Automatic Fire Sprinkler System

The automatic fire sprinkler system was one of the earliest sprinkler systems placed into effect. The origin of the modern day automatic sprinkler system dates back to the early 1800’s. The first automatic sprinkler system was created in England in the 1806 by John Carey. It consisted of a pipe with valves held closed by counterweights attached by string. When flames burned through the string the counterweight dropped to the floor, which opened the valve that released the water and extinguished the fire. As the 1800’s progressed, the basic pipe system for sprinklers was becoming more prevalent across England. It began to pop up in textile mills all through out the country. In 1864, as sprinkler system use grew, Major Stewart Harrison of the 1st Engineer (London) Volunteers invented the first automatic sprinkler head. A few years later two gentlemen by the names of Henry Parmelee of Newhaven, Connecticut, and Frederick Grinnell of Providence, Rhode Island, added to the sprinkler head to give it a more practical application. Parmelee took the automatic sprinkler head and added to it a fusible link that broke at about 160oF. This allowed the system to control which heads broke so the whole system wouldn’t drown the whole structure in water, it would only release where there was sufficient heat to break a head. Grinnell invented a head that could withstand higher water pressures without break as well as distribute water more evenly. Each of these inventions increased the efficiency of the systems greatly. Now in today’s modern fire protection era, automatic sprinkler systems are used to protect everyday buildings around the world. It is most commonly in commercial use buildings. This includes but is not limited to schools, hospitals, office buildings, warehouses, and convienent stores. Today’s automatic sprinkler is simple in operation with huge benefits. It operates basically the same as in the late 1800’s, just a bit more efficiently. A fusible link in a sprinkler head that is set to break at a predetermined temperature breaks when that temperature is reached. Water then pours out of that hole that is created hitting the sprinkler head and raining down in an umbrella pattern over the source of the hear, usually fire. Not only does this cool what ever material is heated, but it can pre-cool any materials that are not yet heated or involved in the fire. This helps prevent the spread of that fire through the structure saving the structure and protecting its contents from further fire and water damage.

Although the automatic sprinkler system is the most widely used type of fire protection system, it does have its limitations and uses inside certain building types. As previously stated, it is generally used in commercial buildings. This is because there are usually no special hazardous materials in these buildings, or any large quantity of materials that would react negatively with the application of water. It is installed in buildings such as hospitals, schools, and office buildings for life safety first, then building preservation. Since a proper functioning sprinkler system will reduce the fire size and prevent its spread, it will allow for more time of evacuation for these buildings. This is especially useful in hospitals and nursing home settings where there may be a large number of immobile people that require time to move to a more safe location. The automatic sprinkler system is also used in buildings such as warehouses. It is used here due to the large amount of combustible material that goes along with mass storage. Generally there is a lot of cardboard and plastics that go into storing various products at store warehouses as well as the products themselves that are made out of combustible materials. These warehouse owners place sprinkler systems in their buildings to minimize product and property loss. This in turn reduces time for recovery of their business and minimizes profit loss as well.

The automatic sprinkler system, like and fire protection system, does have its limitations. One of the biggest causes of the system not operating in its intended way is due to human error. Humans limit the sprinkler system greatly for reasons such as not maintaining the system properly, or even not installing it properly. Sprinkler piping is often made out of metal and sprinklers use water. The combination of water and metals does not bode well over time. If a system is not maintained correctly and tested to ensure it is working properly, it may not operate correctly when called upon for use. Instillation of the system is obviously important. If the system was never place into operation correctly, it may fail or not even work if its use is required. Another factor that may limit a sprinkler system today is renovations. When a system is designed, it is made for that particular building and that buildings use. A sprinkler system for a computer paper storage warehouse has different needs than a sprinkler system for a hospital. When the warehouse gets shut down and renovated into a hospital, often times the system is not upgraded or modified for the