MOS 5301 Fire Protection Technology WK 8 Article Review

www.FireEngineering.com FIRE ENGINEERING January 2015 | 69

Sprinklers Made Simple B Y R O N K A N T E R M A N

W HETHER YOU’VE BEEN ON THE

line for one year or 25 years

and have not had the time to

understand sprinkler systems basics,

this article is for you.

Frederick Grinnell, a graduate of Rens-

selaer Polytechnic Institute, worked in

railroad engineering until he retired as chief

mechanical engineer and general man-

ager of the Jersey City Locomotive Works.

Soon after his retirement, he purchased a

controlling interest in the Providence Steam

and Gas Pipe Company. Grinnell already

knew Henry S. Parmalee, who patented the

first automatic fire sprinkler head in 1874.

Providence Steam & Gas partnered with

Parmalee and manufactured the Parmalee

sprinkler. Grinnell also designed and

erected the piping installations into which

the Parmalee sprinkler heads were fitted.

Grinnell improved Parmalee’s first practical

automatic sprinkler and patented his own

Grinnell sprinkler in 1882.

Continual improvements resulted in the

glass disc sprinkler in 1890. With slight

modifications, this sprinkler head is still

used in modern fire sprinkler systems;

sprinklers are even called le Grinnells in

France. In 1892, Grinnell organized the

General Fire Extinguisher Company,

which was renamed the Grinnell Fire Pro-

tection Company after his death in 1919.

So, sprinklers have been around and

effective in fire control for about 140 years.

Yes, those little brass and chrome-plated

beauties have been the front line of de-

fense against fire in commercial buildings

for quite some time and, more recently,

in people’s homes. For many years, it was

the insurance industry that advocated

for sprinklers in commercial buildings.

Sprinklers minimized the loss, minimiz-

ing insurance payouts and enhancing

their profits at the same time. Although

the insurance industry still avidly sup-

ports sprinkler system installations, the

National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

(NFFF) is the current advocate for resi-

dential sprinklers, according to Initiative

15 of the NFFF’s 16 Life Safety Initiatives:

“Advocacy must be strengthened for the

enforcement of codes and the installation

of home fire sprinklers.”

Basics

There are two common types of

systems, wet and dry pipe systems. In

addition, there are two other less common

systems, preaction and deluge, used for

special hazards and applications. Foam

may be used in some systems, particu-

larly when dealing with flammable liquid

hazards. All of these systems simply send

water or foam (foam is just water with its

specific gravity rearranged so it floats on

top of hydrocarbons instead of sinking

in them) to the fire’s location to control;

confine; and, in some cases, extinguish

it. Very effective! You still need people to

rescue victims and pull them out of harm’s

way, so sprinklers only support staffing—

they do not replace it. They are a tool to

protect property and, in some cases, life

(residential) and to assist the fire service

with effective, efficient, and safe opera-

tions. Sprinklers save firefighters lives, too!

Wet Systems

As implied, they are wet, and the

system pipes are full of water up to the

sprinkler heads. Because of this, wet

systems are the quickest, most reliable

sprinklers around. The fire actuates the

individual sprinkler heads—this is the

only way that water gets on the fire.

Sprinkler heads use either a fusible link

with a predetermined melting point or a

glass bulb filled with a liquid designed

to boil, expand, and shatter the bulb.

Others use a chemical pellet to retain

the water cap, which is released after

(1, 3) Photos by Paul Dansbach. (2) Photo by Bill

Gustin. (4-15) Photos courtesy of the United

States Fire Administration.

1 2

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Sprinklers Made Simple

the pellet melts or bursts, and the water

is there immediately. The main riser and

related equipment (known as “trim” in

the sprinkler business) is where it all

starts. The riser is connected to a water

supply with a main control valve, a main

drain, an alarm check, a retard chamber,

a couple of gauges, a fire department

connection (FDC), and a water motor

gong (photo 1).

When one or several

sprinkler heads open, water

flows though the alarm

check, which sends an alarm

(that’s why they called it

that) possibly to a central

station and to the local water

motor gong on the outside of

the building. That’s the bell

that’s ringing when you pull

up at 0300 hours and there’s

water pouring out from

under the door. The exterior

gong is there to notify people

walking or driving by to call

the fire department. The re-

tard chamber is there to take

surges in the main. The surge enters the

retard chamber so it won’t lift the alarm

check clapper, it won’t send a water

flow alarm, and you can stay in bed on a

10°F night. It retards the alarm and then

automatically drains.

You will find wet systems in areas that

are heated at all times and not subject

to freezing conditions, such as malls,

hotels, schools, office buildings, ware-

houses, factories, hospitals, and industri-

al processing sites. Wet systems are also

found in private homes. Unless there is a

reason you shouldn’t have a wet system

(e.g., no heat, water-reactive chemical

storage) then most codes and standards

(and insurance companies) require wet

systems.

Dry Systems

A dry pipe sprinkler system has no

water in the pipes. A compressor or other

source of air or nitrogen holds back the

dry pipe valve (a clapper) until the heat

of the fire melts the link or bursts the

bulb on the sprinkler heads. The air then

rushes out of the heads, releasing the

pressure on the dry pipe valve, and the

water starts to flow. These systems are

used in buildings and areas of buildings

where there is no heat (e.g., refrigerated

warehouses, outdoor sheds, loading

docks, multilevel parking structures, and

structure attic areas). To reduce response

time, some systems use “accelerators”

or “exhausters,” also known as quick

4

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Sprinklers Made Simple

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opening devices (QODs), which help release the air out of the

system and more quickly open the dry pipe valve (photo 2).

As with the wet system, the riser is connected to a water

supply, but there is a dry pipe valve in place of the alarm

check. It will also send a water flow signal after it trips. It

has a main control valve, a main drain, a couple of gauges,

an FDC, and a water motor gong. This system also has a

compressor or a nitrogen supply, and an air gauge is on the

upstream side of the dry pipe. If it starts to bleed down, a sig-

nal will go to the fire alarm panel, reporting a “low air alarm.”

Pre-Action

A pre-action system is also dry, but two distinct actions

must occur for water to enter the occupancy. Pre-action sprin-

kler systems are used in places (e.g., computer rooms, hospital

operating rooms, and museums) in which any accidental wa-

ter discharge is to be avoided. Because two distinct actions

must take place to put water in the room, merely snapping off

a sprinkler head by accident will not activate the system. Un-

like the dry pipe, an opening caused by an accidental break in

the piping or a head will not trip the valve. Pre-action valves

are electronically tripped through heat or smoke detection

(photo 3).

Note the following sequence of actuation of a typical pre-

action system in a computer room:

1. A smoke condition occurs in the room.

2. A smoke detector picks up the smoke and signals a small

pre-action panel (similar to a fire alarm panel) or the main

fire alarm panel for the entire building. In either event,

the signal goes to a panel. The smoke detector indicates,

“Smoke has been detected in the room. Open the pre-

action valve.”

3. The panel signals the pre-action valve at the riser, “A

smoke condition has been detected in the computer room.

Trip and open to flood the piping system and stand by for

fire.”

4. An electronic solenoid switch on the pre-action valve at the

riser activates and electronically “pulls a pin,” which trips

the valve. Water flows into the system. At this point, we

now have a wet system.

5. When the fire grows and reaches the set temperatures of

the sprinkler heads (usually 165-175°F in a computer room),

the heads will start to open over the fire.

Deluge

The main difference between the deluge system and a dry

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Sprinklers Made Simple

system is that all sprinkler heads are

open with no fusible elements or glass

bulbs. It discharges lots of water every-

where and all at once. These systems

are usually actuated by heat detection

and are mainly found in heavy industrial

applications (e.g., around transformers,

processing tanks, processing pads with

large vessels, small flammable liquid

storage tanks). Since the heads are

always open, using compressed air to

hold a dry pipe valve back won’t work.

Activation is similar to that of a pre-

action system.

1. A heat detector detects fire around a

transformer and signals the panel.

2. The panel signals the deluge valve at the

riser, “A fire condition has been detected.

Trip and open to deliver water to all

heads and all sides of the transformer.”

3. An electronic solenoid switch on the

deluge valve at the riser activates and

electronically “pulls a pin,” which al-

lows the valve to trip. Water flows into

the system and all heads. At this point,

we now have a deluge of water sur-

rounding the subject equipment on fire.

4. Deluge systems sometimes require an

immediate activation pull station at the

hazard (in this case, the transformer)

and in the riser room, so a person can

intervene and manually activate the

system even before the detection kicks

in (photos 4, 5).

Valves

All fire service control valves must be

indicating valves—i.e., just by looking at

them you can see whether they are open

or closed.

Outside stem and yoke (OS&Y). The

amount of stem showing should be the

same as the depth of the valve body—

6 7

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Sprinklers Made Simple

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i.e., six inches of valve,

six inches of stem.

When the stem is out,

it’s open. The red box

is a tamper switch that

will send a signal to

the panel if someone

tries to maliciously shut

the valve. The lock and

chain shown here are an

insurance requirement,

not code (photo 6).

Post indicator valve

(PIV). This valve is

found outside buildings and has a win-

dow that will indicate OPEN or SHUT.

A wrench sits on the operating nut as

it does on a hydrant and can be locked

on the side. Both PIVs shown are also

electronically supervised with tamper

switches (photo 7).

Wall PIV. Found on the outside wall

of a commercial building, similar to the

PIV, it has a window indicating OPEN or

SHUT. On the inside of the wall attached

to this valve is a large fork that spears

the operating valve on the riser so you

can operate the riser valve from the out-

side of the building. The valve shown has

a tamper switch on it as well (photo 8).

Indicating butterfly valve (IBV). This

valve is found on the riser usually for

smaller piped systems. Larger risers

require larger valves and operating

handles. The indicator is the yellow bar

in the center of the valve. As it opens and

closes, the bar rotates. Since sprinkler

valves must be indicator valves, an open

valve will show the bar in line with the

pipe. This one is open (photo 9).

Sprinkler Heads

Sprinkler heads come in various sizes,

configurations, and temperatures. All

have a specific purpose and use. One

size does not fit all!

Upright. This sits on top of the pipe

and is usually found in dry systems so

that when the system drains down after

tripping, the water doesn’t remain in the

heads and pipe nipples. In an unheated

area, if the temperature were to drop

below freezing, water remaining in the

system could damage it. This head has a

chemical pellet fusible element that melts

and allows the water to flow (photo 10).

Pendant. This sprinkler head hangs

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12

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74 | January 2015 FIRE ENGINEERING www.FireEngineering.com

Sprinklers Made Simple

from under the piping. In some cases,

it’s placed on a long “drop” and pokes

through a dropped ceiling. The oblong

device is a lead link holding the two le-

vers together under tension. It’s designed

to melt at a given temperature, releas-

ing the arms and allowing water to flow

(photo 11).

Sidewall. These were designed primar-

ily for retrofitting hotels and motels. A

pipe is placed along the upper corner

of the corridor and a sprinkler head is

inserted into each room and into the cor-

ridor itself. It operates like other standard

sprinklers and will have a link, a glass

bulb, or a chemical pellet (photo 12).

Early suppression fast response (ESFR).

The insurance industry designed this

head for high-piled storage warehouses

(e.g., big-box stores and other places

with high racks of combustible storage).

Because of the large water demand, you

need larger pipes than usual and, in most

cases, a fire pump. If ever you’ve noticed

sprinklers inside the racks in your

favorite home supply store, they can be

eliminated if an ESFR system in installed

at the ceiling. It puts out lots of water

really fast. Compare the difference in size

between an ESFR and a standard head

(photo 13). The “fast response” comes

from a pencil-thin glass bulb that will

burst a lot more quickly than a standard-

size sprinkler bulb (photo 14).

High-pressure water mist sprinkler

head. Developed by and for the cruise

ship industry, these sprinkler heads can

provide extinguishment into a compart-

ment without necessarily flooding it. The

water is discharged as a high mist fog

and cools the atmosphere and the burn-

ing materials. Other applications include

computer rooms instead of gas systems

using halon and laboratory fume hoods

where the scientists do their experi-

ments. The water output from

these heads is negligible, and

they are also the only heads

that have a filter screen on the

nipple where it connects to the

piping to eliminate any pipe

scale, sludge, or other foreign

matter that would be detrimen-

tal to the operation of this type

of head. Note the quartzite

bulb for activation (photo 15).

Tactical Tips

1. Always send personnel with a radio to

the riser room on arrival to check the

status of the sprinkler system.

2. Place a dry line from the first-due

engine to the FDC, and prepare to

augment pressure in the system. Know

the local pressure demands for the

systems in your district; also know

that the rule of thumb for FDCs for

sprinklers is 150 psi.

3. Shut sprinkler control valves only on

the express order of the incident com-

mander (IC). Let the system do what it

was designed for, which is to confine,

contain, and possibly extinguish the

fire. ESFRs are designed to extin-

guish. Sprinklers will buy you some

time to set up and get going.

4. Carry sprinkler head clamps to help

minimize water damage. Sometimes

two wood chocks work, but they

would have to be cut to the right

size.

5. Be ready to deploy salvage tarps for

water traveling down to the floors

below.

6. It’s extremely difficult and danger-

ous to fight a fire when sprinklers are

operating. It is recommended that you

don’t. The water from the heads is

pushing the heat and steam down on

top of you, and visibility is worse than

usual. Coordinate your actions. Vent,

shut the valve (by the IC’s order), and

move in with a line as simultaneously

as you can.

7. For stubborn deep-seated Class

A or Class B fires, consider pump-

ing finished foam solution into the

FDC. Also consider pumping foam

solution into FDCs feeding stand-

pipe systems so you can have a

foam handline if you need one on

the upper f loors of a building. We

1501fe_74 74 1/2/15 4:54 PM

Sprinklers Made Simple

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14tried this in industry, and it worked! (“New Uses for Foam in Industry,”

Fire Engineering, November 2001,

http://bit.ly/1zHnRoQ). Standard

sprinkler heads, although not neces-

sarily listed for “foam service,” will

effectively discharge foam.

8. Depending on your department’s

policies, you may be expected to

restore the system before you leave.

There should be six spare heads

and a wrench at the riser for this

purpose. It is ultimately the owner’s

responsibility to ensure that the sys-

tem gets restored in a timely manner.

Codes will not allow some occu-

pancies to be occupied unless the

sprinklers are in service (e.g., child

care center), so immediate restora-

tion of the system may be warranted

vs. a “vacate” order.

9. If the swivels on the FDC are frozen,

won’t spin, and won’t allow you to

hook up, pull three feet of the line

between your knees, and lock it

there. Backtwist the line about seven

turns and then place it on the frozen

swivel and let it thread itself. Try

this during a drill. Different thread

types will bring different numbers of

backtwists.

Sprinkler Training Tips

for the Company Officer

One of the many responsibilities of

the company officer is to ensure the

members of his crew are familiar with

active and passive fire protection. This

segment on sprinklers (active fire protec-

tion) is key to understanding the basics

of water-based fire protection systems.

Knowledge of these systems lends itself

to safe and efficient operations. Try these

training tips to get your crew familiar

with sprinklers:

1. Review the basic wet and dry systems

as outlined. Explain the importance

of knowing these systems and how

they will help you fight the fire more

effectively and how they assist with

firefighter safety.

2. Review the tactical tips as outlined.

3. After review, go to the field and find

these systems.

4. At a building in your response district,

have the building engineer or other

responsible party walk you through

the systems.

5. Go to another building and have the

members identify the components on

the systems there. They need to know

and understand the basics so when

you send them to the “main control

valve,” they’ll know what you mean.

6. Take advantage of your fire prevention

1501fe_75 75 1/2/15 4:54 PM

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Sprinklers Made Simple

bureau, fire marshal’s office, or fire

academy. They have expertise in this

area. Drop your pride, and improve

your safety and fireground efficiency.

7. When you think your members know

the basics, do it one more time. Just

like standard tactics, knowledge of

these systems needs to be second

nature.

8. Make this part of your regular train-

ing, and take the time to examine

these systems. Do it on or after runs or

during downtime. If you’re driving by

a building and you spot a water motor

gong, an FDC, or a fire pump manifold,

stop and take a look.

RON KANTERMAN is the chief of the Wilton

(CT) Fire Department and a 40-year fire

service veteran with experience in municipal

and industrial fire protection, volunteer and

career services, emergency management,

and emergency response. He has a bachelor’s

degree in fire administration and master

degrees in fire protection management and

in environmental sciences. Kanterman is

a contributing author to Fire Engineering,

FireEngineering.com, Fire Engineering’s

Handbook for Firefighter I and II, and the

new edition of The Fire Chief’s Handbook.

He co-hosts an FE Blog Talk Radio show

“The Back Step Boys” and lectures around

the country on various fire service topics.

He is an adjunct professor of fire science and

emergency management at the University

of New Haven in Connecticut. Kanterman

is also an advocate for the National Fallen

Firefighters Foundation and its programs

and is the chief of operations for the annual

National Memorial Weekend.

15

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