A fire sprinkler system is an active fire protection measure, consisting of a water supply system, providing adequate pressure and flowrate to a water distribution piping system, onto which fire sprinklers are connected. Although historically only used in factories and large commercial buildings, systems for homes and small buildings are now available at a cost-effective price. Fire sprinkler systems are extensively used worldwide, with over 40 million sprinkler heads fitted each year.
Types Of Sprinklers
There are four main types of sprinkler system:
- Deluge
- Wet pipe
- Dry pipe
- Pre-action
Deluge
Deluge sprinkler systems are commonly installed in infrastructures such as high rise buildings, warehouses and any areas that have a high risk of accelerated fire damage. In this type of system, the nozzle is always open for rapid employment and is triggered by an alarm that opens a water release valve. All of the heads are released at once, minimising the spread effectively.
Wet Pipe
Wet pipe fire sprinklers are the most prevalent type in residential buildings. The sprinkler is activated when the level of predetermined heat is reached and water is released from pressured pipes to the sprinkler heads. The main advantage of this system is that each sprinkler head is activated independently once the heat is detected. This can help to reduce the level of water damage caused, especially in a false alarm.
Dry Pipe
Dry pipe systems usually take longer to deploy and are mainly used in buildings that are unoccupied or heated, where pipes are liable to burst or freeze. A wet pipe would become inefficient in these conditions. These pipes store pressurised air and are connected to a water tank or mains. During a fire, the pressurised air seeps out, forcing the water to escape.
Pre-action
Pre-action sprinklers are hybrid systems that employ both wet and dry pipes and are fitted in areas that have a high risk of water damage. In this system, water is not stored in the pipes until a fire is detected but response times are just as fast as a standard wet sprinkler.
When enquiring about sprinklers, a common question we are asked is how many sprinklers are needed. To put this into perspective, one sprinkler will cover 12 square metres of flooring, which is a considerably large surface area. So if your room is larger than this size, it is recommended to have more than one sprinkler installed. In some instances, having a partial sprinkler system is sufficient in protecting a building.
