Want to protect your home or business from a fire? Make sure you have a fully functional fire sprinkler systems. This is one of the most popular fire protection systems used in homes and commercial spaces. If properly installed, it provides a very reliable means of fire protection. Let’s look at some basics about fire sprinklers including the common types used today.
How A Fire Sprinkler Works
A fire sprinkler system comes with several basic components. They include a main water supply, a piping system and the fire sprinklers. These components work together to provide reliable fire protection in the event of an emergency. The main water supply is designed to ensure there is adequate supply of pressurized water in the system. This pressurized water is what will be released when the sprinklers are activated. In the event of a fire, the pressurized water will flow through the piping system and come out through the fire sprinklers which have been activated. The sprinklers are designed to disperse water throughout the given space and help in reducing the losses caused by fire hazards. Ideally, fire sprinklers are only designed to help in controlling fire.
What activates fire sprinklers? Fire sprinklers are activated by the heat that arises from the fire. Whenever there is a fire, the heat in the room or any given space will automatically rise. The sprinkler heads are designed each with its own sensitive glass bulb. The glass bulb will automatically burst if the temperature on the sprinkler head reaches a certain level. Once it bursts, it allows water to disperse at the area of the fire.
Are Fire Sprinkler Systems Effective?
Fire sprinkler systems have been used for many years to control fires and reduce losses during emergencies. In fact, a report by the National Fire Protection Association revealed that fire sprinkler systems can help to decrease the deaths caused by fire hazards by up to 83%. Buildings that have a proper fire sprinkler system are said to have lower risk of fire fatalities.
Common Types Of Fire Sprinkler Systems
There are different types of fire sprinkler systems and one common one is the wet pipe sprinkler system. It works by releasing water when the heat sensitive glass bulb is activated due to high temperatures. It’s the most common fire sprinkler installed to date due to its simplicity, lower cost and reliability.
A dry pipe fire sprinkler system on the other hand doesn’t contain water in the piping. The piping only contains air that is allowed into the piping vent when the sprinkler heads are exposed to a certain temperature causing water to enter the piping system. This type of fire sprinkler system is considered not very effective in controlling fire during the initial stages.
Foam water fire sprinkler systems are designed to release a mixture of water and foam concentrate. This type of sprinkler system is often found in buildings with hazardous and toxic materials such as flammable liquids. It is quite costly compared to the other basic fire sprinkler systems.
