How Sprinklers Work 1 download leaflet
Click the picture above to see an animation of how sprinklers work.
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Fire Sprinklers are simple devices that are individually operated directly by the heat from a fire - as is shown in the diagram below.
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When a fire starts a plume of hot gases rise to the ceiling. If a sprinkler is present, a glass bulb or solder link gets hot and at a specific temperature (typically 68°C) breaks releasing a cap and allowing water to flow onto a specially designed diffuser.
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The diffuser breaks up the water flow into carefully controlled droplets, which penetrate the fire plume and cool the burning material below its ignition point, thus putting out the fire.
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Only sprinkler/s directly over the fire are operated.
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The sprinklers are connected to pipework, usually filled with water, which is supplied either from the water mains or from a storage tank via a pump.
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When a sprinkler operates the flow of water in the pipework operates a flow switch, which in turn operates an alarm system.
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The flow of water is small, usually less than 1/100th the water used by the Fire Brigade.
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Sprinklers do not go off accidentally and are only triggered by real fires.
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Sprinklers are very reliable and only 1:16,000,000 exhibit any form of manufacturing defect.