage when the system activates; installations in libraries, museums, and computer rooms.
Dry-pipe systems. Dry-pipe systems are similar to pre-action systems in that the pipes hold no water until a fire is detected and the system is activated. Once activated, the system releases the air in the pipes as the water fills them. Dry-pipe fire sprinkler systems are ideal for applications where the facility is unheated. Water in the pipes of an unheated structure can freeze and rupture the pipes. Relieving the system from carrying water constantly removes the chance for water to freeze.
Wet-pipe systems. Wet-pipe fire suppression systems constantly hold water in the pipes of the sprinkler system. Wet-pipe systems are the quickest to react and actually get water on the fire, and these types of systems are commonly found in high-rise office and apartment buildings. Wet-pipe systems are typically low maintenance and highly effective.
Deluge systems. Deluge fire sprinkler systems have nozzles that are fixed open and when the system is activated by smoke or heat detector, the pump water through the system and out the heads to flood an area with water or chemicals to fight the fire. Facilities with a lot of floor space or sprawling foot prints benefit most from a deluge system of fire suppression.
Allstate Sprinkler Corporation is recognized as the most reliable, responsive and respected fire sprinkler contractors in the New York City metropolitan area. As a full-service organization, we are committed to assist you with all of your commercial and residential fire protection needs. Our services include (but are not limited to) complete design-build abilities for the installation, alterations and repairs of both fire sprinkler and fire standpipe systems; NFPA 25 inspection and testing services; Local Law 26 evaluation and compliance; prompt correction of all FDNY violations; five-yearyear hydrostatic pressure tests of sprinkler and standpipe siamese connections; emergency service and repairs; fire pump installations, testing and repairs; fire extinguisher sales and recharging; and all fire safety related products and equipment.
