#382 – Install Sprinkler Head Cover Plates with the Proper Tools

A look at Tyco, Viking, and Senju’s tools for installing fire sprinkler cover plates

If you have concealed fire sprinklers, replacing or installing cover plates is key to ensuring the sprinklers look and work as intended. These heat-sensitive plates keep the heads safely tucked away, out of sight and out of mind, until dropping away when a fire is present. Inserting cover plates into sprinkler cups is one of the last steps in sprinkler installation, and you may also need to do it if a cover is damaged or goes missing.

Instead of climbing up and down ladders, you can do the job safely and quickly by using the proper equipment. Sprinkler manufacturers make a variety of installation tools for their sprinklers that mount to 1” CPVC pipe, giving you the extra reach. These devices include sprinkler wrenches, often specially designed for a particular line of sprinklers, cap removal tools, and cover plate installation tools.

This article showcases the different cover plate installation tools made by Viking, Tyco, and Senju. We’ll outline their features, list the types of sprinklers they are compatible with, and explain how they work together with sprinkler wrenches and cap removal tools to streamline the installation process.

Shop our selection of tools for cover plate installation, escutcheon installation and removal, and sprinkler installation.

And you can read this blog for help selecting a replacement fire sprinkler cover plate.

Viking’s fire sprinkler cover plate installation tools make the job easy

Viking’s concealed fire sprinklers include Mirage commercial concealed sprinklers and Freedom residential concealed sprinklers. To install cover plates for these models, reach for Viking’s two cover plate installation tools.

Two sizes of round cover plates are available from Viking—standard and large. Similarly, there are two sizes of cover plate installation tools—large-diameter and standard-diameter. Both items mount on the end of a 1” CPVC pole for added reach.

Installing Viking cover plates with their cover plate tools is easy—just follow these steps:

• Remove the protective cap (this can be accomplished with the sprinkler wrench mounted to the CPVC pole)
• Place the cover plate on the installation tool
• Lift the cover plate to the sprinkler head and push the cap firmly in place

Recently, Viking launched a new line of thread-on cover plates as an alternative to their push-on models. Viking’s cover plate installation tools work just as well with these new threaded models. Instead of pushing the plates into the sprinkler cup, simply twist them into place.

Outfit yourself to install Viking concealed fire sprinkler heads and cover plates with their standard cover plate installation tool, large-diameter cover plate installation tool, and sprinkler wrenches.

How to remove fire sprinkler caps and install cover plates for Tyco concealed sprinklers

Instead of using two different-sized tools to remove protective sprinkler caps and install cover plates, Tyco gets the job done with just one tool. Their cover plate and protective cap tool mounts to a 1” diameter CPVC pole to help with installing Tyco LFII and RFII “Royal Flush” cover plates.

Tyco designed its protective sprinkler caps to work with this equipment. The caps have a few rows of threads on their exterior that fit into a threaded hole in the cover plate tool’s center. To remove the protective cap, simply screw the cover plate tool onto the cap and pull it away.

To install the cover plate, first remove the cap, if present. Then, place a cover plate onto the tool, lift it to the sprinkler cup, and push it into place.

If you’re fitting Tyco concealed sprinklers, make sure you have the right tools for the job. We have the Tyco sprinkler wrenches and cover plate installation and cap removal tools you need. Don’t forget to stock up on Tyco concealed sprinklers and cover plates, too!

Senju’s sprinkler head cover plate installation tool is magnetic

Senju Sprinkler’s claim to fame is its wide selection of aesthetically pleasing cover plates—various wood grains, polished metal coats, custom colors, and custom patterns. It’s no surprise, then, that their cover plate installation tool is just a bit more elegant than the rest.

While other devices rely on a small lip or clip to hold the cover plate, Senju’s cover plate installation tool is magnetic. However good you are, you may eventually drop a cover plate from the end of the long pole. This is unlikely with a Senju cover plate installation tool since its magnetic surface holds the cover in place until it’s securely in the sprinkler cup.

Senju’s device works with cover plates for the CN and RC sprinklers. Senju also manufactures separate cap removal tools for RC and CN models. These devices can mount to the opposite end of the CPVC pipe used to provide extra reach, which you can simply flip around for each task.

Check out this video from Senju demonstrating the use of their cap removal tool and cover plate installation tool:

Installing Senju concealed sprinklers? Shop our selection of Senju sprinkler wrenches, cap removal tools, and cover plate installation tools. Of course, don’t forget to check out our selection of Senju concealed pendent sprinklers and cover plates. Contact us to inquire about custom finishes!

With the right tool, installing sprinkler head cover plates is easy

The right equipment makes any job easier, and putting in fire sprinkler cover plates is no exception. You don’t need these devices to install covers, but they save the inconvenience and risk of climbing up and down ladders to do it by hand.

That’s why sprinkler manufacturers make a range of tools that mount to lengths of CPVC for extra reach—including sprinkler wrenches, protective cap removal tools, and cover plate installation tools.

Check out these other blog posts on finding the right cover plate for your concealed sprinkler and the benefits of concealed sprinklers for sanitary environments.

And don’t forget to shop our selection of cover plate installation tools from Viking, Tyco, and Senju, plus sprinkler wrenches and cap removal tools to help you get the job done quickly and safely.

This blog was originally posted at blog.qrfs.com. If this article helped you, check us out at Facebook.com/QuickResponseFireSupply or on Twitter @QuickResponseFS.