Free checklist
Pre-action valve annual maintenance checklist
The annual pre-action 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 13, NFPA 25. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 5
- Photos required
- 7
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The licensed fire-protection contractor performs and certifies the full trip test with the AHJ witnessing; the building team observe the sequence, record the times and reset conditions, and never certify the result themselves.
When in the schedule
Once a year, coordinated with the contractor and the monitoring station placed on test, timed so the detection can be exercised, the valve released, dried and 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
- 2 photos
Detection-initiated release witnessed end to end
Contractor seen initiating the release from detection, the valve tripping in response and the interlock behaving as designed, trip time and time to water delivery recorded against prior years.
- 1 photo
Release solenoid and manual station proven during the test
Solenoid seen opening on the release signal and the manual release station exercised as the contractor directs, no lag suggesting a fouled or partly isolated release path.
Reset and restoration
- 1 photo
System dried and low points confirmed clear
System drained after the test and low-point drains confirmed clear of trapped water before it is re-pressurized, so nothing sits to freeze in a cold space.
- 2 photos
Valve reset and supervision restored
Valve reset by the contractor, priming and supervisory air restored to normal, releasing panel and tamper supervision confirmed before the system is taken off test.
Documentation
- 1 photo
Observed results and open items recorded on the building side
Observed trip and delivery times and any deficiency the contractor calls out logged with a photo and a date on the site record, kept separate from the contractor's certified report.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Valve released by opening the trim only, so the detection-to-release path the pre-action set exists for is never actually proven end to end.
- Trip and water-delivery times taken but never compared against prior years, so a slowing valve or a lagging solenoid trends invisibly.
- Contractor's certified report filed but nothing dated on the building side, so the site can't show the AHJ when the valve was last exercised.
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 7 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 pre-action 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 licensed fire-protection contractor performs and certifies the full trip test with the AHJ witnessing; the building team observe the sequence, record the times and reset conditions, and never certify the result themselves.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Once a year, coordinated with the contractor and the monitoring station placed on test, timed so the detection can be exercised, the valve released, dried and reset and returned to service the same day.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 7 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 pre-action valve annual inspection?
- Valve released by opening the trim only, so the detection-to-release path the pre-action set exists for is never actually proven end to end. Trip and water-delivery times taken but never compared against prior years, so a slowing valve or a lagging solenoid trends invisibly. Contractor's certified report filed but nothing dated on the building side, so the site can't show the AHJ when the valve was last exercised.
- 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.