Articles

by Grant Lobdell, General Manager

Freezing temperatures can wreak havoc on installations not designed to handle such conditions.  Beyond inspecting the equipment for damage and proper operation, the performance of the foam concentrate itself is often questioned after freezing temperatures.

by Joan Leedy, Technical Director

Dyne Fire Protection Labs offers testing of foam solutions to determine the concentration of the foam concentrate in the system water. Customers use this service by running a foam system in the field, collecting a sample of the discharge, and sending it to Dyne along with a sample of the foam concentrate and the system water. Using the foam concentrate and system water, Dyne technicians make up known foam solutions and then compare the refractive index of the known solutions to the solution provided by the customer. By using a bench-top analytical refractometer capable of reading refractive indexes accurately to the 5^th decimal point, Dyne can provide an accurate result.

by Joan Leedy, Technical Director

At Dyne Fire Protection Labs, we make every effort to provide you with accurate and precise test results to ensure your fire protection systems operate properly. And this is no easy task. Take a look at the following items we have incorporated into our laboratory processes ̶ to ensure quality.

by Joan Leedy, Technical Director

There are two types of class-B firefighting foam available on the market today – foams containing per or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and foams that are fluorine free, meaning they are not formulated to contain PFAS. Some states have mandated the use of synthetic fluorine free foam (SFFF) for certain applications. But if your application is not covered by such a mandate, you have to choose whether to purchase a SFFF or a PFAS containing foam. Let’s take a look at how these two types of foam differ.

by Grant Lobdell, General Manager

There are a variety of standards in the fire protection industry that require periodic inspection, testing, and maintenance of dry chemical agents.

By Grant Lobdell, General Manager

The field sprinkler testing report produced by Dyne Fire Protection Labs identifies several attributes of the sprinkler in the sample information section.  The release mechanism and water seal identified are of particular importance as they are the components of the sprinkler directly being evaluated during the periodic testing.  According to A.5.3.1.1 of the current 2020 edition of NFPA 25 Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems, sprinklers are to be laboratory tested for sensitivity and functionality.  For the purpose of periodic field service testing, sensitivity refers to the evaluation of the sprinkler’s release mechanism whereas functionality refers to the evaluation of the sprinkler’s water seal.  Because of their importance, some of the more common release mechanisms and water seals are highlighted below.

By Jennie Novak, Office Manager/Webinar Coordinator

Before your samples arrive, we need to get your company logistics, billing information, and contacts in our systems so there is no delay in processing your samples.  Having it all setup ensures your reports and your invoices go to the right place or person. It also gives us a chance to make sure you have access to our online return forms and send you any testing kits you will need.