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Losses from fires in buildings protected with sprinklers are estimated to be 1/10 of those in unprotected buildings.

In buildings fully protected by sprinklers:

• 99% of fires were controlled by sprinklers alone
• 60% of fires were controlled by the spray from no more than 4 sprinklers
  (Source: European statistics over 10 year period)
• Accidental discharge of water from all causes is 1 in 500,000 (per year of service)
  (Source: LPC)
• Accidental discharge of water due to manufacturing defects is 1 in 14,000,000 (per year of service)
  (Source: FM (USA) and LPC (UK) statistics)

Types of Sprinkler

Wet Pipe

These are the most common systems and are used in buildings where there is no risk of freezing. They are quick to react because water is always in the pipes above the sprinkler heads.

Wet systems are required for multi-storey or high-rise buildings and for life safety.

Alternate

As the name suggest Alternate systems can have the pipes full of water for the summer and be drained down and filled with air (under pressure) for the winter. This is important for buildings that are not heated.

Dry Pipe

The pipes are filled with air under pressure at all times and the water is held back by the control valve. When a sprinkler head opens, the drop in air pressure opens the valve and water flows into the pipework and onto the fire. Dry pipe systems are used where wet or alternate systems cannot be used.

Pre-action

Like dry pipe systems the pipes are filled with air but water is only let into the pipes when the detector operates (e.g. smoke detectors). Pre-action systems are used where it is not acceptable to have the pipes full of water unless there is a fire.

Deluge and Recycling

These are not strictly sprinkler systems and are only used in special cases for industrial risks.

How Sprinklers Work

All areas of the building to be protected are covered by a grid of pipes with sprinkler heads fitted into them at regular intervals. Water from a tank via pumps or from the town main (if it can give enough flow) fill the pipes.

Each sprinkler head will open when it reaches a specific temperature and spray water on to a fire. The hot gases from a fire are usually enough to make it operate. Only the sprinklers over the fire open. The others remain closed. This limits any damage to areas where there is no fire and reduces the amount of water needed.

The sprinkler heads are spaced, generally on the ceiling, so that if one or more operate there is always sufficient flow of water. The flow is calculated so that there is always enough to control a fire taking into account the size and construction of the building and the goods stored in it or its use.

Sprinkler heads can be placed in enclosed roof spaces and into floor ducts to protect areas where a fire can start without being noticed. In a large warehouse sprinklers may be placed in the storage racks as well as the roof.

At the point where the water enters the sprinkler system there is a valve. This can be used to shut off the system for maintenance. For safety reasons it is kept locked open and only authorised persons should be able to close it. If a sprinkler opens and water flows through the valve it lets water into another pipe that caused a bell to ring. In this way the sprinkler system both controls the fire and gives an alarm using water, not electricity.

British Automatic Sprinkler Association
Richmond House,
Broad Street,
Ely
CB7 4AH

Tel 01353 659187
Fax 01353 666619
Email info@basa.org.uk

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