A reliable system in the fire protection sector is paramount; its failure is simply not an option when people’s lives are at stake. Fire sprinklers are designed to activate automatically during the earliest stages of a fire, suppressing flames, reducing property damage and saving lives. But a growing and dangerous problem is threatening the integrity of these systems: counterfeit fire sprinklers.
What are counterfeit fire sprinklers?
Counterfeit fire sprinklers are unauthorised replicas or imitations of certified sprinkler heads, often falsely marked with logos and certification labels from trusted manufacturers, such as Tyco, Viking, Victaulic or Reliable. These uncertified and counterfeit products are not tested to the rigorous standards of UL, FM, VdS, LPCB, or equivalent third-party agencies. Even worse, they can be indistinguishable to the untrained eye and may fail catastrophically during a fire.
Why are counterfeit sprinklers dangerous?
Legitimate fire sprinklers undergo extensive testing to ensure they activate under specific conditions, deliver proper water distribution, and resist corrosion over decades. Counterfeit products lack this testing and may:
- Fail to activate during a fire.
- Activate at the wrong temperature.
- Distribute water ineffectively, rendering them useless in fire suppression.
- Corrode prematurely, compromising long-term reliability.
A fire sprinkler that doesn’t function as intended can turn a survivable fire into a deadly catastrophe.
How big is the problem?
While comprehensive global data is limited, fire protection professionals and regulatory bodies have documented numerous incidents of counterfeit sprinklers in warehouses, hotels, residential complexes and even government facilities. In 2015, the International Fire Suppression Alliance (IFSA) issued a Safety Alert after noncertified sprinklers labelled as Early Suppression Fast Response (ESFR) devices were proposed for use in a storage facility in China. At IFSA’s request, UL tested the sprinkler samples and found they lacked the critical performance characteristics of true ESFR sprinklers. Significant deficiencies were identified in both water distribution and long-term reliability, rendering the devices unsuitable for their intended purpose.
In another notable case, FM Approvals issued a product alert warning about counterfeit Tyco TY9223 sprinklers found in the Brazilian market. These knockoffs, shown in Figure 1, bore counterfeit Tyco logos and certification marks but were never manufactured or approved by Tyco. The sprinklers appear very similar, and the most noticeable difference is the colour and shape of the orifice cap (the part indicated by the yellow arrows). The cap assembly in the authentic sprinkler consists of a copper cap with a stainless-steel insert, whereas the cap in the counterfeit appears to be solid brass. The counterfeit also includes a bent wire installed through a groove in the cap (typically known as an ejection spring or kick spring). Authentic TY9223 sprinklers do not use an ejection spring. The white paint on the frame arms of the authentic example indicates the intermediate temperature classification of this example. Authentic TY9223 sprinklers may also come without painted frame arms in the ordinary temperature range.
Authentic and counterfeit comparison of 360 K-factor ESFR.
The inlet side of the orifice cap in the authentic TY9223 (left) is domed and made of copper, while the counterfeit (right) has a flat profile and appears to be brass. The PTFE-lined spring washer-type seal is visible around the outside of the cap in the authentic sprinkler. The counterfeit sprinkler has no visible portion of the seal. These counterfeit sprinklers also feature O-ring style water seals. O-ring type seals are not used in any current FM-approved or UL-listed sprinklers and have not been generally used since 2003. Additionally, the stampings on the deflectors are nearly identical and in the same relative positions, but are significantly shallower on the counterfeit deflector. The deflector materials are different but look very similar to the eye. Because the authentic sprinkler is from a slightly older year of manufacture (2020), it does not have the FM marking; however, authentic versions from 2021 and newer do, and in the same relative position as the counterfeit deflector.
In 2016, IFSA partnered with the Brazilian Sprinkler Association (ABSpk) to remove and test hundreds of non-certified sprinklers from two buildings in São Paulo. Brazil, which closely monitors sprinkler imports, has reported a troubling rise in the presence of non-certified products in recent years. The buildings in question — a public parking garage and a high-rise office tower — had fire sprinklers explicitly installed to protect occupants. Sprinklers from both sites were carefully extracted and submitted to accredited testing laboratories for evaluation.
FM Approvals compared the sprinklers extracted from the high-rise office building against their test requirements in 13 areas. They found deficiencies in performance related to half of the regions examined: materials analysis, water distribution characteristics, resistance to rough use and abuse, potential hang-up of operating parts (lodgments), assembly load versus frame strength, and resistance to salt spray corrosion. The lodgment tests were of special concern, with a cumulative failure rate of 47.5% among 40 samples tested. Up to 100% of samples experienced a hang-up of operating parts in at least one combination of configuration and pressure. These hang-up results suggest that the sprinklers would not be able to develop an effective water distribution pattern in the event of a fire, severely compromising their effectiveness.
The comparison of assembly loads to frame strength was also concerning. Tests showed that the load placed on the sprinkler bulbs exceeded acceptable safety margins, raising the risk of accidental water discharge in the absence of a fire. Such false activations often result in systems being shut off to avoid water damage, leaving them unavailable during actual emergencies.
UL also identified significant deficiencies in the sprinklers removed from the São Paulo parking garage. Both upright and pendent models used O-ring style water seals — a design prohibited within UL’s testing standards since 2003 due to its unreliability in the field. UL was the first standards body to prohibit dynamic O-ring style water seals at the time. These seals can adhere to mating surfaces, preventing water discharge during a fire. Unsurprisingly, the sprinklers failed to operate at low water pressures and exhibited poor performance in several key areas, including partial clogging, substandard spray patterns and inadequate fire control. Critically, they failed the standard wood crib fire test, a benchmark assessment of a sprinkler’s ability to extinguish or control fire.
The non-certified sprinklers removed from both buildings posed a clear public safety hazard. They were replaced with certified devices, but it remains unknown how many other properties still house dangerous, non-certified sprinklers that could fail when lives depend on them most.
In other instances, testing has revealed that some non-certified sprinklers are made with substandard materials that are incapable of withstanding the thermal demands of a fire. ISO 6182-1 requires sprinkler frames to withstand a temperature of 800°C for 15 minutes. The frame of the counterfeit sprinkler, as shown in Figure 2, melted away within three minutes.
Counterfeit sprinkler frame failure within 3 minutes.
The consequences of using noncertified sprinklers can range from property damage to life safety failures.
How do counterfeit sprinklers enter the supply chain?
Many counterfeit products are distributed through online marketplaces, unauthorised dealers, or secondary surplus sellers. Global e-commerce marketplaces like Alibaba and AliExpress, Mercado Libre, Flipkart and Noon all offer sprinklers with questionable certifications, or none at all. Amazon has taken action to reduce the frequency of this issue on its US platforms, but international platforms continue to pose a challenge.
Identifying counterfeit fire sprinklers
Spotting a counterfeit sprinkler requires careful attention to:
- Manufacturer details: Verify that the model number, logo and certification marks match official product catalogues.
- Packaging: Authentic sprinklers are typically sold in factory-sealed boxes with matching serial numbers and date codes.
- Markings: Look for inconsistencies in font, misspellings or misaligned labels.
- Purchase channel: Always purchase from authorised distributors. Avoid third-party sellers on online marketplaces.
FM Approvals and UL also encourage users to report suspicious products and refer to their official alerts and counterfeit bulletins for known models.
What can contractors and building owners do?
- Source from reputable suppliers: Only purchase fire sprinklers and components from authorised manufacturers and distributors. Verify credentials before making a purchase, especially when sourcing large quantities or replacements.
- Train your team: Educate installers, inspectors and purchasing staff on the risks and warning signs of counterfeit components.
- Inspect shipments: Upon delivery, verify the packaging, markings and documentation against manufacturer specifications.
- Report suspected products: If a sprinkler looks questionable, don’t install it. Please report it to the manufacturer, your AHJ, and relevant certification bodies like UL, FM, VdS, LPCB, or the IFSA.
- Document everything: Maintain purchase records, including invoices and delivery documentation, to show due diligence in sourcing certified components.
To help publicise the issue, the IFSA has produced a video, available in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Mandarin Chinese, which can be found at ifsaglobal.org.
A call to vigilance
The fire protection industry is built on trust – in systems, standards and suppliers. Counterfeit sprinklers undermine that trust and put lives and property at risk. As fire safety professionals, we must remain vigilant, informed and proactive in protecting the integrity of the systems we design, install and inspect.
By raising awareness, strengthening procurement practices and demanding accountability from suppliers and platforms, we can work to eliminate counterfeit fire sprinklers from the global supply chain and uphold the life-saving reliability that fire protection systems promise.
