Fires are, as users might expect, one of the most severe threats to any kind of building. Whether they own their own home or an office building, users should always take the risk of fire extremely seriously.
As they’re sure users know, there are many different types of fire mitigation items, from extinguishers to fire blankets. Though there is no question that sprinklers are one of the most effective safety items, which is why they are so common. So, Thameside Fire will run through all things sprinklers from how they are made to why they are so effective.
Key safety elements
It is no wonder really, but there are a strict set of rules and regulations around fire sprinklers. After all, these systems are one of the key safety elements in the building and they should be kept in working order at all times.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) outlines a series of codes and regulations that all fire extinguishers must meet to ensure that they are developing and distributing systems that have been tested. There are four main types of sprinklers and in this section, Thameside Fire will talk through these to try and make it a little easier to understand.
Extremely cold temperatures
A dry system, as the name suggests, does not have liquid water in the system the entire time
These are arguably the most common types of sprinklers and are used throughout both the industrial and the domestic world. Essentially, they use water that runs through a pipe network and when an alarm is triggered; the water is released and sent through the sprinkler pipes. As they use normal mains water, they are often the cheapest to install.
A dry system, as the name suggests, does not have liquid water in the system the entire time. When the alarm is raised, the nitrogen in the system lets liquid water rain through the pipes and then down onto the flames below. This is a great system if the area suffers from extremely cold temperatures as users will stand less chance of having issues with freezing pipes.
Dry pipe network
A pre-action system essentially uses the same principle as the dry system, whereby the pipes are not filled with water the entire time. The only difference is that each individual sprinkler head has its own activation system, so the water will not spray from a false alarm.
A deluge system is an incredibly popular dry pipe network that has been used in residential properties all over the globe. A heat sensor is placed within the room but is external to the individual sprinkler heads. When this sensor is triggered, it will then cause the system to send water to the sprinklers.
