Sprinkler pipe corrosion is a serious threat for organizations that rely on wet fire sprinkler systems to protect their facilities. It leads to costly and extensive pipe repairs that can shut down or delay production in a manufacturing setting, reduce usable space in garage and warehouse settings, and force relocation of tenants or patients in residential and hospital settings. Corrosion leads to the formation of localized pinholes and the resulting sprinkler pipe leaks can cause catastrophic property and equipment damage in facilities such as distribution centers and dormitories. More importantly, internal corrosion can cause sprinkler head blockage, reduce flow rates, and render fire protection systems completely inoperable in the event of a fire – leading to loss of life and property.

As a rule, air migrates through wet sprinkler piping to the highest points of the system, where it accumulates in pockets under compression due to the water pressure in the system. These “trapped air pockets” are comprised of 20.9% oxygen, which drives the corrosion of the interior pipe wall at the air-water interface. Another contributor to the corrosion of wet sprinkler piping comes from the highly oxygenated water that fills the system. The dissolved oxygen in the fill water reacts with the steel to form a layer of corrosive black iron oxide (magnetite) along the submerged areas of the interior pipe wall. In addition, the dissolved oxygen can transfer out of the water and into the trapped air pockets, helping to sustain the corrosion reaction at the air-water interface.

South-Tek Systems’ full suite of wet system corrosion solutions offers the right level of corrosion protection for any facility. The patent pending DeOx™ – Dual Vent O₂-Release System™ provides baseline defense by helping to eliminate the corrosive air-water interface along the high points of the sprinkler pipe network. To further reduce the likelihood of electrochemical corrosion, we recommend combining the Dual Vent O₂-Release System™ with the DeOx™ – N₂-Inert System™. The N₂-Inert System™ is designed to rapidly pre-fill any wet sprinkler system with ultra-pure nitrogen gas and effectively displace up to 99.5% of the oxygen from within the system. And for maximum corrosion protection, look no further than the Patented DeOx™ – Water Deoxygenation System™. After employing N₂-Inert™ technology to target the trapped oxygen at the high points of the piping network, the Water Deoxygenation System™ then removes the dissolved oxygen and harmful bacteria from the fill water prior to it entering the wet sprinkler piping. South-Tek Systems will provide high quality Nitrogen Generators for fire sprinkler systems as a a cost effective, safe, and reliable source of an unlimited supply of high purity nitrogen gas.

For more information on our nitrogen generator products, please call us today to speak with a South-Tek Systems representative: (888) 526-6284