Pre-action Valves | UL and FM UNIVAL UVPR-5311-300 | Valve-Atlas

Pre-action Valves: UL and FM Listed UNIVAL UVPR-5311-300 Supply

ValveAtlas supplies UL Listed, UL Listed and FM Approved UNIVAL UVPR-5311-300 pre-action valves for data centre, telecom, museum, archive, clean room and mission-critical protection on projects in Toronto, Montreal, New York, Boston and London. The UVPR-5311-300 is the electrically operated pre-action valve with integrated solenoid trip, supervisory air, detection-interlock logic and complete factory trim.

This page is the technical reference for specifying engineers, data centre operators, EPC firms, mechanical subcontractors and insurance surveyors selecting pre-action protection on systems governed by NFPA 13 Chapter 7, NFPA 75 (data centres), NFPA 76 (telecom), NFPA 909 (museums), BS EN 12845 Section 14 and the NYC Mechanical Code.

UNIVAL pre-action valve range

UNIVAL SKU	Type	Pressure class	Interlock	Listings	Sizes
UVPR-5311-300	Electrically operated pre-action valve	300 psi CWP water; 40 psi air supervisory	Single interlock, double interlock and non-interlock configurations	UL and FM	3″ to 8″

Pre-action interlock configurations

Single interlock (NFPA 13 Section 7.3.2). Detection system (smoke or heat) must activate to trip the pre-action valve; water then fills the piping. Sprinkler operation alone (without detection) does not trip the valve. Used where accidental waterflow from damaged sprinklers would cause significant loss (data centres, archives).

Double interlock (NFPA 13 Section 7.3.3). Both the detection system AND a sprinkler operation (detected by loss of supervisory air) must activate before the pre-action valve trips. Provides the highest protection against accidental waterflow. Standard for freezer warehouses and mission-critical installations.

Non-interlock (NFPA 13 Section 7.3.1). Either detection OR sprinkler operation trips the valve. Faster water delivery than interlock types; used where rapid response is prioritized over accidental-waterflow risk.

How the pre-action valve works

The UVPR-5311-300 is held closed by a combination of supervisory air pressure in the dry piping and a pneumatic or hydraulic diaphragm above the clapper. A solenoid valve on the release line electrically opens on a trip signal from the detection system (VESDA smoke detection, spot heat detectors or manual pull station wired to the fire alarm panel). Release of diaphragm pressure allows the clapper to open and water to flow into the dry piping.

Factory trim on UVPR-5311-300 includes: electric solenoid valve (120V AC or 24V DC), emergency release manual station, supply-side and system-side pressure gauges, supervisory air pressure switch, priming water connection, 2″ main drain, alarm line with pressure switch port, water motor gong connection, and interlock selector for single or double configuration.

Listings and code acceptance

UL 260. UVPR-5311-300 carries UL 260 (pre-action valves for fire protection service) listing. UL certificate issued to UNIVAL manufacturer, provided in the ValveAtlas submittal package.

UL listing for Canadian projects. UL listing covers the same SKU under CAN/UL-S543. Canadian data centre projects under NFPA 13 Canadian edition and NFPA 75 accept the UL certificate.

FM Approval. FM Approvals Class 1045 (pre-action valves) certifies UVPR-5311-300 for FM-insured data centres under FM Global Data Sheet 5-32 (data centres). FM Global, RSA, Aviva, Zurich, Allianz, AXA Commercial, Chubb, AIG, Travelers and Intact insurance surveyors accept the FM certificate on their insured data centre properties.

LPCB and UK acceptance. UK data centre projects under BS EN 12845 Section 14 and LPC Rules accept UL/FM listing where equivalent LPCB scope exists (LPS 1039).

Where pre-action valves are used

Data centres. NFPA 75 Section 8 and FM Global DS 5-32 require pre-action protection for computer rooms, server halls and network operations centres. Double-interlock pre-action with VESDA smoke detection is the standard configuration. Toronto, Montreal, NYC and London data centre construction drives UVPR-5311-300 demand.

Telecom switch rooms. NFPA 76 requires listed pre-action protection in telecom central offices and network equipment rooms. Pre-action with double interlock prevents accidental water damage to switch equipment.

Museums and archives. NFPA 909 and cultural heritage standards require pre-action in galleries, archival storage and conservation labs where water damage to artifacts is catastrophic. Single-interlock pre-action with spot detection is typical.

Clean rooms and semiconductor fabs. Class 1 through Class 100 cleanroom sprinkler protection requires pre-action to prevent accidental waterflow disrupting cleanroom classification.

Libraries and rare book storage. Double-interlock pre-action with smoke detection for rare book rooms and special collections in university and public libraries.

Substitution matrix from Victaulic, Tyco, Viking, Reliable

Victaulic FireLock Series 769 pre-action valve. Substitute UNIVAL UVPR-5311-300. Same 300 psi CWP, same interlock configuration options, same UL/FM listing scope.

Tyco PV-1A pre-action valve. Substitute UVPR-5311-300. UL/FM listed, single/double interlock selectable.

Viking Model G-3000 pre-action valve. Substitute UVPR-5311-300. UL/FM listed, complete factory trim with solenoid.

Reliable Model DDX-LP pre-action. Substitute UVPR-5311-300. UL/FM listed low-pressure pre-action.

Regional stock and delivery for pre-action valves

Toronto. UVPR-5311-300 4″ and 6″ in stock at Toronto HQ for Ontario data centre construction. Full Victaulic/Tyco/Viking/Reliable substitution submittal packages for EPC firms on hyperscale data centre builds.

Montreal. Next-day truck freight from Toronto. Quebec hydro-power-adjacent data centre cluster (Bouchard, Beauharnois, Saint-Jerome) drives demand. French RBQ submittals.

New York. 2-day truck freight from Toronto. NYC DOB and FDNY accept UL certificate. Metro New York financial sector data centres (Secaucus, Weehawken, Piscataway) are key markets.

Boston. 2-day truck freight from Toronto. BFD and 780 CMR acceptance. Research hospital data rooms and Cambridge biotech data infrastructure.

London UK. UK partner warehouse stocks 4″ and 6″ UVPR-5311-300 for 48-hour delivery. London-Slough data centre corridor and Docklands financial data centres drive UK pre-action demand.

Related products for complete pre-action system

Butterfly valves. UVB-G310 at the riser base for zone isolation. See Butterfly Valves.

Gate valves. UV0199 OS&Y gate flanged upstream of the pre-action valve.

Sprinklers. UV320 pendent SR, UV321 pendent QR, UV340 sidewall SR, UV341 sidewall QR standard response sprinklers sized to the protected hazard. See Fire Sprinklers.

Grooved couplings. UV11 rigid and UV14 flexible 300 psi CWP. See Coupling Fittings.

Test and drain. Listed inspector’s test connection at the zone remote end. See Test and Drain Valves.

Solenoid valve. Listed 120V AC or 24V DC solenoid (ASCO Red Hat or equivalent) on the release line; 120V AC coordinated with emergency generator backup per NFPA 20.

Frequently asked questions

What is single vs double interlock? Single interlock requires ONE of detection OR sprinkler to trip. Double interlock requires BOTH detection AND loss of supervisory air (from sprinkler operation) to trip. Double interlock provides maximum protection against accidental waterflow; used in data centres, freezers and museums where water damage is catastrophic.

Does UVPR-5311-300 require a fire alarm panel? Yes. The solenoid on the release line is triggered by a signal from the building fire alarm control panel. The detection system (VESDA, spot smoke, spot heat or manual pull station) wires back to the panel, which energizes (or de-energizes, depending on configuration) the solenoid. Coordinate the solenoid voltage with the panel NAC output.

What detection is used with pre-action? VESDA (Very Early Smoke Detection Apparatus) is standard for data centre pre-action because it provides 1000 times the sensitivity of spot detection. For less critical installations, spot smoke detection or spot heat detection is acceptable. Review NFPA 72 Chapter 17 for detection requirements coordinated with the interlock configuration.

What is the supervisory air pressure? Typical supervisory air is 20 to 40 psi on interlock pre-action systems. Single-interlock systems may run as low as 10 psi because air serves only as supervisory (loss of air triggers only a trouble signal, not a trip). Double-interlock systems require higher supervisory air to provide reliable air-loss-driven trip logic.

Can pre-action be converted to wet pipe? After fire department reset, the pre-action system is drained, re-primed, and supervisory air is restored. The piping returns to dry supervisory state. The pre-action valve does not convert to wet pipe; the two valve types are distinct.

Contact ValveAtlas for a pre-action valve quotation

For pre-action valve quotations, data centre submittal packages substituting UNIVAL for Victaulic, Tyco, Viking or Reliable on Toronto, Montreal, New York, Boston or London hyperscale and colo projects, email the project specification and drawings 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.