F.A.Q:
Sprinkler Systems General
General questions about Fire Sprinkler Systems
1.
Is there any risk from Legionnaires disease?
2.
Are there many problems with vandalism
3.
How do you work out at what temperature the sprinkler heads operate?
4.
How do sprinklers work?
5.
What is the chance of a false alarm?
6.
How much water does a sprinkler use compared with the fire brigade?
7.
What level of water damage can I expect in the event of a fire?
8.
Does my smoke alarm set the sprinklers off as we are always setting them off when cooking?
9.
If a fire starts do all the sprinkler heads set off?
1. Is there any risk from Legionnaires disease? - Top
Research has show that there is no real risk of anyone catching the disease in the event of the sprinklers operating.
There is a minimal risk to people working on the system, although this can be eleviated when LPC guidelines for correct maintenance are in place.
Worldwide there no contracted cases have been reported. - Updated: May 28, 2009
2. Are there many problems with vandalism - Top
It can happen but is very rare.
All systems should be fitted with flow meter which raises an audible alarm when it recognises a change in water pressure, this will sound as soon as a sprinkler is activated in any way.
Where a potential problem with possible tampering of the sprinkler heads is identified, e.g. schools we can fit a special type of sprinkler head, designed not to release water if it is pulled or knocked. - Updated: May 28, 2009
3. How do you work out at what temperature the sprinkler heads operate? - Top
We calculate what the likely maximum ambient temperature for the area will be and set the sprinkler heads to operate at 30 degrees above it.
Sprinklers can be set to a temperature range of 57C to 230C, although in a temperate climate a standard range of 68c to 74C is the norm. - Updated: May 28, 2009
4. How do sprinklers work? - Top
Each sprinkler head contains a heat sensitive element. When it is subjected to a specified temperature it breaks releasing a spray of water, from that particluar sprinkler head only, directly over the fire.
Most sprinklers operate with a glass bulb type element. The glass bulb contains a fluid with a small amount of vapour. When it reaches temperature the contents expand and break the glass allowing the water in the pipe feeding the sprinkler head to spray out. - Updated: May 28, 2009
5. What is the chance of a false alarm? - Top
Sprinklers do not false alarm. They are only activated by heat at a specific temperature. The activation temperature will vary depending on the risk.
They will not active from smoke, dust or fumes.
Damage can occur if the pipe or the sprinkler head is damaged e.g. a sprinkler head being hit by a forklift truck. If any heads or pipework are vunerable, they should be protected by a cage or other method. - Updated: May 28, 2009
6. How much water does a sprinkler use compared with the fire brigade? - Top
Depending on the premises a sprinkler head discharges 50 to 100 litres per minute and start to discharge withing 30 to 60 seconds of the fire producing enough heat to activate it.
The fire brigade on average pump at 500 to 1000 litres per minute and no matter how efficient they are in the time it takes to get to get to work the fire will be much greater in size. - Updated: May 28, 2009
7. What level of water damage can I expect in the event of a fire? - Top
The option is 50 litres per minute 2 minutes after the start of the fire or 1000 litres 20 minutes after the start of the fire.
On average a fire put out by a tender uses 20 times more water than a sprinkler system, generally drenching the entire building and causing severe water damage.
A sprinkler systems works at the source of the fire and is far more targetted, with in many cases the fire being put out by the activation of a single sprinkler head.
- Updated: May 28, 2009
8. Does my smoke alarm set the sprinklers off as we are always setting them off when cooking? - Top
Our fire sprinklers are activated by heat only and no amount of smoke will set them off. Typically temperatures of over 70 degree centigrade are needed to activate sprinkler heads so unless you apply extreme heat directly up at a sprinkler they will not go off accidentally - Updated: April 6, 2009
9. If a fire starts do all the sprinkler heads set off? - Top
No, only the sprinkler or sprinklers near to the heat source will activate, so in a normal sized bedroom if for example the computer caught fire (a common occurrence nowadays) the sprinkler in that room would activate but nowhere else. - Updated: May 28, 2009
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