How Fire Sprinklers Protect Your Commercial Building

5/19/2022 (Permalink)

A fire sprinkler system can protect your business.

How Do Fire Sprinklers Work

A fire sprinkler system is one of the several prevention measures you can use to protect your Crystal Lakes, TX, business. If you are going to install one for the first time, you may not be entirely familiar with how it works. Learning more about how the system's components function and the process it uses to control or eliminate fires can help you use it effectively.

Sprinkler Components
While you might have seen sprinklers throughout a building's rooms before, you may not have thought about how they are made of numerous components connected by a single system. Though some models can vary, most sprinkler systems include:

• Steel or copper pipes
  
• Valves or plugs
  
• Glass bulbs
  
• Sprinkler heads
  
  

It is difficult to notice the pipes because they are located either by the ceiling or between the walls. As a result, only the sprinklers themselves are visible.

Fire Suppression Process
Contrary to popular belief, a fire sprinkler is activated by heat instead of smoke. Once the temperature reaches between 135 and 165 degrees Fahrenheit, the glass bulb filled with glycerin-based liquid breaks and the plug or valve releases the pressurized water from the pipes to the sprinkler head. The water is usually strong enough to take out a fire, but sometimes it can also just reduce heat and control the fire until the firefighters arrive.

Sprinkler Aftermath
Once the fire has been extinguished, you might be concerned that you traded in fire damage for water damage. However, sprinklers generally put out the fire directly below them and only work one at a time. They do not all activate simultaneously as portrayed in fiction. As such, the leftover water impact is minimal. Still, you can bring in commercial restoration experts to perform a fire sprinkler cleanup to prevent possible damage or mold development.
Every resource that makes up your establishment's fire response plan plays an important role. You can maintain and operate your fire sprinkler system appropriately by learning more about how it functions.