How Groundwater Corrosion Caused a Sprinkler Pipe to Burst

Sprinkler pipe corrosion in Melbourne can develop when fire-service pipework is exposed to unexpected moisture and corrosive site conditions. Melfire recently attended a sprinkler pipe failure where groundwater had been leaking and pooling around a low section of black steel pipe for approximately seven years.

The groundwater had a heavy salt presence, and over time the continued exposure caused severe deterioration of the steel pipework.

What Caused the Pipe to Fail?

The affected sprinkler pipe had been installed very close to ground level in black steel.

At the time of installation, the area was expected to remain dry. However, unexpected groundwater conditions resulted in water repeatedly pooling around the pipe.

Over approximately seven years, the combination of persistent moisture and heavy salt exposure progressively deteriorated the steel.

Eventually, the pipe corroded to the point where it failed and burst.

Why the Location of the Pipe Mattered

The low position of the pipe meant it was continually exposed to the groundwater collecting in the area.

Black steel can perform reliably in suitable conditions, but prolonged exposure to moisture and corrosive environments can significantly shorten the life of the pipework.

In this case, the conditions encountered after installation were very different from the dry environment originally expected.

Melfire’s 24/7 Emergency Response

Once the pipe burst, Melfire’s 24/7 service attended the site to get the fire system operational again as quickly as possible.

Our immediate response involved plugging the affected range so the remainder of the system could be returned online.

The priority during an emergency attendance is to make the system safe, limit disruption and restore as much fire protection as possible until permanent rectification works can be completed.

The Permanent Repair

Melfire returned to replace the affected low-level section with galvanized pipework.

Using galvanized pipe in this location provides improved protection against the wet and corrosive conditions experienced around the existing installation.

The replacement work also allowed the affected section to be properly inspected and rectified, rather than relying on the temporary emergency repair.

Checking the Other Car Stackers

The failure also highlights why one isolated pipe failure should not always be treated as an isolated problem.

If similar pipework was installed under the same conditions elsewhere in the property, those sections may have been exposed to the same groundwater and salt conditions.

Melfire will therefore inspect the corresponding pipework in the other car stackers to determine whether similar deterioration is occurring.

Finding corrosion before another pipe bursts can help avoid:

• unexpected sprinkler system failures;
• water damage;
• emergency shutdowns;
• disruption to building occupants; and
• more extensive repair costs.

Key Takeaways for Building Owners and Managers

Fire protection systems do not operate in isolation from the building around them.

Water ingress, drainage problems, environmental conditions and changes to a building over time can all affect fire-service pipework.

In this case, groundwater that was never expected to be present remained around low-level black steel pipework for years. The resulting corrosion eventually caused the pipe to fail.

Regular inspection, investigation of unusual site conditions and checking similar installations throughout a property can help identify these problems before they become emergency failures.

If you have ageing, corroded or leaking fire-service pipework, contact Melfire on 1300 134 971 to discuss inspection, repairs or system rectification.