Label Needed for NFPA 25 Gauge Re-Calibration?

1/30/2023

Section 5.3.2.1 of NFPA 25, Gauges shall be replaced or tested every five years by comparison with a calibrated gauge.

Is it required for us to provide a sticker on the gauge to indicate it has been re-calibrated by the 3rd party, or will a sharpie inscription on the glass of the gauge be sufficient to meet this requirement?

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15 Comments

Alex

1/30/2023 05:51:08 am

In short, I've seen gauges labeled by sharpie and small labels on the back of the gauge. As far as I am aware, both are acceptable. NFPA 25 is silent on the labeling methods. It tosses the requirement back to the manufacture. Code sections below.

Thanks

NFPA 25 (2020) 8.3.3.5.1 Gauges ,transducers, and other devices used for measurement during the test shall bear a label with the latest date of calibration.

3.2.1 Approved. Acceptable to the AHJ

A.3.2.1 Approved. ..... The authority having jurisdiction may also refer to the listings or labeling practices of an organization that is concerned with product evaluations and is thus in a position to determine compliance with appropriate standards for the current production of listed items.

Dan Wilder

1/30/2023 07:12:31 am

As I deal with inspectors & insurance agents requesting calibration paperwork on our pump test/flow testing gear....if a company I was paying did the calibration and marked sharpie on the gauge, it would be the last time I would use that company. If it is written on, it's typically for an installation date, some PSI number to indicate high/normal/low PSI (air gauges I see this on a lot), or other basic info.

You should not be providing anything on the gauge....that (should) fall onto the 3rd party to complete the calibration and provide the passing paperwork.

The company we use (National Calibration Inc.) provides a small metal sticker with a gauge number, date of inspection, and date of expiration. The paperwork includes (last I saw) a pic of the gauge (front & back with the passed calibration sticker), information on the calibration equipment & tech, results of the testing and all the company info for ISO certifications.

When not defined or clear within NFPA, Merriam-Webster definitions apply. Those definitions are also pretty grey in this case so I guess it comes down to what the AHJ is accepting of.

Dan Wilder

1/30/2023 11:03:41 am

Point of clarification, we do this for liquid filled gauges. Standard air/water gauges are just a replace and typically less costly going that route.

Anthony

1/30/2023 07:21:51 am

I'm of the opinion that if the gauge is even inspected that's a win. Dan's method would be best but I'll take a sharpie any day of the week.

Patrick Spillane

1/30/2023 08:30:54 am

The gauge does not have to be calibrated, just compared to a calibrated gauge. If it is calibrated, then a label should be provided by the calibration company. If just compared, then common practice is just to have a sharpie with the date of comparison.

NFPA 25 (2017) 13.2.7.2* Gauges shall be replaced every 5 years or tested every 5 years by comparison with a calibrated gauge.

Greg

1/30/2023 08:37:49 am

As an AHJ inspector, I would be thrilled with either, as this requirement gets ignored the majority of the time.

There seems to some confusion with the process, though. The idea is to install a test gauge on the three way valve, and compare it to the in-service gauge. You are not paying a gauge calibration company to test the riser gauge. You pay them to calibrate your test gauge, which is then typically labeled with a sticker including the test date, expiration date, and technician signature. Riser gauges are cheap, and sending them out would not be cost effective. When I was in the field we just replaced them at customer request most times.

Randy Kimbro

1/30/2023 08:51:51 am

As an AHJ this annoys me to no end. Gauges are cheap … replace them. We never accept a Sharpie marker date. Unscrupulous business owners just write a new date on them to save a few dollars. With NFPA silent on this, if the gauge is verified against another gauge per NFPA, we require the sprinkler inspection company to attach one of their inspection tags to each gauge and write a notation on the tag that it was verified, the date, and the technician number.

Ray Jackson link

1/30/2023 09:07:32 am

As Randy said, it is extremely less to simply replace the gauge. Gauges are not that expensive. Change them out and be on your way to the next problem.

Anon

1/30/2023 11:17:12 am

...Back in the day that's how I've got some of the coolest old gauges in my collection. It's good to be friendly with fitters.

Mike M link

1/30/2023 01:23:12 pm

Agree with Randy, our AHJ also accepts a sprinkler company inspection tag with appropriate information on each gauge.

Glenn Berger

1/30/2023 09:24:48 am

I would never trust a sharpie marking on any gauge. Like others have said, gauges are cheap and should be replaced.

Eric R

1/30/2023 09:53:44 am

Up till very recently I was in the "just replace them" boat, but we are currently going through the due diligence process to see if switching over to checking the gauges may be workable for us. Throwing away gauges that are only 5 years old seems pretty damn wasteful, especially when the standard for these gauges is so forgiving at 3% accuracy variance.

There are stickers you can buy that you can write the date of the inspection on, and stick to the back or upper rim of the gauge without obstructing the viewport.

One of the main reasons we are considering the switch is to get our field NICET guys more comfortable with handling NIST calibrated gauges. The need to use them on fire pump, standpipe, and hydrant testing is critical, so having an avenue for techs to get comfortable handling (these gauges and certs are expensive!) them could be extremely beneficial.

Also it creates less garbage in a landfill which we should all strive to do anyways.

Randy Kimbro

1/30/2023 10:27:39 am

I like the thought of being less wasteful but, and there is always a but, if YOU can buy those stickers, what stops a business owner from buying them and just slapping them on to save a few $$?

Anthony

1/30/2023 12:12:58 pm

The pain threshold for ordering those stickers is higher than just doing the inspection and buying the gauge. I'd expect someone to have fake heads (just cover plates) before they bothered going thought all that nonsense over a gauge.

Mark Harris

1/31/2023 06:41:11 pm

If a gauge is marked with a sharpie or sticker there would be or should be inspection paperwork supporting what was done. Owner should not be able to fake that. One thing I don't see talked about above is how do you "tag" a replacement gauge so the five year time starts over again?

Inspectors need to document their work and owners need to maintain records of their properties. We have come a long way in 30 years since NFPA 25 was introduced.

Label Needed for NFPA 25 Gauge Re-Calibration?

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