No one should take fire protection lightly! It’s a necessity, considering the commercial fire breakouts that have been happening at an alarming rate. Commercial sprinkler systems are instrumental in minimizing property damages and has been saving lives for over a century now. The very first automatic fire protection commercial sprinkler system arrived way back in 1872.
Technology has advanced manifold today. But till date, the commercial on-site sprinklers save lives, minimize fire damage and protect workers from any injuries. It is essential to select and install the correct commercial sprinkler systems. Additionally, it is necessary to maintain the device well so that it provides optimum security during an emergency.
The way fire protection commercial sprinklers work
The sprinkler device heads in a building don’t fill the space with water, primarily when a sprinkler head is activated or broken. The device heads have been fashioned in a way to function in the presence of sufficient heat close to a particular sprinkler head. And this melts the fusible link that generally is a small metal piece or a glass bulb. The primary objective is to contain and manage the fire until a fire control team arrives from the local fire control department. Hence, many office fires can indeed be controlled just by activating a couple of sprinkler heads. The remaining heads need not function until required. The sprinkler heads are either pendent, side wall or upright. The office complexes with suspended ceiling contain pendent heads.
Types of fire protection commercial sprinklers
Usually, there are three types of commercial sprinklers. They are as follows:
- Wet fire protection sprinkler systems
A common sprinkler type, it typically is implemented in small commercial spaces, for instance, in retail stores or an office. It contains water stored in the sprinkler pipes till the head. The moment the sprinkler head is activated, water gushes out in a particular pattern. The new age systems are designed hydraulically, depending on the water availability, pressure and flow. When the water supply is not sufficient to secure the occupancy, a fire booster pump is put to use. It is also true when the building has many stories.
- Pre-action system
It is an option for the computer rooms, laboratories and other spaces, where you have kept your critical electronic devices. Hence, if a sprinkler head gets activated by mistake, it might lead to immense property damage. You can customize multiple security levels against the sprinkler water that gets released accidentally. It usually takes place by interconnecting sprinkler systems and smoke or heat sensors.
- Dry systems
It gets positioned in places where there might be freezing temperatures. For instance, the big warehouse kind freezers and outdoor installations, to name a few! Do you want to stop water from freezing inside the sprinkler branch line? If yes, then you need to count on the dry type systems. It comprises of branch line piping which in turn gets pressurized with nitrogen or air. The central riser comes with a dull kind of check valve which efficiently holds back the water in the central riser. The moment a sprinkler head functions, it automatically releases nitrogen or air. The pressure loss makes the check valve trip over. And this, in turn, gushes out water to the pipes and then out across the sprinkler head.
Testing and inspection of commercial sprinklers
It is always best to get your sprinkler system regularly tested. It ensures whether the device is working well. Here you can reach out to a professional service provider, to help you with a Fire Alarm System Annual Inspection plan.
The commercial fire protection sprinklers need to be tested and examined in a way that it caters to the NFPA 25 guidelines for maintenance, testing and inspection of the water-oriented fire security systems. Few local municipalities need an authentic and certified sprinkler contractor for careful examination of the devices.
What are the advantages of commercial fire sprinklers?
The commercial fire protection sprinklers come with a set of benefits. They are as follows:
- Helps to suppress fire quickly
A fire department team might take 20 to 30 minutes or more to arrive. It causes the fire to expand. And this increases the building damage as well. Commercial fire sprinklers are useful in putting out the fire the moment it starts. And it accomplishes the task faster than the fire service department.
- The risk levels are low
Many people worry increasingly about the probable breakdowns that might lead to property damages. But the risk of a heat activated commercial sprinkler misfiring is very low, i.e. 1 in a 16 million ratio. About 85% of death in commercial places happens due to sudden fire breakouts. Hence, the industrial fire protection can be of immense help in alleviating this risk.
- Minimal maintenance required
Few manufacturers claim that fire protection systems need no support at all. This statement is not far away from the truth. As there’s a section of homeowners, who invest in very low maintenance initiatives.
- Less scope for total damage
There are about 84% of office fires or fires in commercial places put off by a fire protection sprinkler. And here only a single sprinkler head gets activated. Putting off the entire fire is sufficient. These systems can restrict the damage that the sudden fire causes to commercial property by 70%.
Essential tactics for apt operation and maintenance
Does a valve require to be closed for maintenance or repair? If yes, you can deploy a commercial fire protection sprinkler impairment plan. It would include the following:
- Keeping the tag over a shut control valve
- Alerting your alarm managing company and local fire department service provider
- Informing property insurance organizations when needed
- Deploying a work program
- Averting all kinds of sources of ignition in the zone
Furthermore, you need to have an impairment program to shut off the commercial fire protection sprinkler systems. It also includes putting off other fire security systems, for instance, underground fire mains and the fire pumps. Today, there are many service providers of commercial sprinklers that you can browse and partner. The companies provide a wide range of services from installation, repair and maintenance, sprinkler head relocation and line flushing.