Fire Sprinklers Are Surprisingly High-Tech Devices

4/21/2020 (Permalink)

Fire sprinklers are surprisingly high-tech devices

Fire Sprinklers Are Surprisingly High-Tech Devices

There’s no question that fire sprinklers are a worthwhile investment. Deaths in commercial buildings with a functioning fire sprinkler system are insignificant compared with buildings without them. Indeed, one recent study in Harris County, Texas found that:

Sprinkler systems saved $144,266,255.
Not a single fatality or injury was reported with functioning sprinklers.
In 93% of activations, only one sprinkler head was activated.

The last fact is important due to the myth that fire sprinklers cause a lot of unnecessary damage. A fire sprinkler is a high-tech device; accidental activations are very rare, and each sprinkler is designed to react individually, due to the way they operate.

A Sprinkler Head Reacts to Heat, not Smoke
To provide the most dependable fire suppression, a sprinkler system is designed to be always on. In other words, the sprinkler should have full pressure constantly available at the sprinkler head, with the activation device contained in every individual unit. Inside most sprinkler heads, there’s a glass bulb containing a liquid, although some types use a two-part metal fusible alloy. Either way, the device is finely tuned to be sensitive to a very narrow range of heat. Once that level is reached, either the liquid expands and breaks the glass or the fusible allow will melt. Once that happens, the always-present pressure will immediately cause activation, striking the fan-like metal sheath on the end and spreading out to cover the fire.

Sprinklers Reduce Water Damage
Contrary to what is so often seen in movies, each fire sprinkler reacts separately, meaning that water damage is isolated to the immediate area around the fire. During a fire without sprinklers, typically the flames have spread significantly before the fire department arrives, requiring a more wholesale use of water for suppression. With sprinklers, once the fire department arrives, they can turn off the sprinkler system and prevent further damage.
At that point, you can call a fire sprinkler cleanup company in College Grove, TN, to inspect the damage and begin restoration. This is usually a massive saving for both the business owner and their insurance companies, which is why so many insurers lower the premiums for those with installed systems.