Assembly, system and method for testing a sprinkler system

Abstract

A testing apparatus (11) for testing a fire sprinkler system combines components for testing both the function of a tamper switch (not shown) incorporated into local zone valve (18) and the working of a flow switch (12) that detects flow in a pipe (13). The assembly (10) also comprises a module (19) which is connected to the flow switch (12), the pump (16) and the local zone valve (18) to monitor their performance. A master controller (20) is provided for reading data from the module (19) and for instructing the module (19) to control the operation of the various components of the testing apparatus (11) connected thereto. Information received by the master controller (20) can be relayed to a building's fire alarm panel (21). In normal use, the module (19) will transmit signals to the master controller (20) to activate the fire alarm via the fire alarm panel (21) in response to monitoring of the flow switch (12) and zone valve (18). In test mode, the module (19) is operable to disable the alarm being activated. This allows testing to take place without generating false alarms. The module (19) can also correlate the date and time of the test with the outcome of the test (i.e. pass or fail) and send this information to the master controller (20) for printing or archiving.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.