Fire Sprinkler System types

Peak Alarm monitors fire suppression, fire alarm, fire sprinkler systems and more. ,

Types of Fire Suppression fire sprinkler systems: - Both the fire suppression system and the fire alarm systems in a building need to be tested and tagged annually and they are done normally by separate people with

Wet Fire Sprinkler systems are charged with water and ready to go. Heat will release the heads one at a time. Some of the older systems had antifreeze in the pipes if they were outside.

Dry Systems have air pressure holding the water back and in areas that can freeze these are used.

Pre-Action Systems are normally dry and work in conjunction with a fire alarm detection system that’s UL listed

Deluge systems release water from all the heads at once and often will have interlocks to prevent accidental issues of discharge.

Agent systems release chemical or gas to suppress or put out the fire.

These systems also have fire alarm panels that are UL listed in order to release the agent or gas. Sometime cross zoning is used and they actually have two types of detectors that must be activated to activate the suppression system.

Some of the types of signals on a sprinkler or suppression system we monitor at Peak Alarm are as follows:

Most common are FLOWS AND TAMPERS

A flow switch that is activated indicates that water is flowing in the building and we dispatch the fire department and this is an ALARM

A tamper switch normally monitors if the water has been shut off and this is a supervisory signal or trouble signal indicating that is is not normal. Why has the water been shut off? If the water is off the system cannot suppress fire.

Pressure on fire pumps or pump running.

Water Tank supervisory for temperature or liquid level monitoring.

Butterfly valves

PIV Post Indicator Valves (Is the main water turned on or off)

Air Pressure or Water Pressure. Water Pressure monitoring is normally an alarm and air pressure is normally a supervisory signal.

See NFPA 101 3.5 and for Fire Alarm section 3.4 and see NFPA 13 as well as IBC sections 903 and 907

Please contact Larry Love with any concerns, questions or corrections to this information. We are not sprinkler contractors so this is very basic information. If you need more in depth information on Sprinklers call a Fire Sprinkler Company.