September 17, 2018

FIRE SPRINKLERS SYSTEM hose streams to the fire. This additional time can result in a much
larger fire, requiring much more water to extinguish.
Is an active fire protection method, consisting of a water supply
system, providing adequate pressure and flow rate to a water
distribution piping system, onto which fire sprinklers are connected.
Fire sprinkler systems are extensively used worldwide, with over
40 million sprinkler heads fitted each year. In buildings completely This chart from the fire safety standards indicates the colour of the
protected by fire sprinkler systems, over 96% of fires were controlled bulb and the respective operating temperature.
by fire sprinklers alone.
Sprinkler systems are intended to either control the fire or
to suppress the fire.  Temperature Color of liquid alcohol

°C °F inside bulb
USAGE OF FIRE SPRINKLERS SYSTEM
Sprinklers have been in use in the United States since 1874, and
were used in factory applications where fires at the turn of the century 57 135 Orange
were often catastrophic in terms of both human and property losses.
Sprinklers may be required to be installed by building codes, or 68 155 Red
may be recommended by insurance companies to reduce potential
property losses or business interruption.  79 174 Yellow

SPRINKLER ACTIVATION 93 200 Green

A sprinkler activation will do less water damage than a fire
department hose stream, which provide approximately 900 litres/min. 141 286 Blue
A typical sprinkler used for industrial manufacturing occupancies
discharge about 75-150 litres/min. However, a typical Early 182 360 Purple
Suppression Fast Response (ESFR) sprinkler at a pressure of 50 psi
(340 kPa) will discharge approximately 380 litres per minute. 227 440
Black
In addition, a sprinkler will usually activate within one to four 260 500
minutes of the fire's start, whereas it typically takes at least five
minutes for a fire department to register an alarm and drive to the fire TYPES OF SPRINKLER SYSTEM
site, and an additional ten minutes to set up equipment and apply  Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler System
 Dry Pipe Fire Sprinkler System

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 Deluge Fire Sprinkler System Disadvantages to using a wet pipe fire sprinkler system include:
 Pre-action Fire Sprinkler System  Wet pipe systems are not suited for sub-freezing environments.
 Foam Water Fire Sprinkler System  There may also be a concern where piping is subject to severe
 Water Spray Fire Sprinkler System impact damage and could consequently leak
 Water Mist Fire Sprinkler System

WET PIPE FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM

A dry pipe sprinkler system is one in which pipes are filled with
pressurized air or nitrogen, rather than water. This air holds a remote
valve, known as a dry pipe valve, in a closed position. Located in a
heated space, the dry-pipe valve prevents water from entering the
pipe until a fire causes one or more sprinklers to operate. Once this
happens, the air escapes and the dry pipe valve releases. Water then
enters the pipe, flowing through open sprinklers onto the fire.

Advantages to using a wet pipe fire sprinkler system include:

 System simplicity and reliability - Wet pipe sprinkler systems
have the least number of components and therefore, the lowest
number of items to malfunction. This produces unexcelled
reliability which is important since sprinklers may be asked to sit
in waiting for many years before they are needed. This
simplicity aspect also becomes important in facilities where
system maintenance may not be performed with the desired
frequency.
 Relative low installation and maintenance expense - Due to their
overall simplicity, wet pipe sprinklers require the least amount
of installation time and capital. Maintenance cost savings are
also realized since less service time is generally required
DRY PIPE FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM
compared to other system types. These savings become A dry pipe sprinkler system is one in which pipes are filled with
important when maintenance budgets are shrinking. pressurized air or nitrogen, rather than water. This air holds a remote
valve, known as a dry pipe valve, in a closed position. Located in a

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 September 17, 2018

heated space, the dry-pipe valve prevents water from entering the
pipe until a fire causes one or more sprinklers to operate. Once this
happens, the air escapes and the dry pipe valve releases. Water then
enters the pipe, flowing through open sprinklers onto the fire.
In areas where low temperatures could cause a wet pipe system
to freeze, a dry pipe system is intended for use.  Dry pipe systems are
pressurized with air in the ambient condition and experience an
inherent delay in the discharge of water to allow the pressurized air in
the system to escape. 
fire. This will delay fire extinguishing actions, which may
produce increased content damage.
 Increased corrosion potential - Following operation, dry-pipe
sprinkler systems must be completely drained and dried.
Otherwise remaining water may cause pipe corrosion and
premature failure. This is not a problem with wet pipe systems
where water is constantly maintained in piping.

Advantages of using dry pipe fire sprinkler systems include:

 Dry pipe sprinkler systems provide automatic protection in
spaces where freezing is possible. Typical dry pipe installations
include unheated warehouses and attics, outside exposed
loading docks and within commercial freezers.

Disadvantages of using dry pipe fire sprinkler systems include:

 Increased complexity - Dry pipe systems require additional
control equipment and air pressure supply components which
increases system complexity. Without proper maintenance this
equipment may be less reliable than a comparable wet pipe
system.
 Higher installation and maintenance costs - The added
complexity impacts the overall dry-pipe installation cost. This
complexity also increases maintenance expenditure, primarily
due to added service labor costs.
 Lower design flexibility - There are strict requirements regarding
the maximum permitted size (typically 750 gallons) of individual
dry-pipe systems. These limitations may impact the ability of an
owner to make system additions.
 Increased fire response time - Up to 60 seconds may pass from
the time a sprinkler opens until water is discharged onto the

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DELUGE FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM
A deluge fire sprinkler system is similar to a pre-action system
except the sprinkler heads are open and the pipe is not pressurized
with air.
Deluge systems are connected to a water supply through a
deluge valve that is opened by the operation of a smoke or heat
detection system. The detection system is installed in the same area as
the sprinklers. When the detection system is activated water
discharges through all of the sprinkler heads in the system. Deluge
systems are used in places that are considered high hazard areas such
as power plants, aircraft hangars and chemical storage or processing
facilities.
Deluge systems are needed where high velocity suppression is
necessary to prevent fire spread.
 Lower design flexibility - There are strict requirements regarding
the maximum permitted size (typically 750 gallons) of individual
dry-pipe systems. These limitations may impact the ability of an
owner to make system additions.
 Increased fire response time - Up to 60 seconds may pass from
the time a sprinkler opens until water is discharged onto the
fire. This will delay fire extinguishing actions, which may
produce increased content damage.
 Increased corrosion potential - Following operation, dry-pipe
sprinkler systems must be completely drained and dried.
Otherwise remaining water may cause pipe corrosion and
premature failure. This is not a problem with wet pipe systems
where water is constantly maintained in piping.

Advantages of using dry pipe fire sprinkler systems include:

 Dry pipe sprinkler systems provide automatic protection in
spaces where freezing is possible. Typical dry pipe installations
include unheated warehouses and attics, outside exposed
loading docks and within commercial freezers.

Disadvantages of using dry pipe fire sprinkler systems include:

 Increased complexity - Dry pipe systems require additional
control equipment and air pressure supply components which
increases system complexity. Without proper maintenance this
equipment may be less reliable than a comparable wet pipe
system.
 Higher installation and maintenance costs - The added
complexity impacts the overall dry-pipe installation cost. This
complexity also increases maintenance expenditure, primarily
due to added service labor costs.
PRE-ACTION FIRE SPRINKLERS SYSTEM

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Pre-action fire sprinkler systems employ the basic concept of a that something may not work when needed. Regular
dry pipe system in that water is not normally contained within the maintenance is essential to ensure reliability.
pipes. The difference, however, is that water is held from piping by an
electrically operated valve, known as a pre-action valve. Valve
operation is controlled by independent flame, heat, or smoke
detection.
Pre-action sprinkler systems are specialized for use in locations
where accidental activation is undesired, such as in museums with rare
art works, manuscripts, or books; and data centers, for protection of
computer equipment from accidental water discharge.

Advantages of using pre-action fire sprinkler systems include:

 The dual action required for water release - The pre-action
valve must operate and sprinkler heads must fuse. This feature
provides an added level of protection against inadvertent
discharge. For this reason, pre-action systems are frequently
employed in water sensitive environments such as archival
vaults, fine art storage rooms, rare book libraries and computer
centers.

Disadvantages of using pre-action fire sprinkler systems include:

 Higher installation and maintenance costs - Pre-action systems

are more complex with several additional components, notably
a fire detection system. This adds to the overall system cost.
 Modification difficulties - As with dry-pipe systems, pre-action
sprinkler systems have specific size limitations which may
impact future system modifications. In addition, system
modifications must incorporate changes to the fire detection
and control system to ensure proper operation.
 Potential decreased reliability - The higher level of complexity
associated with pre-action systems creates an increased chance

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