Test and Drain Valves | UL FM Listed Supply | Valve-Atlas

Test and Drain Valves for Fire Sprinkler Systems: UL and FM Listed Supply

ValveAtlas supplies UL Listed and FM Approved test and drain valve stations for inspector’s test connections, main drain, auxiliary drain and floor-control assembly trim on sprinkler and standpipe systems. Test and drain stations are the single-lever or dual-valve assemblies at the remote end of a sprinkler zone that simulate flow of one sprinkler head for annual NFPA 25 testing, and at the base of each riser for system main drain.

This page is the technical reference for specifying engineers, construction firms, EPC project firms and mechanical subcontractors selecting test and drain valves on sprinkler systems in Toronto, Montreal, New York, Boston and London under NFPA 13, NFPA 25, BS EN 12845, Approved Document B, Code du Québec Chapitre Bâtiment and the NYC Mechanical Code.

Test and drain valve configurations

Configuration	Function	Pressure class	Listings	Typical size
Inspector’s test (ITC) single-lever 2-way	Annual waterflow test plus drain. Discharges 1 smallest sprinkler orifice equivalent to atmosphere.	300 psi CWP	UL, FM	1″ to 1½”
Main drain station	2″ main drain valve at the base of each riser per NFPA 13 Section 16.9.3.	300 psi CWP	UL, FM	2″
Auxiliary drain (low-point drum drip)	Low-point drain on dry and pre-action systems for auxiliary low-point water removal.	300 psi CWP	UL, FM	¾” to 1″
Floor-control assembly (FCA) with test and drain	Per-floor shutoff, flow switch, pressure gauge, test and drain combined.	300 psi CWP	UL, FM	2″ to 4″

Code-required test and drain locations

Inspector’s test connection (ITC). NFPA 13 Section 16.9.13 requires an inspector’s test connection at the hydraulically most remote location of each sprinkler system, equipped with a smooth-bore test outlet corresponding to the K-factor of one sprinkler on the system. Discharge is to atmosphere at a visible location (outside the building or to a floor drain). The test and drain station integrates a ball valve, a flow orifice sized to the smallest sprinkler K-factor (K=5.6 = 1/2″ orifice, K=8.0 = 17/32″ orifice, K=11.2 = 5/8″ orifice), a sight glass and an isolation ball valve on the upstream side.

Main drain. NFPA 13 Section 16.9.3 requires a 2″ main drain above the system OS&Y gate and below the sprinkler alarm valve for system drain during maintenance. UL/FM listed 2″ ball valve with threaded or grooved end.

Auxiliary drain. NFPA 13 Section 16.9.3.2 requires auxiliary drains at trapped low points on dry pipe and pre-action systems for drum drip or auxiliary air-pressure-operated drain. Listed ¾” to 1″ configuration with drum drip trap.

Floor control assembly. NFPA 13 Section 8.17 and high-rise standpipe integration under NFPA 14 Section 6 require per-floor shutoff with flow switch, pressure gauge, test, drain and tamper-supervised valve. The FCA is a packaged assembly combining UV0199 or UVB-G310 valve, vane-type flow switch, pressure gauge, test and drain station.

Listings and code acceptance

Test and drain valve stations supplied by ValveAtlas carry UL listing (UL 1091 for waterflow test stations and UL 262 for the ball valve component) and FM Approval (FM Approvals Class 1035). The package is accepted by:

Canada. ULC-S543 recognition for Quebec RBQ, Ontario OBC Part 3 and Canadian NFPA 13 projects.
United States. NYC DOB, FDNY, Boston Fire Department, Massachusetts 780 CMR, IBC Chapter 9 and NFPA 13 Chapter 6 listed equipment provisions.
UK. LPCB-equivalent scope under BS EN 12845 Section 15 and the LPC Rules.
Insurance. FM Global Data Sheet 2-0, RSA, Aviva, Zurich, Allianz, AXA Commercial, Chubb, AIG, Travelers, Intact and Aviva Canada acceptance under the FM component listing standard.

Where each station sits on a sprinkler system

Riser base. 2″ main drain above the OS&Y gate valve. Ball valve with cast iron body (UV0199 flanged downstream connection) and brass ball, 300 psi CWP rated.

Zone remote end. 1″ or 1¼” inspector’s test and drain with flow orifice sized to K=5.6 (1/2″ bore) for UV320/UV321 pendent sprinklers and UV340/UV341 sidewall sprinklers, or to K=8.0 (17/32″ bore) for oversized coverage sprinklers.

Dry pipe low points. ¾” or 1″ auxiliary drain with drum drip trap at each trapped low point on the dry piping. UVD-2511-300 dry pipe valve system has a dedicated low-point drain line manifold that feeds back to the riser drain.

Each floor above grade in high-rise. 2″ or 4″ floor-control assembly with flow switch, tamper-supervised butterfly valve (UVB-G310), test and drain, and pressure gauge. The flow switch wires to the fire alarm control panel for floor-level waterflow identification per NFPA 72.

Substitution matrix

Project specifications often call out AGF Model 1000 or Model 7000, Victaulic Vic-Check, Potter/Globe PGFS-2A or Reliable FCA by SKU. ValveAtlas supplies UL/FM listed equivalent assemblies with the UNIVAL gate valve, butterfly valve and ball valve components combined with listed flow switches, pressure gauges and orifice plates to match the specified scope.

AGF Model 1000 inspector’s test. Substitute the equivalent UL/FM listed 1″ or 1¼” test and drain assembly. Same K-factor orifice match, same 300 psi CWP, same sight glass.

AGF Model 7000 FCA. Substitute the UNIVAL-based FCA with UVB-G310 butterfly valve, listed flow switch (Potter VSR-F or equivalent), pressure gauge and 1″ test and drain.

Victaulic Series 720 FireLock riser manifold. Substitute UVW-1511-300 wet alarm valve + UV0199 OS&Y gate + 2″ main drain station + inspector’s test. See UNIVAL vs Victaulic comparison.

Regional stock and delivery

Toronto. 1″ and 1¼” inspector’s test stations, 2″ main drain valves, ¾” drum drip kits, and FCA manifold components in stock at Toronto HQ for same-day shipment.

Montreal. Next-day truck freight. French submittals for RBQ filings.

New York. 2-day truck freight. NYC DOB accepts UL listing; high-rise FCAs ship pre-assembled for on-floor installation.

Boston. 2-day truck freight. BFD and 780 CMR accept UL listing.

London UK. UK partner warehouse stock on common sizes; air freight on specialty configurations.

Related products

Wet alarm valve. UVW-1511-300 at the riser base. See Wet Alarm Valves.

Butterfly valves. UVB-G310 at the zone shutoff, upstream of the test and drain at the FCA. See Butterfly Valves.

Gate valves. UV0199 OS&Y gate at the riser base, upstream of the main drain station.

Sprinklers. Orifice-matched UV320, UV321, UV340, UV341, UV820, UV821. See Fire Sprinklers.

Couplings and fittings. UV11 rigid and UV14 flexible on the test and drain branch line. See Coupling Fittings.

Frequently asked questions

What orifice size matches K=5.6 sprinklers? 1/2″ smooth bore matches K=5.6. This is the standard orifice on the inspector’s test connection for systems with UV320, UV321, UV340, UV341, UV820 and UV821 sprinklers. For K=8.0 quick-response sprinklers, use 17/32″ orifice. For K=11.2, use 5/8″. Always size the orifice to the smallest K-factor sprinkler on the zone per NFPA 13 Section 16.9.13.

Where does the inspector’s test discharge? Discharge to the outside of the building at grade where visible, or to a floor drain capable of handling the flow. NFPA 13 Section 16.9.13.5 requires the discharge location be visible during the test for operational verification.

What is the main drain test? NFPA 25 Chapter 5 requires an annual main drain test: open the 2″ main drain valve fully, record static pressure, flowing pressure and time to drain; a decrease in flowing pressure relative to prior years indicates water supply degradation. The main drain station at the riser base supports this test.

Can the FCA include an electronic flow switch? Yes. Vane-type flow switches (Potter VSR-F, System Sensor WFD series) wire to the fire alarm panel and identify which floor’s flow switch activated. The FCA ships with the flow switch pre-installed and wired to a junction box.

What is the typical lead time? Stock configurations ship within 1 to 2 business days from Toronto HQ across North America. Custom FCA assemblies with specific valve and flow switch combinations ship on 5 to 10 business day lead.

Contact ValveAtlas for a test and drain quotation

For test and drain quotations, FCA manifold configuration, inspector’s test assembly sizing and substitution packages from AGF, Victaulic or other specified brands on Toronto, Montreal, New York, Boston or London projects, email the project specification to burakpadr@gmail.com or use the contact form. Standard turnaround is 48 hours.

For the complete UNIVAL cross-reference chart, see the UNIVAL Cross-Reference.