Sprinkler is an active protection element that is used to supress and extinguish fire in place. Sprinkler come in pendant shaped with various type. Sprinkler is connected to water pipeline as it’s substance source. Sprinkler is installed to ceiling in designed area. It is important to installed sprinkler in public building or any area that have fire risk incident. Sprinkler usually integrated with automatic system to supress and extinguish fire and this system is called sprinkler system. And this system activated by the heat from the fire.
Beside used in an area, sprinkler also can be used to protect equipment containing substance that has potential fire or explosions. These sprinklers installed to protect equipment will active triggered by the equipment’s sensor. Not only to supress fire or explosions, but sprinklers also use to cooling down temperature of equipment.
WHERE WE USUALLY FIND SPRINKLER?
It is easy to find sprinkler in building that use to be public area such as hotel, office, mall, etc. sprinkler is use in the area where fire may occur, in various area shall have different type of sprinklers that installed. For example, in an area with low risk of fire such as office area shall have different type of sprinklers compared to sprinklers that is use in area with high risk of fire such as storage area.
Thus, beside in public area we would likely to find sprinkler in industrial area, storage area, or equipment with high risk of fire incident.
WET SPRINKLER SYSTEM
Used in location where temperature don’t drop below the freezing point of water. Wet system using water as the substance to extinguish fire. In wet system pipeline will always contain water.
DRY SPRINKLER SYSTEM
Used in location where the temperature drops below the freezing point. In dry system will stay dry until it needs to be use. In dry system the pipeline is not connected to the permanent water source.
WHAT TYPE OF SPRINKLER
There are various type of sprinklers depends on its shaped, function, and capability to supress fire. The preference is dependent on the occupancy or the commodity in the area that is protected. Below is type of sprinklers.
STANDARD
Standard sprinkler use in an area that has low risk fire hazard. This sprinkler usually can be found in office area that has low risk of fire hazard. This sprinkler also use in area that the ceiling height is less than 8 m. Activation of this sprinkler by the heat from fire source rising the temperature of chemical in the glass bulb until it reaches the temperature limit and breaks the glass bulb.
Control Mode Density/Area (CMDA)
This type of sprinkler is intended to provide fire control in storage area using designed density/area. This sprinkler use in storage area where the ceiling is less than 10 meter. the sprinkler head of this type is similar with the standard type. The difference is only in the density of water per area. The water pressure in this sprinkler type is relatively low that is 7.2 psi. thus, this type of sprinkler shall not be use in area with high risk of fire hazard.
Control Mode Specific Application (CMSA)
A type of spray sprinkler that is capable of producing characteristic large water droplets and that is listed for its capability to provide fire control of specific high-challenge fire hazards. Not like the standard/ CMDA type, CMSA type activation not depending on glass bulb breaking. Instead, it’s activation is from thermal element.
Early Suppression Fast-Response (ESFR) Sprinkler.
A type of fast-response sprinkler that has a thermal element with an RTI of 50 (meters seconds)1/2 or less and is listed for its capability to provide fire suppression of specific high-challenge fire hazards. This sprinkler is use in storage area where the ceiling height is more than 10 meters. The amount of sprinkler head per area is 12 (note less, not more). The pressure of this sprinkler is high that is 2-6 bar which is same with pressure in a hydrant.
HOW SPRINKLER SYSTEM WORK?
Heat from fire source will triggered the sprinkler activation by breaking the glass bulb or activating sensor. Once the glass bulb breaks or sensor is activated the sprinkler head will immediately discharge water until the water source is empty or the system is manually off.
Activation with sensor using various type of sensor/detector. The least detector to be used is smoke detector and heat detector. For industrial area, some of the owner also using temperature transmitter that is installed in the area for equipment protection. These devices will triggered the sprinkler system and activating the sprinkler system.
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