Should a fire break out, having a quick response is the most important thing to keep everyone safe.

Dry risers were developed to enable this. They are installed to help firefighters have designated access points for pressurised water. Here we discuss more about their importance.

 

What is a dry riser? 

Dry risers enable firefighters to access water on all floors and compartments of a building in the event of a fire. The system is made up of pipes, inlets and outlets that spread throughout the building on all floors. They are typically located across the building’s fire fighting shaft, parking lots or basements.

Your building must have a dry riser if it is taller than 18 metres as this is a legal requirement. The systems themselves are empty most of the time. They only fill with water should there be an actual fire emergency (or during a test).

 

How do dry risers work? 

A dry riser’s inlet value must be connected to the hose of a fire engine on the building’s ground floor. From this, the fire fighter can pump pressurised water up vertical pipes to reach the top of the building. Then a smaller attachment can be connected to one of the dry riser’s outlets at the required level of the building. 

Through this system, it is much easier for firefighters to quickly act and put out the fire. The alternative would be to drag metres and metres of heavy hose up flights of stairs. Dry risers save lives due to the reduction in time it would take to extinguish the fire.

 

What parts make up a dry riser? 

There are several components that make up a dry riser system. These are external and internal outlets as well as vertical piping. Let’s discuss these in a little more detail.

External outlets

These supply the connection between the firefighters and the dry riser system and are housed in a secure place. For ease of access these should be located somewhere obvious for fire fighters to use. Also, to be free from vandalism they should also be enclosed. The same location will also contain a draining system that can be used to remove all of pressurised water following a test or a fire itself.

Vertical piping

Arguably the most important component of the dry riser system is the pipework. This vertical piping does not hold any water unless the system is in use. It is simply a system of steel pipes that span from the ground floor to the ceiling of the top floor. They are typically encased in a fire resistant shaft and contain air valves that allow air to escape when the system is filled with water.

Internal outlets

These are also referred to as landing valves or landing outlets. Internal outlets are the points that firefighters would connect their hose to on the desired floor inside the building. Like their external counterparts (where the main water supply is connected from the fire engine) they may be encased to protect from flames.

 

Are dry risers and requirement?

Dry risers are a crucial type of equipment to have installed in buildings taller than 18 metres. Where buildings are upwards of 50 metres then wet risers must be installed. The key difference between the two is that wet risers hold water at all times, whereas dry risers are empty unless in use. 

To be compliant with health and safety legislation as well as protect your building and workforce from fire, you must comply with this guidance.