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- Mercy Wamuyu
- Fire Safety Products
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Sprinkler Systems
A sprinkler system is a network of pipes running through the ceiling of a building holding water under pressure. Each sprinkler is nothing but a faucet (or "tap," as they call it in some countries)—a hole in the pipe through which water can escape into the building below. In a normal faucet, you turn a screw to open up a valve that allows water to escape. In a sprinkler, the hand-operated faucet is replaced by a heat-sensitive plug designed to open automatically when fire breaks out.
In some sprinklers, the plug is made of an alloy Wood's metal a mixture of bismuth, lead, and cadmium that melts at a relatively low temperature. In other sprinklers, the plug is a small bulb full of a glycerin-based liquid designed to expand and shatter when it gets hot. The basic idea is the same in both cases: the plug is meant to break and open the sprinkler as soon as a fire breaks out
Types Of Sprinkler Systems
1. Wet Sprinkler System
In a wet pipe sprinkler system, the sprinkler heads connect to pipes that are filled with pressurized water. When a fire is detected, the sprinkler system activates automatically to extinguish the fire. It is a reliable fire sprinkler system that requires little maintenance.
While it is a popular choice because of its ease of installation and optimal protection, it is not suited for all environments. Since the pipes in a wet pipe sprinkler system are always filled with water, it will not work in areas that fall below 40. Important considerations of a wet pipe fire sprinkler system include:
- Increased risk of potential damage to your property if there is a leaky pipe
- Lower maintenance costs
- Not ideal for spaces housing sensitive equipment
2.. Dry Pipe Sprinkler Systems
In another design, called a dry-pipe systemthe ceiling pipes contain compressed air (or nitrogen gas) instead of water. When the Wood's metal melts, the air leaks out of the pipes, causing a sudden drop in pressure. That opens a valve further down the system that allows water to flow into the same network of pipes from the main, which then flows out of the open sprinkler heads in the usual way. Systems like this are great in cold (typically unoccupied and unheated) buildings where water shut inside pipes might freeze and burst, causing a devastating flood. The drawback is that it takes more time for a dry-pipe system to activate—literally every second counts when you're fighting a fire—which is why sprinklers like this are used only where really necessary. While a dry-pipe system can be installed in a very cold building, the valve that opens through air pressure to release the water must be protected from freezing by a heater of some kind.
- Increased risk of potential damage to your property if there is a leaky pipe
- Lower maintenance costs
- Not ideal for spaces housing sensitive equipment
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