Utility cabinets

The utility cabinets, through which the various services run, are located in the main lobby and on every floor, and they are an important part of the inspection.

The cabinets must be separated from one another, and each cabinet has its own contents.

The fire service instructions for preventing fire from spreading between floors through the pipe passages in the cabinets are strict: they require a suitable material that will stop fire from passing for the length of time defined in the standard.

Unfortunately, in many cases not only is proper fire separation not installed, but even the wooden formwork and the polystyrene are left around the piping in the ceiling, and they feed the fire.

The cabinets must be marked with clear, durable signs.

These are the main utility cabinets:

Plumbing cabinet

The main water supply piping, the sewage piping and the drainage piping run through the plumbing cabinet. On each floor the main water pipe is connected to the water meters of the apartments on that floor, and from there the piping continues to the apartments.

The plumbing cabinet gives a thorough view of the condition of the piping: for example the quality of the welds, both in the steel water supply piping and in the Geberit sewage and drainage piping, possible leaks, faulty connections and more.

The cabinets need suitable drainage to drain possible leaks. More about the piping on the page plumbing and drainage systems.

Fire-fighting cabinet

The fire-fighting cabinet contains fire-fighting piping and a fire hose reel with its accessories, such as hoses, and on every second floor also a test valve. The cabinets need suitable drainage to drain the excess water when the fire-fighting system is tested, as well as possible leaks.

Sometimes the hose reel is installed in such a way that access to it and its operation in an emergency do not comply with the standard, and it can get in the way at exactly the critical moment. In several buildings we found that the hose reel even prevented the utility cabinet from being closed.

The fire-fighting piping must be painted red and be free of rust. Where different metals meet, measures must be taken to prevent electrolysis and rust. You can read about the hydrant system as part of the life-saving systems on the page life-saving systems.

Electrical cabinet

The electrical cabinets include the Israel Electric Corporation's cabinet, which is supposed to be locked, and the floor cabinets that control each floor. During a power outage, they give the signal for the floor's emergency lighting to come on. The electrical cabinet must be tidy, with no open voids and no exposed cables. You can read about a dedicated inspection by an electrical engineer on the page electrical inspection.