Fire Sprinkler Systems Monitoring
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APPLICATIONS GUIDE Fire Sprinkler Systems Monitoring APPLICATIONS GUIDE Fire Sprinkler Systems Monitoring Contents Preface ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 3 Fire Sprinkler Systems ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Dry Pipe Fire Sprinkler Systems .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Deluge Fire Sprinkler Systems ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 5 Pre-action Fire Sprinkler Systems ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Standards ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Testing Laboratories ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 7 Fire SprinklerSystem Monitoring Devices .......................................................................................................................................................................8 Vane Type Waterflow Detectors .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Supervisory Switches .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Pressure Switches ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 11 Explosion Proof Detectors ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 11 Alarm Bells and Horn/Strobes ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Glossary of Terms............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 13 Preface Before the first automatic fire sprinkler system was developed in the 1870s, a fire sprinkler system consisted of a perforated pipe, a valve, a person to open the valve, and an elevated barrel or tank filled with water. A more dependable system was created in response to increased fire loads and increased values of buildings and their contents. A more advanced fire sprinkler system became possible as technology became more sophisticated. Fire sprinkler systems automatically detect and then control, suppress, or extinguish fires. Water supplies can come from city water mains, dedicated storage tanks or ponds. Valves and alarm devices control and monitor the water’s flow. Distribution pipes send water to the fire sprinkler heads using a water source to maintain and increase water pressure according to design criteria. Modern systems can detect a fire condition and discharge water quickly, before a fire grows to a fatal or catastrophic size, reducing fire deaths by nearly 100 percent. Understanding your fire fire sprinkler system can be life saving. After reading this guide, you will be more knowledgeable about the waterflow detectors, supervisory switches, pressure switches, explo- sion proof products, and alarm bells within a fire sprinkler system. This guide provides information for the proper application, installation and maintenance of System Sensor fire sprinkler and notification products. Installation must comply with all code requirements such as NFPA and comply with directives from Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). AHJ direc- tives always take precedence over other codes and have final authority. System Sensor was founded in 1984, and has become the largest manufacturer of fire detection and notification appliances in the world. More than 1,900 System Sensor associates collaborate to build quality products for conventional detection; intelligent detection; audible and visible (AV) notifi- cation; heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) monitoring; and fire sprinkler systems monitoring. High production standards and strong customer engagement contribute to the solid demand for System Sensor products. Every day we aim to develop advanced ideas that deliver advanced solutions. 3 APPLICATIONS GUIDE: FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS MONITORING Section 1 Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler System with Maintained Excess Pressure Fire Sprinkler Systems Wet pipe fire sprinkler systems with maintained excess pressure are offered with an alarm check valve. In this type of system, excess pressure is pumped in just above the alarm check valve to hold the clapper down There are four types of fire sprinkler systems: wet pipe, dry pipe, deluge, even during a city water surge. This type of system eliminates false alarms and pre-action. These choices allow fire sprinkler systems to provide an caused by surges in the municipal water supply. array of of hazard and environmental protection, customized to each indi- vidual situation. There are two ways to measure pressure loss in this type of system: Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler Systems • A pressure switch is connected to the system above the check valve. Wet pipe fire sprinkler systems are the most common systems. They have When a fire sprinkler head is activated, the switch detects a drop in the fewest number of components and require less installation time than pressure and sends an alarm. Usually a supervisory pressure switch is other systems. A wet pipe fire sprinkler system has a series of pipes con- used to monitor leaks in the system. nected to regularly distributed fire sprinkler heads, fed by a main riser. Maintenance is minimal, so financial savings are also realized. • A pressure switch is connected to the alarm port of the alarm check valve. When the fire sprinkler head is activated, the alarm check valve Wet pipe fire sprinkler systems cannot be installed in an area where distribu- opens. When the valve opens, the alarm port is exposed to the incom- tion pipes are exposed to freezing temperatures, such as parking garages, ing water supply. The pressure switch detects the pressure change because they always contain water. and sends an alarm. The operation of a wet pipe fire sprinkler system depends on the heat reac- Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler System with a Straight Pipe Riser tive fire sprinkler heads. When a fire starts, its heat causes a fusible glass Wet pipe fire sprinkler systems with straight pipe risers, located down- bulb or metallic heat sensor within the fire sprinkler head to shatter or melt stream of a check valve or backflow preventer, are the most common wet and separate. Either action causes water to discharge from the distribution pipe fire sprinkler systems. The straight pipe riser, or vertical supply pipe piping, striking the deflector on the open fire sprinkler head and spraying within the fire sprinkler system, does not have a retard chamber or alarm water onto the fire in an engineered pattern or throw. port like other types of wet pipe fire sprinkler systems. Instead, this sys- tem has a riser check valve. Wet pipe systems are fixed temperature installations, meaning each fire sprinkler head is activated only if exposed to a predetermined tempera- A riser check valve utilizes a vane type waterflow detector to monitor water- ture as low as 155˚F or as high as 286˚F. flow in the fire sprinkler system. When a continuous flow of water — occurs, a standard check valve or a waterflow detector monitors the system and There are three types of wet pipe fire sprinkler systems: wet pipe fire sprin- activates an alarm after a predetermined amount of time. The amount of kler system with an alarm check valve, wet pipe fire sprinkler system with time delay is selected on the flow switch to prevent short duration city water maintained excess pressure, or wet pipe fire sprinkler system with a straight surges from causing false alarms. The time delay mechanism allows a pipe riser. predetermined alarm delay time to be set. If water surges beyond the pre- determined time, an alarm will sound. Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler System with an Alarm Check Valve When water enters the fire sprinkler system piping, it becomes non-pota- Dry Pipe Fire Sprinkler Systems ble and unsuitable for drinking. To keep the non-potable water from leaking back into the city water supply, an alarm check valve can be installed.