Wet Alarm Valves | UL and FM UNIVAL UVW-1511-300 | Valve-Atlas

Wet Alarm Valves: UL and FM Listed UNIVAL UVW-1511-300 Supply

ValveAtlas supplies UL Listed, UL Listed and FM Approved UNIVAL UVW-1511-300 wet alarm valves for sprinkler riser and standpipe riser service on projects in Toronto, Montreal, New York, Boston and London. The UVW-1511-300 is the 300 psi class wet alarm valve with integrated retard chamber, water motor gong connection, pressure gauge taps and drain manifold; the standard sprinkler-riser alarm check valve on commercial, residential, industrial and institutional projects.

This page is the technical reference for specifying engineers, construction firms, EPC project firms and mechanical subcontractors selecting wet alarm valves on fire protection systems governed by NFPA 13, NFPA 72, BS EN 12845 Section 15, Approved Document B, Code du Québec Chapitre Bâtiment and the NYC Mechanical Code.

UNIVAL wet alarm valve range at ValveAtlas

UNIVAL SKU	Type	Pressure class	Trim	Listings	Sizes
UVW-1511-300	Wet alarm valve with retard, grooved and flanged connections	300 psi CWP	Complete factory trim: retard chamber, pressure gauges, drain, test, alarm line	UL and FM	2½” to 8″

How a wet alarm valve works

The UVW-1511-300 is a swing-check-style alarm valve that sits at the base of every wet pipe sprinkler riser. When system water flow exceeds the clapper’s pressure-differential threshold (one sprinkler head opening is the minimum trip condition), the clapper lifts and water flows through the alarm port into the retard chamber. The retard chamber filters transient pressure fluctuations (city water hammer, pump starts on a jockey) to prevent false alarms, and passes sustained flow to the water motor gong and to the electric pressure switch on the alarm line. The pressure switch wires to the fire alarm control panel for a waterflow alarm per NFPA 72 Section 17.5.

Factory trim on UVW-1511-300 includes: system side pressure gauge, supply side pressure gauge, main drain ball valve, 2″ main drain, inspector’s test connection at 1 to 2 times the smallest sprinkler orifice, alarm line with pressure switch connection, retard chamber with auto-drip, water motor gong connection with trim and ball valve isolation.

Listings and code acceptance

UL 193. UNIVAL UVW-1511-300 carries UL 193 (alarm valves for fire protection service) listing. The UL certificate is issued to UNIVAL manufacturer and is provided in the ValveAtlas submittal package.

UL listing for Canadian projects. The UL listing covers the same SKU under CAN/UL-S543. Quebec RBQ and Ontario OBC Part 3 projects accept the UL certificate.

FM Approval. FM Approvals Class 1041 (wet pipe alarm check valves) certifies UVW-1511-300 for FM-insured properties under FM Global Data Sheet 2-0 and FM Global Data Sheet 3-0. Insurance surveyors at FM Global, RSA, Aviva, Zurich, Allianz, AXA Commercial, Chubb, AIG, Travelers and Intact accept the FM certificate on their insured properties.

LPCB and UK acceptance. UK projects under BS EN 12845 Section 6 (water supplies) and Section 15 (alarm and pressure switches) accept UL/FM listing where the scope is recognized by LPCB under LPS 1039. For LPCB-specific certificates required on insurance-led UK specifications, verify with the insurance surveyor.

Where the wet alarm valve sits on a sprinkler riser

Every wet pipe sprinkler system has a single wet alarm valve at the base of the riser (NFPA 13 Section 7.1.2). The typical riser configuration from bottom to top is:

1. Underground main or city water tap
2. Backflow preventer (where required under NFPA 13 and cross-connection code)
3. OS&Y gate valve (UV0199) or NRS gate valve (UV0299) for isolation
4. Main drain valve above the gate for system isolation and drain
5. Pressure gauge on the supply side
6. Wet alarm valve (UVW-1511-300)
7. Pressure gauge on the system side
8. Alarm line to water motor gong and to electric pressure switch at the fire alarm control panel
9. Inspector’s test connection above the alarm valve for annual NFPA 25 testing
10. Main sprinkler feed to the zone butterfly valves (UVB-G310) and the sprinkler branch lines

For multi-zone buildings, the wet alarm valve is installed at the base of each vertical riser zone with a floor-control assembly (FCA) at each floor including flow switch, tamper-supervised ball or butterfly valve, and inspector’s test. The UVW-1511-300 is the riser-base selection; floor-level flow switches are a separate product (listed flow switch and shutoff valve combination).

Substitution matrix from Victaulic, Tyco, Viking, Reliable

Project specifications routinely call out Victaulic, Tyco, Viking or Reliable wet alarm valves by SKU. UNIVAL substitutes as follows.

Victaulic FireLock Series 751 alarm valve. Substitute UNIVAL UVW-1511-300. Same 300 psi CWP, same UL/FM listing scope, same factory trim configuration. See the UNIVAL vs Victaulic comparison.

Tyco AV-1-300 and AV-2 alarm valve. Substitute UVW-1511-300. UL/FM listed, 300 psi CWP, grooved and flanged connections available. See UNIVAL vs Tyco comparison.

Viking Model J-1 alarm valve. Substitute UVW-1511-300. UL/FM listed, complete factory trim. See UNIVAL vs Viking comparison.

Reliable Model F alarm valve. Substitute UVW-1511-300. UL/FM listed. See UNIVAL vs Reliable comparison.

Regional stock and delivery for wet alarm valves

Toronto. UVW-1511-300 2½” through 8″ in stock at Toronto HQ with complete factory trim for same-day shipment across Ontario and the GTA.

Montreal. Next-day truck freight from Toronto. French-language submittal package with UL certificate supplied for RBQ filings.

New York. 2-day truck freight from Toronto. NYC DOB and FDNY accept UL certificate on UVW-1511-300. Rush air freight via JFK or Newark coordinated case by case.

Boston. 2-day truck freight from Toronto. BFD acceptance under UL listing and 780 CMR.

London UK. UK partner warehouse stocks 3″ and 4″ UVW-1511-300 with complete trim for 48-hour delivery to central London. Toronto HQ ships 6″ and 8″ on 5 to 7 day air freight via Heathrow.

Related products for complete wet pipe system

Gate valves. UV0199 OS&Y gate flanged or UV0299 NRS gate for riser isolation upstream of the wet alarm valve.

Butterfly valves. UVB-G310 grooved butterfly with tamper for zone isolation downstream of the wet alarm valve. See Butterfly Valves for Fire Protection pillar page.

Grooved couplings. UV11 rigid 300 psi CWP and UV14 flexible 300 psi CWP on the riser connections and above the alarm valve. See Coupling Fittings.

Sprinklers. UV320 pendent SR, UV321 pendent QR, UV340 sidewall SR, UV341 sidewall QR, UV820 concealed SR and UV821 concealed QR on the sprinkler branches downstream. See Fire Sprinklers hub.

Test and drain. Listed 2-way test and drain station at the inspector’s test connection per NFPA 13 Section 16.9 for annual waterflow test. See Test and Drain Valves.

Frequently asked questions

What is the retard chamber for? The retard chamber is a small reservoir on the alarm line that fills with water on clapper trip. It delays the alarm signal by typically 30 to 60 seconds, allowing transient pressure fluctuations (water hammer, jockey pump start) to dissipate without triggering a false alarm. Sustained flow drains the retard chamber past its outlet check and activates the water motor gong and pressure switch for a true waterflow alarm.

Does UVW-1511-300 include the water motor gong? The wet alarm valve trim includes the connection and isolation valve for the water motor gong, but the gong itself is a separate listed product. Specify gong size (6″ or 8″ housing) on the purchase order; ValveAtlas supplies UL/FM listed water motor gongs as a companion product.

What pressure switch wires to the fire alarm panel? The alarm-line pressure switch is a separate listed product (typically Potter PS10-2 or equivalent). The UVW-1511-300 trim includes the 1/2″ NPT connection for the pressure switch; ValveAtlas supplies the pressure switch as a companion part.

What is the difference between wet alarm valve and dry alarm valve? Wet alarm valve (UVW-1511-300) protects systems where the sprinkler piping is continuously pressurized with water. Dry alarm valve (UVD-2511-300) protects systems where the piping is pressurized with air and water flows only after a sprinkler opens. Wet systems protect heated buildings; dry systems protect unheated warehouses, parking garages, loading docks and attics.

Can UVW-1511-300 be installed horizontally? Yes. UVW-1511-300 installs vertical or horizontal per NFPA 13 Section 7.1.3 and per the manufacturer installation manual. Horizontal installation requires adjusted alarm line routing to maintain auto-drip function on the retard chamber.

Contact ValveAtlas for a wet alarm valve quotation

For wet alarm valve quotations, submittal packages substituting UNIVAL for Victaulic, Tyco, Viking or Reliable specifications on Toronto, Montreal, New York, Boston or London projects, email the project specification and drawings to burakpadr@gmail.com or use the contact form on our website. Standard turnaround is 48 hours from receipt of the project specification.

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