What is a fire sprinkler system?
A fire sprinkler system is a method to limit the damage to life and property by fire. A sprinkler system does not prevent fire, but rather works to suppress a fire. Fire suppression isn’t fire prevention, it’s fire protection.

A fire system uses pressure and flow rate of water or approved designated chemicals through a pipe system to suppress a fire upon activation. At specified spaced intervals on these pipes, sprinklers (also called sprinkler heads, or just heads) are placed to disperse the fire-retardant. Water is the most common type of fire-retardant used in commercial and residential systems.

Contrary to the Hollywood depiction, most sprinkler systems do not use a single sprinkler head to set off an entire system. Most systems used today require a single head that activates independently and as needed. This method limits damage to property that is not affected by fire, and helps to maximize the available water pressure over the point of the fire’s origin. So you can’t just hold up a lighter to one sprinkler head and expect the entire system to activate. Continue reading →