Counterfeit Fire Sprinklers with Unauthorized UL Marks: UL Solutions Warning on Model TY9226 and What It Means for Saudi Projects
On 16 October 2026, UL Solutions issued public notice 25PN-0804 warning of counterfeit fire sprinklers that carry an unauthorized cULus certification mark and the TYCO (Johnson Controls) model designation TY9226. The sprinklers were not made by the authorized manufacturer and carry no brand name. UL Solutions has not evaluated them against the appropriate safety standards, and it is unknown whether they meet any safety requirements.
The notice concerns Brazil, but it is a useful reminder for owners and contractors in Saudi Arabia: a logo stamped on a sprinkler head is not proof of a listing. For projects that specify genuine TYCO heads, AZEIDK supplies TYCO Series TY-B upright, pendent and recessed pendent sprinklers with the datasheet and approval tables for each model.
Key takeaways
- UL Solutions public notice 25PN-0804, dated 16 October 2026, covers sprinklers bearing an unauthorized cULus mark.
- The heads are marked TY9226, the SIN of TYCO’s ESFR-25 pendent sprinkler (K-factor 25.2), but were not made by the authorized manufacturer.
- They were found offered and sold in São Paulo, Brazil. The notice names no other country.
- Visible differences are in the deflector and the button sealing assembly.
- UL Solutions recommends removing these sprinklers from service immediately.
What does the UL Solutions notice say about the counterfeit sprinklers?
According to the notice, the affected heads carry the cULus mark and the markings TY9226, SPEC AHP, LPCB, SP15, 165°F / 74°C, TFP, K2.5, FM and SFR25. In other words, the counterfeit does not only claim a UL listing; its markings also suggest FM and LPCB approval.
The notice gives two ways to tell a genuine head from an unauthorized one:
- Deflector: the genuine deflector has no blemishes or scratches, a darker shade, and different etching size and style. The unauthorized deflector is etched with cULus, FM, VdS, LPCB and TYCO Sin #TY9226.
- Button sealing assembly: the genuine head uses a two-piece button and a Belleville washer with Teflon tape on both sides. The unauthorized head uses a button, an O-ring and a spring partially staked to the button.
UL Solutions urges anyone who bought these sprinklers to take them out of service immediately.
What does this mean for the Saudi market?
No sighting of these heads in Saudi Arabia has been reported. Still, the copied model is an ESFR sprinkler, the type used in warehouses and high-piled storage, where the whole design depends on how the head actually performs. For background on this application, see Warehouse and High-Rack Fire Protection: ESFR and Cold Stores.
In Saudi projects, sprinkler systems are designed to the Saudi Fire Protection Code SBC 801 and approved by the General Directorate of Civil Defense, with NFPA 13 used as the technical reference for details the designer adopts. The consultant checks the listing status of each model in the submittal. This notice shows why paperwork is not enough: the product delivered to site must match the datasheet and the certifier’s official directory.
SABER is the official route for certificates of conformity for products covered by SASO technical regulations. Suppliers should confirm whether a technical regulation applies before importing; our guide to the SABER certificate of conformity for fire equipment explains the steps.
AZEIDK Expert Take
When sprinklers arrive on site, owners, contractors and consultants can run three practical checks. First, look up the SIN and manufacturer in UL Product iQ, the FM Approval Guide and the LPCB listing if the head carries LPCB markings, since the counterfeit in this notice claims all three. The steps are in How to Verify UL, FM and LPCB Listings for Fire Equipment, Step by Step. Second, compare a physical sample with the manufacturer’s official datasheet: K-factor, temperature rating, deflector shape and thread size. Third, ask for supply documents that trace the shipment to an authorized channel, and reject heads with no brand name. If the project is built on TYCO, choose the model with our guide to selecting TYCO sprinklers by application and check the approval tables on the Series TY-B page before final approval, because approvals vary by model, temperature rating and finish. AZEIDK’s technical supply team can review your bill of quantities with you.
Unsure about sprinklers already installed or delivered? Send us the model number, photos of the deflector and the supplier’s datasheet, and we will check them against the official directories with you. Contact the AZEIDK team
Sources
- UL Solutions Warns of Unauthorized UL Certification Marks on Fire Sprinklers, UL Solutions, 16 October 2026
- Model ESFR-25 Sprinkler, Johnson Controls (TYCO), product page
- Product iQ, UL Solutions, certification database
