Information Notice 1986-17, Update of Failure of Automatic Sprinkler System Valves to Operate

Update of Failure of Automatic Sprinkler System Valves to Operate

ML031220606
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley, Millstone, Hatch, Monticello, Calvert Cliffs, Dresden, Davis Besse, Peach Bottom, Browns Ferry, Salem, Oconee, Mcguire, Nine Mile Point, Palisades, Palo Verde, Perry, Indian Point, Fermi, Kewaunee, Catawba, Harris, Wolf Creek, Saint Lucie, Point Beach, Oyster Creek, Watts Bar, Hope Creek, Grand Gulf, Cooper, Sequoyah, Byron, Pilgrim, Arkansas Nuclear, Three Mile Island, Braidwood, Susquehanna, Summer, Prairie Island, Columbia, Seabrook, Brunswick, Surry, Limerick, North Anna, Turkey Point, River Bend, Vermont Yankee, Crystal River, Haddam Neck, Ginna, Diablo Canyon, Callaway, Vogtle, Waterford, Duane Arnold, Farley, Robinson, Clinton, South Texas, San Onofre, Cook, Comanche Peak, Yankee Rowe, Maine Yankee, Quad Cities, Humboldt Bay, La Crosse, Big Rock Point, Rancho Seco, Zion, Midland, Bellefonte, Fort Calhoun, FitzPatrick, McGuire, LaSalle, 05000000, Zimmer, Fort Saint Vrain, Shoreham, Satsop, Trojan, Atlantic Nuclear Power Plant, Skagit, Marble Hill
Issue date:	03/24/1986
From:	Jordan E NRC/IE
To:
References
IN-86-017, NUDOCS 8603190248
Download: ML031220606 (3)

11$ O GINAL SINS No.:

IN 86-17

6835 UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT

WASHINGTON, DC 20555 March 24, 1986 IE INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 86-17: UPDATE OF FAILURE OF AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER

SYSTEM VALVES TO OPERATE

Addressees

All nuclear power reactor facilities holding an operating license (OL) or a

construction permit (CP).

Purpose

This is a notice of the continuing problems of the operational failure of 6-inch

deluge and pre-action fire protection water control valves, identified as Model

C, manufactured by Automatic Sprinkler Corporation of America (ASCOA) of

Cleveland, Ohio. This notice supplements information contained in Information

Notice (IN)84-16, issued on March 2, 1984.

It is expected that recipients will review the information for applicability to

their facilities and consider actions, if appropriate, to preclude similar

problems from occurring at their facilities. However, suggestions contained in

this information notice do not constitute NRC requirements; therefore, no

specific action or written response is required.

Description of Circumstances

The NRC received a copy of a notification from ASCOA in January of 1986 stating

that previous instructions issued to customers in late 1984 or early 1985 concerning maintenance to the 6-inch Model C deluge and pre-action valve was

inadequate to prevent the failure-to-actuate problems that had been experienced.

In September of 1983, Mississippi Power and Light reported the failure of one

of these valves to actuate during a fire in the emergency diesel/generator and

the failures of two other identical valves to actuate during tests. These events

and subsequent licensee findings are detailed in IN 84-16. That information

notice stated that ASCOA was evaluating the failures.

In June of 1984, ASCOA concluded in a letter to NRC that the Grand Gulf events

were plant unique. In November of 1984, ASCOA informed the NRC that three

separate reports of the 6-inch Model C valve failing to actuate under certain

circumstances had caused them to re-evaluate their previous conclusion. They

provided NRC with an advanced copy of instructions to customers on the nature

of the problem, identification of affected systems, and a recommended course of

action to be taken to correct the problem. ASCOA stated this notification would

be sent to all their nuclear customers.

8603190248

IN 86-17 March 24, 1986 The most recent ASCOA instructions (circa January 1986) supersede the previous

instructions and state that the previously recommended maintenance procedure is

inadequate. These instructions provide what is termed a "temporary solution."

A tentative date for availability of a permanent solution, additional information

for identification of affected valves, and a course of action described by ASCOA

as "required" for the elimination of the problem are also given. However, it is

not clear that this notification has been sent to all nuclear customers.

Licensees who have not received this communication from ASCOA are encouraged to

contact their ASCOA representative for this important information.

No specific action or written response is required by this notice. If you have

any questions about this matter, please contact the Regional Administrator of

the appropriate regional office or this office.

wa L. Jordan, Director

Divisi of Emergency Preparedness

and Engineering Response

Officedof Inspection and Enforcement

Mary S. Wegner, IE

301-492-4511 Attachment: List of Recently Issued IE Information Notices

Attachment 1 IN 86-17 March 24, 1986 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED

IE INFORMATION NOTICES

Information Date of

Notice No. Subject Issue Issued to

86-16 Failures To Identify Contain- 3/11/86 All power reactor

ment Leakage Due To Inadequate facilities holding

Local Testing of BWR Vacuum an OL or CP

Relief System Valves

86-15 Loss Of Offsite Power Caused 3/10/86 All power reactor

By Problems In Fiber Optics facilities holding

Systems an OL or CP

86-14 PWR Auxiliary Feedwater Pump 3/10/86 All power reactor

Turbine Control Problems facilities holding

an OL or CP

86-13 Standby Liquid Control 2/21/86 All BWR facilities

System Squib Valves Failure holding an OL or CP

To Fire

86-12 Target Rock Two-Stage SRV 2/25/86 All power reactor

Setpoint Drift facilities holding

an OL or CP

86-11 Inadequate Service Water 2/25/86 All power reactor

Protection Against Core Melt facilities holding

Frequency an OL or CP

84-69 Operation Of Emergency Diese 1 2/24/86 All power reactor

Sup. 1 Generators facilities holding

an OL or CP

86-10 Safety Parameter Display 2/13/86 All power reactor

System Malfunctions facilities holding

an OL or CP

86-09 Failure Of Check And Stop 2/3/86 All power reactor

Check Valves Subjected To facilities holding

Low Flow Conditions an OL or CP

86-08 Licensee Event Report (LER) 2/3/86 All power reactor

Format Modification facilities holding

an OL or CP

OL = Operating License

CP = Construction Permit