How Do Fire Sprinklers Work?

With a proper installation of a grid of pipes, with sprinkler heads fitted at regular intervals, your property is safe from fire. But how do fire sprinklers actually work?

You’ve already have seen this in many movies, where a small amount of smoke activates all of the installed sprinklers in the building, soaking everything or everyone inside with water. 

Misconceptions

The biggest myth related to fire sprinklers is that the smoke activates them. Actually, this is false, as fire sprinklers get activated because of heat.

Another common misconception is that all sprinklers get activated during a fire, but that’s not the case. The sprinklers get activated one at a time and most of the fires require only one or two sprinklers to stop it. 

If these myths were true, fire sprinkler would do more damage than good. 

Sprinklers Feature Smarter Design

Luckily, the fire sprinkler systems are smartly designed to reduce the damage to your property from water, fire, and smoke. Now, let’s see how the fire sprinklers actually work.

As we already said, any property covered with a grid of pipes can be protected. The pipes have sprinkler heads placed into them at regular and measured intervals. With pumps from a water tank, the pipes get filled with water. The fitted sprinkler heads operate only in the case when the temperature goes higher than initially programmed. 

When the temperature reaches the maximum, the sprinklers spray water all over the area with fire. The thermal element in the sprinkler head is typically triggered by the hot gasses from the fire. Only the fire sprinklers in the near fire area get opened and the other ones remain closed. 

The closed sprinklers ensure that there is no water applied in areas where the fire hasn’t reached and reduces the amount of needed water. 

To ensure a sufficient water flow, the fire sprinkler heads are usually placed on the ceiling. The water flow is precisely calculated so that there’s always enough to control the fire. The most important specs are the size of the property and its construction. Additionally, stuff stored in there and their use are also important.

Sprinkler heads are also a good protection where fires can start without anyone notices it. They are usually spaced on the roof, into floor ducts and even in storage racks in large warehouses. On the spot where the water enters the fire sprinkler, there is a valve. These valves can turn off the fire sprinkler system for maintenance. They need to be locked and closed only by an authorized person, for safety reasons. If the fire sprinkler head opens and the valve lets the water through, the water flows into another pipe and causes the mechanical gong to make a sound. In such a way the fire sprinkler system does not only extinguish the fire but activates an alarm at the same time. 

Also, note that fire sprinkler systems can do their function with proper equipment operated independently with an electrical supply.