CPVC Fire Sprinkler Pipe Liability Case Study Background
Since 2004, the application of allowing solvent cement joints in CPVC fire sprinkler piping to cure for 24 hours has had a tremendous benefit. This is best seen in the drastic reduction of fire sprinkler contractor general liability claims derived from cure-time losses.
While the focus has commonly been on service work when cutting into an existing system, a recent claim from a Risk Suppression Partners customer (a Fire Sprinkler contractor) teaches us that the practice of 24-hour cure-time should be extended to new construction and installations as well.
CPVC Fire Sprinkler Pipe Liability Case Study: A Look At What Happened
A new fire sprinkler contractor was brought onto a job just prior to the commissioning of a new system to replace the original contractor who installed the piping. Apparently, the original fire sprinkler contractor caused some issues on the job – and after the pressure test produced a number of leaks in the piping, the general contractor said “enough was enough” and hired a new fire sprinkler contractor.
The new fire sprinkler contractor cut-in and repaired some leaks to the CPVC portion of the system and proceeded to perform a pressure test. During the pressure test, one of the joints failed, causing water damage. As a result, the new fire sprinkler contractor brought in to fix piping problems was stuck with a $100k general liability claim.
This contractor has a very well-run and well-managed service department that practices 24-hour cure-time, and also uses a release of liability and notification to the owner, if ever pressured by the owner or AHJ to place a fire sprinkler system back in service prior to the 24-hour cure-time for the CPVC fire sprinkler system piping being met.
However, unfortunately, the installation crew of this contractor was not equipped with the knowledge of this best practice. As a result, the new fire sprinkler contractor ended up with $100,000 worth of liability for water damage, despite the fact that they were brought in to fix problems created by another contractor.
CPVC Fire Sprinkler Pipe Liability Case Study: Lessons Learned
The lesson learned from this situation is that CPVC installation crews, as well as service crews, must be trained & educated on CPVC sprinkler pipe cure-time best practices to minimize liability for fire sprinkler contractors.
Risk Mitigation Quick Tip: We at Risk Suppression Partners have seen many fire sprinkler contractors stock their trucks with listed repair couplings that do not require solvent cement for quick fixes, such as Spears FlameGuard GripLoc Repair Couplings. From an insurance perspective, these fittings reduce the chance of both cure-time issues and dry-fitting issues – which reduces risk exposure.
In the insurance world, in particular, the old adage “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” certainly applies. Actions as simple as educating both service crews and installation crews on proper cure times for installation or repair of CPVC sprinkler system piping, and/or using CPVC repair couplings that don’t require solvent cement, can go a long way in eliminating liability and costly lawsuits.
If you’re interested in working with insurance underwriters with extensive experience in Fire & Life Safety systems, products & best practices, please contact, or have your insurance broker contact Risk Suppression Partners.