Dry & Wet Risers

Wet Rising and Dry Risers, rising mains, are intended for use by the Fire Brigade or other trained personnel. They provide a readily available means of deliveringconsiderable quantities of water to extinguish or to prevent the spread of fire.

Dry risers are vertical mains fitted into staircase enclosures or other suitable positions, with outlet valves on each floor and inlets fitted at ground level to enable the fire brigade to connect to the water supply.

Dry risers have to have fire engine access within 18m of the dry riser inlet box.
Wet risers are vertical mains kept permanently charged with water, either from a storage tank (via a booster pump) or direct from the town’s main water supply.

Before installing dry or wet rising mains the exact requirements of the local fire brigade must be ascertained. Dry rising mains should be installed in buildings where any floor is at a height between 11 and 50 metres above ground level or where any floors are more than 10m below ground floor level. Any buildings over 50 metres will require a wet riser to be installed in accordance
with British Standards.

Due to the nature of them, wet or dry risers can be prone to serious neglect and even vandalism, so it is important to have them regularly maintained and inspected. Failure to do so may invalidate your insurance.