Sam Crudgington

You have probably heard us use the term ‘Dry Riser’ a hundred times over by now. And if you haven’t?… You need to get reading our blog! But what about a Wet Riser? This is a term that you may be less familiar with.

What is a Wet Riser?wet riser total Safe UK fire safety services fire safety solutions essex south east

A wet riser system is required by building regulations in occupied buildings over 50m tall. Although, they can also be installed in buildings below this height. Due to the water pressures required, these systems include matching automatic pumps and water storage tanks which are fed by the town mains. These can be augmented by the fire service, if necessary.

What is the difference between a Dry Riser and a Wet Riser?

Dry and wet risers are very similar, both in design and function. Their concept is to supply a ready supply of water to all the floors of tall/large buildings where the fire brigade could find access difficult or impractical.Dry Riser Outlet

The main difference between the two is that wet risers are kept constantly pressurised. This is with water from either a mains supply or a water storage tank. The basic design is near enough the same as that of a dry riser, with the water supply accessed from the landing valves.

Dry risers, on the other hand, are not pressurised. They have an inlet breeching in the bottom of the pipework on the outside of the building. In the event of a fire, firefighters can connect this to a water supply and pump water up the pipework to the landing valves. The landing valves are then available to the fire service as a ready supply of water which means they are able to tackle the fire much faster.

Maintenance

The maintenance of both dry and wet riser systems is the responsibility of the property owner. If the system fails, the consequences could be catastrophic, and as a business you could be liable for prosecution! That’s why frequent inspection and maintenance of these systems is crucial.

At Total Safe, we provide comprehensive testing and maintenance of Dry Risers throughout London and the South East, to help local businesses be compliant and most importantly, safe! Contact us today to find our more!