Free checklist
Dry-pipe sprinkler valve annual maintenance checklist
The annual dry-pipe valve service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against NFPA 25, NFPA 13. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 5
- Photos required
- 8
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The facilities lead witnessing the sprinkler technician's annual trip test and recording the observed times and pressures, while the technician performs the test and resets the valve.
When in the schedule
Once a year, coordinated with the technician and the monitoring station placed on test, timed so the system can be dried, reset and returned to service the same day.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo that proves it
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.
Trip test observed
- 3 photos
Full trip test witnessed with trip and delivery times recorded
Valve seen tripping when the technician opens the inspector's test, the trip time and time to water delivery recorded and compared against prior years.
- 1 photo
Quick-opening device operation observed during the trip
Accelerator or exhauster seen speeding the trip as intended during the test, no lag suggesting a fouled or isolated device.
Reset and restoration
- 1 photo
Low point drains and system dry-down observed
Low point drains opened and confirmed clear of trapped water after the test, system dried before it is re-pressurized.
- 2 photos
Valve reset and returned to normal air pressure
Valve reset by the technician, priming level restored, system brought back to its normal air pressure and supervision confirmed before it is taken off test.
Documentation
- 1 photo
Test results and open items recorded on the building side
Observed trip and delivery times and any deficiency the technician calls out logged with a photo and a date on the site record, separate from the technician's report.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Trip test run but the trip time and water-delivery time never recorded against prior years, so a slowing valve or a fouled quick-opening device trends invisibly.
- System reset and left in service before the low point drains are confirmed clear, so trapped water sits to freeze at the next cold snap.
- The technician's report filed but nothing dated on the building side, so the site can't show the AHJ when the valve was last tripped.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 8 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.
Submission state
The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.
Common questions
- What does this dry-pipe sprinkler valve annual checklist cover?
- 5 items across 3 sections, covering trip test observed, reset and restoration, documentation. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The facilities lead witnessing the sprinkler technician's annual trip test and recording the observed times and pressures, while the technician performs the test and resets the valve.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Once a year, coordinated with the technician and the monitoring station placed on test, timed so the system can be dried, reset and returned to service the same day.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 8 of the 5 items call for photo evidence. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails a dry-pipe sprinkler valve annual inspection?
- Trip test run but the trip time and water-delivery time never recorded against prior years, so a slowing valve or a fouled quick-opening device trends invisibly. System reset and left in service before the low point drains are confirmed clear, so trapped water sits to freeze at the next cold snap. The technician's report filed but nothing dated on the building side, so the site can't show the AHJ when the valve was last tripped.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident audit trail.
Related checklists
2642 items and 4211 photo requirements in total.