Alert Summary

FM Approvals has been made aware of the market and sale of automatic sprinklers marked as “Firex” and bearing a counterfeit FM Approvals mark. FM Approvals has neither tested nor certified these products.

Company Identity

Unknown. FM Approvals is currently working with Emirates Fire Fighting Equip. Factory LLC (Firex) to determine the source of the counterfeit sprinklers.

Product Identity

“FIREX” marked automatic sprinkler.

Description

½” NPT, 5mm bulb, standard spray upright style automatic sprinkler.

Make/Model

None given.

Geographic Area Affected

Middle East.

Hazard Involved

There is no evidence these products have ever been tested to the rigorous requirements of any testing and certification organization, including FM Approvals. As such, these automatic sprinklers cannot be relied upon to react to or control a fire. Failure by any of the following mechanisms is possible: failure of the thermal element, orifice leakage, early operation, late operation, bulb strutting (incomplete fracture), deflector blow off, inadequate or excessive discharge rate, corrosive attack, failure to operate, failure to produce an adequate discharge pattern, etc. Of further note is the observed use of an o-ring type orifice seal, which have been shown as unreliable and possibly dangerous. Some o-ring type sprinklers have been subjected to a Consumer Product Safety Commission product recall.