Dry & Wet Riser Systems

A dry riser is a network of empty pipework installed vertically through a building, designed to give firefighters immediate access to water at any floor level without the need to run hose lines up stairwells. In the event of a fire, the Fire & Rescue Service connects to an inlet breeching at ground level and pumps water up through the system to outlet valves known as landing valves, positioned at each floor. This method of firefighting is standard practice in buildings typically between 18 and 50 metres in height, where running hoses up multiple flights of stairs would be both time-consuming and physically demanding for crews operating under pressure. At DRFSC, our installation teams work closely with structural engineers, M&E consultants and main contractors from the earliest stages of a project to ensure riser positions, inlet locations and valve access points are optimised for firefighting effectiveness rather than simply placed wherever is most convenient for the build programme.