Dry Riser Systems: Why the Door Is Just as Important as the Pipes

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When most people pass a red metal door in a stairwell, they think little of it. Access doors are just that, doors that provide access to mechanisms, systems, and tunnels behind them so people are not in a constant state of awe or question. But to emergency responders, that door could mean the difference between putting out a raging inferno and finally getting water to the 15th floor after spending 10 minutes scouring the first three floors for operable access.

Dry riser systems are those components for buildings about which no one thinks until it’s time to think about them, and by then, it’s too late if the access point was an improper design or installed haphazardly.

People focus on the pipes all the time. Engineers name the diameter specifications; building inspectors assess pressure ratings; flush teams maintain frequency assessments. Naturally, this is important, of course it is, but if someone cannot get to the dry riser system quickly and efficiently during a fire, those pipes are of no use to anyone, regardless of their implemented status.

What Happens in a Fire

When fire crews are called to a multi-story building with an active fire, they’re working under pressure; smoke fills hallways, people may still be gathering their belongings and exiting, and time is of the essence. Dry riser systems allow crews to effectively pump water up to a designated floor instead of carrying hoses unnecessarily upstairs, by which time, they’ve exhausted themselves and lost precious time just trying to find the source of the flames before needing to deploy their efforts. But it only works if they can hook up right away.

That means that when a fire engine positions itself at the scene, firefighters scout for the inlet connection (likely at grade level or protected lobby access) to hook up their pumps as soon as possible. This occurs at the same time efforts are being made to confirm occupancy and assess what’s going on. Therefore, a dry riser door that opens and allows connection immediately renders good service. Conversely, if the door is stuck, wedged shut, incorrectly sized, or not clearly marked, crews have a problem on their hands and can no longer rely on assistance.

This is reinforced by outlet valves on various landings. Those should allow personnel to hook their hoses in addition to sending water back down toward the fire floor. Any door that has been painted over shut, damaged beyond recognition, or rendered useless by things piling up has crewmembers scrambling instead of taking decisive action in a time-sensitive scenario.

Why the Door Matters More Than People Think

Those in charge of the dry riser system understand that any metal access panel will suffice as an entry point to the area required for use. After all, it’s merely a pipe connection at surface level that keeps people from accessing systems behind, and then out of sight, out of mind! Wrong. There are specifications for dry riser systems that ensure efficacy for access other than standard low-grade panels.

For one, smoke fills buildings during fires due to poor ventilation or other pressurization issues. Therefore, lighting options may be rendered invalid during incidents and personnel receive reduced vision wearing protective apparatus. Access points need to be immediately recognizable as covered doors that do not match their surroundings. Regulations typically require red coloring and clear identification signs, and it’s likely that an access panel will remain the same color as the surrounding walls.

Second, size and configuration are integral to proper access. Two-way breech inlets may require extensive accommodations for firefighters needing to simultaneously connect multiple hoses and run down different access approaches simultaneously. A small door will force personnel to work at an awkward angle without even enough space for decent connection. The same applies above, the door should not overhang or swing open into the functionality area.

Durability comes into play more than people realize. These doors sit dormant for years at a time, subject to the elements based on location; if they cannot operate after being neglected for extended periods’ worth of time, they’re either not warranted in that situation or insufficiently designed from the start. The systems within might need specific lock specifications, the key needs to be accessible for red paint locked/laminated doors but inaccessible for non-firefighter public entrances. These are design choices – not all off-the-shelf panels have these offerings.

The Importance of Maintenance Access

This is another obstacle overlooked: dry riser systems need maintenance/testing on a semi-regular basis. Pipes need pressure checks monthly while outlets need inspections weekly; most importantly, annual assessments check inlet connections as operable for validated maintenance throughout.

If there is no access door operable enough to get inside, assessments become convoluted. Maintenance teams won’t deal with access doors consistently; what happens then is rushed assessments or, worse, the system isn’t operable because someone got tired of trying so often and did nothing. When it’s go-time and firefighters show up on scene, they realize the system hasn’t been properly maintained because someone didn’t want to deal with access.

The door should easily access for all who need it but properly secured from tampering by third parties. There needs to be room enough for someone to do more than peek at connections, they need physical space and operable freedom to see what’s going on to secure anything they need there, and they should freely open and close these access doors without fear of damaging them or walls.

Code Compliance Isn’t Optional

When building regulations pass in association with dry riser systems, it’s generally from information gathered from past situations where something went catastrophically wrong. These regulations pertain to access doors as well; unfortunately, these elements are seen as an afterthought during construction or renovation plans.

Inspectors check for code-compliant features such as dimensions (height and width), materials (metal doors), signs (red bolt cutter access), locks (padlocks) and clearance (for ease of exit). If an access point does not comply with code-compliance assessment plans, there could be fines levied by insurance companies resulting in a devil’s advocate outcome for building owners, or worse, jeopardized occupants at risk during fires when dry riser accesses fail because they’re improperly done.

It’s more expensive to fix them down the road than to make them right the first time. Retrofitting someone else’s improperly spec’d door is not only time-consuming but creates havoc with tenants who want finished places; cutting into sheetrock to expose nonexistent areas after they were made intentionally non-existent from an assessment is not desirable – but must happen when it’s wrong in hindsight.

Real World Examples

Fire safety experts have seen everything in real life that’s gone catastrophically wrong due to access point considerations for dry risers, doors being painted shut with absolutely no way possible to determine if what was inside was functional or not; panels too small; inlets operable but positioned awkwardly like someone’s sense of humor got in on it at installation.

In one case studied from reality, an installer’s dry riser inlet door was installed inside out, not only did it open into the wall cavity but it put it on its other side. The building previously passed inspection without anyone checking it out realistically on site, when firefighters came, and they did, they had to forcibly open this door because there was no other way getting it open without damaging both panels in question. No one wants this sort of damage.

Solutions

It’s not that difficult, but from an installation perspective, mindset needs specification during planning. An architect/fire safety professional should consider the inlet door as part of the actual dry riser system instead of an afterthought, which means operating with purpose-built determination for certain sized elements/called construction/light materials/extra features beyond what accessibility demands per later implementation conveniences.

Building owners should crosscheck during construction that what’s actually installed is what was specified, in fact, best before things are buttoned up because it’s expensive and time-consuming to fix things afterward.

The dry riser system becomes integral parts of safety infrastructures positioned within multi-story buildings, and system pipes/valves/connected components get engineered benefits along the way. The door that provides access should get similar consideration, their supporters need it when rubbers meet road/hoses meet dry risers/gates meet flow patterns unless they can get through their simple door systems from the start.