Frequently Asked Questions: What are the signs of MIC?

There are a number of signs that may indicate your fire sprinkler system has MIC:


 

Black Water Bucket

Black Water or Red Water

By products produced by the bacteria associated with MIC affect the color of the water.
Smelly Egg

Foul ‘rotten egg’ smell

Sulfur related bacteria can be part of a MIC colony and produce  hydrogen sulfide gas and its distinctive ‘rotten egg odor’.
pinhole

Pin-hole Leaks

Iron related bacteria remove iron from the pipe walls and create small pits that grow into pin-hole leaks. Other acid producing bacteria make the problem worse by further degrading the pipe walls.