Dry Sprinkler Drum Drip Draining
Drain every drum drip on each dry-pipe system so trapped water can't freeze and split the pipe.
CodeNFPA 25, section 13.4.5.3.2 (2017 edition; renumbered 13.4.5.3.3 in 2023), requires auxiliary drains on dry-pipe systems to be drained after each operation of the system, before freezing weather, and as needed after that. The cadence on this sheet is FixGrid's standard for meeting that.
Per drip
- Weekly from your first fall frost date to your last spring frost date.
- Monthly the rest of the year (humid garages make condensate year-round).
- After any trip (test or false trip): daily for 5 days. In cold months that includes weekends.
Before you start
- 1Quick-opening device (accelerator/exhauster), if present: taken out of serviceMark: Done / N/A
- 2Dry valve air pressure: ____ psi. Compare to your baseline (first reading on record)Mark: OK / Action
- 3Supply water pressure: ____ psiMark: OK / Action
- 4Valve room or enclosure temperature: ____ °F (40 °F minimum)Mark: OK / Action
Per drip
One line per drum drip, in walking order; write each location once and reuse it. The printable PDF has 10 blank lines with these columns.
- Drip #
- Write in
- Location
- Write in
- 1st drain: water?
- Y / N
- 2nd cycle
- Dry / Drops / Steady
- Returned to normal
- Tick
Drain, close the bottom valve, open the top valve to refill from the system, close the top valve, drain again. Water on the first drain is normal. Record what comes out on the second.
Finish
Finish
- 5Every drip back to normal: top valve open, bottom valve closed, plug inMark: Done
- 6Quick-opening device back in service (the round isn't finished until it is)Mark: Done / N/A
- 7Last day after a trip: photo of each drip showing no waterMark: Done / N/A
If Action
What to do
- Air pressure 10% or more below baseline: open a ticket to check for a leak (about 4 psi on a typical 40 psi system).
- Room below 40 °F: restore heat now and report it as urgent.
- Water on the last post-trip day: drain again tomorrow and keep going until a round is dry on every drip.
Call a licensed vendor when
- Steady flow on the second cycle: call the sprinkler vendor the same day. Likely causes: the compressor needs draining, a leaking dry valve, or the last round wasn't fully drained.
- A drip valve that's stuck or won't operate: call the vendor the same day. Mark that drip out of service until it's fixed.
Do sprinkler trip tests in warm months, between frost dates, so the drips are dry before freezing weather.
Your local authority having jurisdiction decides which code edition applies. Confirm locally. Not legal advice.