What is a fire sprinkler system?
A fire sprinkler system is a network of concealed pipes
supplying water to sprinkler heads located at strategic positions
within the property, and its associated alarm system.
The design of the fire sprinklers allows the system to respond
automatically to a growing fire and control it.
Modern residential sprinkler heads are designed to blend in with
residential decors and come in many different designs, finishes and
colors. There are also concealed types available, which are almost
unnoticeable and help to reduce vandalism.
How does the system work?
Sprinkler heads contain a mechanism which is sensitive to heat
and which, at a predetermined temperature (usually 68 degrees C),
releases a plug allowing water to escape. The flow of water in the
system triggers an audio/visual alarm, which can be heard both
inside and out.
The water is directed onto a diffuser that is designed to break up
the water into droplets of a specific size, and direct the
spray to cover a specific floor and wall area. The heat from the
fire individually and directly activates each sprinkler head. In
the majority of fires just one sprinkler head is sufficient to deal
with the fire.
Residential fire sprinkler heads are rated as ‘quick
response’, this gives the system the ability to deal with
fires when they are small and more easily controlled.
The advantage this speed of reaction gives is multiplied by
the fact that the sprinkler system is starting to control the fire
at about the same point in time as a call would normally be made to
the fire brigade, if not earlier.
Time is a vital factor when dealing with fires. With an
uncontrolled fire it is unlikely that even after 10 minutes anyone
in a house will still be alive.
Residential fire sprinklers typically give out 10-15 gallons of
water a minute. Compare that to a fire fighter’s hose of upwards of
500 gallons per minute and you will see that a sprinkler system
(which usually only requires one sprinkler to control the fire)
uses many times less water than the fire service.
In general sprinklers reduce property damage by at least 80%. It is
for these reasons that fire sprinklers should be considered the
most effective and reliable safety equipment yet invented.
Sprinklers are of value in multi-floor properties, where escape
routes may involve many flights of stairs. Because fire travels
upwards, people may be killed by smoke and fumes many floors above
the fire itself, or may become trapped and unable to escape past
the fire. Sprinklers will dramatically limit the production of
heat, smoke and fumes, giving people more time to escape or be
rescued.
In general the sprinkler system should be designed to protect
all habitable spaces within the building and at least one escape
route.