What Should I Do if My Fire Sprinkler System Leaks or Goes Off Accidentally?
When a fire sprinkler system leaks or discharges accidentally, the situation can escalate quickly—flooding equipment, damaging finishes, disrupting operations, and potentially disabling your building’s primary life-safety system. Knowing what to do immediately, how to contain the damage, what to communicate, and how to get the system back in service can mean the difference between a minor water event and a major business interruption. This article outlines a practical emergency-response guide: first ensure occupant safety, then shut off the water, call for professional help, mitigate water damage, document the incident, and restore the system while learning how to prevent recurrence.
Ensure Safety First
In any sprinkler leak or accidental discharge scenario your first priority must always be human life and safety. If there is any sign of fire, smoke, electrical hazard, or the water is reaching electrical equipment, evacuate the area immediately and follow your building’s emergency procedures. One educational fire-safety guidance document notes that if a pipe bursts or a sprinkler discharges in error “verify the leak is coming from a sprinkler pipe: otherwise you might unnecessarily cut water to a critical safety system.” Risk Management Fund+2NFPA+2
Key safety steps include:
Sound the alarm or alert building occupants if needed.
Evacuate or move personnel away from the affected zone if water is on the floor or risk of electrical contact exists.
Make sure any critical equipment that may be compromised by water is shut down (if safe to do so).
Clear the area of potential secondary hazards (falling ceiling tiles, tripping hazards, slippery floors) until you regain control.
The idea is: property is replaceable; lives are not. Once people are safe you can move to controlling the incident.
Shut Off the Water Supply
Once it is safe to do so and occupancy issues are addressed, your next step should be to shut off the water supply feeding the sprinkler system. Every building with a water-based sprinkler system should have a clearly identified main control valve or riser shut-off, usually located in the sprinkler riser room, mechanical room, or near the system riser. Guidance from the U.S. Fire Administration states: “shut the water supply off before having [the] system repaired” if a leak or burst occurs. Risk Management Fund+1
Steps when you shut off the water:
Identify the correct valve—make sure it is indeed the sprinkler riser valve and not domestic plumbing.
Close the valve carefully so as to stop the flow of water and limit flood damage.
Notify your fire alarm monitoring service or local fire department as required so they know the system is impaired. NFPA 25 addresses impairment procedures for these situations. NFPA+1
Lock or tag the valve if required by your building’s procedure.
Shutting off the valve prevents further flooding or water damage, but it also places your sprinkler system out of service—so you must proceed quickly with repairs and mitigation.
Call Emergency Fire Protection Services
With occupant safety and water flow under control, the next step is to contact a qualified fire protection service provider or emergency sprinkler repair technician. Even if you have an in-house team, you must involve professionals who understand sprinkler piping, system hydraulics, shut-offs, tests and code compliance. The NFPA notes that restoring a water-based system after impairment is a complex process and must follow specific procedures to maintain protection. NFPA+1
When you call, be ready to provide:
Location and nature of the leak or discharge (sprinkler head, burst pipe, riser, etc.).
Whether the system has been shut off and the valve status.
Whether any other systems are affected (fire pumps, backflow preventers, alarm panels).
Whether building operations are impacted or areas isolated.
An early response from a technician can prevent a minor disruption from becoming a major flood and restore your fire protection system more quickly.
Mitigate Water Damage (If Safe to Do So)
While waiting for the professionals, there are steps you can take—if the area is safe—to protect property, limit damage and reduce downtime. Educational guidance on burst pipes and fire-sprinkler incidents recommends that building managers “warm the pipes… follow protocol before turning the system back on” and remove or mitigate high-value items exposed to water. Risk Management Fund
Some key actions:
If safe, move sensitive equipment (electronics, documents, inventory) away from puddles or dropping water.
Lay down absorbent pads or towels, use wet-vacuum or mop where water is pooling (if electrical risk is low).
Use plastic sheeting to cover items or equipment at risk of dripping water.
Shut off power to areas where water is present and electrical equipment is involved—only if safe and in accordance with your electrical safety procedures.
Mark wet areas with warning signage to prevent slips or falls.
Remember: only take mitigation steps you are trained to perform—if in doubt leave cleanup to specialists.
Document the Incident
Documentation is key for insurance purposes, for your sprinkler service provider, and for later corrective-action review. The same educational source referenced above emphasizes that the property owner should document what happened, preserve evidence, and record how the system was restored. Risk Management Fund+1
Documenting means:
Take photographs or video of the affected area, leak source, sprinkler head damage, or pipe failure.
Record the time of incident, what was discovered, what actions were taken (shut-off, evacuate, repair), and the name of contractors called.
Maintain logs of any business interruption or damage incurred (equipment downtime, inventory loss, facility closure).
Store documents and photos in a folder associated with your sprinkler system history.
Well-documented incidents help with insurance claims, identify root causes, and support future preventative efforts.
Restore and Reset the System
Once the emergency is contained and documentation is complete, attention must turn to repairing the sprinkler system, restoring full operation, and preventing recurrence. According to guidance on system impairments and restoration, the property owner must ensure that repairs are completed promptly, the system is tested, and that the system is back in service—or a fire watch is established if it remains out of service. NFPA+1
Key steps include:
Technicians arrive and replace damaged sprinkler heads, crashed piping, closed or damaged valves, and perform any required pressure testing.
After repair the system must be returned to service; water supply restored, valves opened, pressure stabilized, any alarm components reset.
If remediation will take time and the system is offline, you must coordinate a fire watch or alternate fire-protection measures per local code. NFPA 25 states that when a system is out of service beyond a short period, fire watch or other controls must be instituted. QRFS - Thoughts on Fire Blog+1
Once restored, the sprinkler contractor should review with you what went wrong and recommend prevention measures (for example if freezing caused the burst, might suggest improved insulation or heat tracing; if physical damage to a head occurred, might suggest protective guards).
Ensure that the repair work is documented, updates to your maintenance logs made, and that any deficiencies identified in repair are scheduled for follow-up.
Returning to full operation promptly means your life-safety protection is intact and your liability is minimized.
Understanding Why These Events Happen
It also helps to appreciate why sprinkler leaks or accidental discharges occur so you can better control risk going forward. Educational resources list common causes: corrosion inside pipes, freezing of wet-pipe systems, mechanical damage to sprinkler heads, excessive heat triggering a sprinkler even without fire, manufacturing defects or component failures. QRFS - Thoughts on Fire Blog+1
For example:
Corrosion (especially in older dry-pipe systems) can lead to pinhole leaks in piping or heads. ORR Protection
Freezing or exposed piping in un‐heated spaces can result in burst pipes and flooding. QRFS - Thoughts on Fire Blog
Accidental activation due to thermal exposure (heated area under a skylight) or physical impact to a sprinkler head. QRFS - Thoughts on Fire Blog
Having this awareness helps you take preventive measures—protecting heads, ensuring freeze protection, inspecting corrosion risk areas, and training staff.
Building Owner Responsibilities
As building owner or manager you have responsibilities under standards such as NFPA 25 Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems. Chapter 4 of NFPA 25 places responsibility on the property owner or designated representative to ensure systems are maintained, records kept, and impairments properly managed. National Fire Sprinkler Association
Specifically:
You must ensure inspection, testing and maintenance are carried out.
You must provide access to necessary components.
You must respond to deficiencies, correct them and restore the system.
You must manage impairments such as when the system is shut down for repair, including arranging fire watch or alternate protection. NFPA
So when a leak or discharge occurs, your role is critical in coordination, documentation, decision-making and follow-through.
Final Thoughts
A sprinkler system leak or accidental discharge may feel chaotic, but with a calm, structured response you can limit harm, restore protection quickly and learn lessons to avoid recurrence. To recap your emergency checklist:
Safety first: Evacuate or isolate the area if fire risk or electrical hazard is present.
Shut off water: Locate and close the main sprinkler system valve to stop the flow of water.
Call professionals: Contact a qualified fire protection service provider immediately.
Mitigate damage: If safe, move equipment, cover items, mop water and mark hazards.
Document incident: Take photos/video, record times, actions and impacts.
Repair and reset: Arrange for repair, return the system to service or initiate fire watch, and review root cause.
Prevent recurrence: Follow through on maintenance, protect heads, guard against freeze, inspect corrosion, and maintain records.
By following these steps you not only reduce damage and downtime but also protect occupant safety, maintain regulatory compliance and reinforce the life-safety integrity of your building.
