Every commercial building needs to have an adequate amount of fire sprinklers.
Every commercial building needs to have an adequate amount of fire sprinklers. However, in rooms with more sensitive equipment, or in areas that tend to be more densely populated with employees and visitors, there need to be quick response fire sprinklers that can activate as soon as a fire begins. Here is some more information about those sprinklers.
What Are They?
Unlike standard fire sprinklers, quick response fire sprinklers have a much smaller sensor bulb. This makes them more sensitive to the presence of heat and smoke. In theory, this design would allow them to respond to the presence of fire much more quickly than their conventional counterparts. Since quick response sprinklers are mounted higher on the ceiling, they can also help prevent any problems associated with flashover. In any case, the quick response fire sprinklers can help contain a fire and contribute to everyone inside the building, escaping to safety in time.
Following Regulations
Part of the regulations around quick response fire sprinklers includes a different testing schedule. The inspections must be completed according to a different timeline. It is imperative that all commercial buildings install both conventional fire sprinklers and quick response models but ensure that they all work as they are intended to do. Sprinklers must be tested twenty years after they were first installed, so if your current quick response models were introduced back in 1999, then the time is coming. At the very least, 1% of the sprinklers have to be tested, although in some cases it is smarter to check above the minimum threshold. Finally, the plunge test needs to happen, as well.
Upkeep After Installation
The standard fire sprinklers need to be tested fifty years after they were installed. Since quick response fire sprinklers are a newer technology, they have farther to go before they are fully proven. The testing is to verify that the fast response technology works as it was supposed to when it was first installed roughly twenty years ago.
Then, four sprinklers must be tested. However, this number is left to the building owner’s discretion, especially if there are more than four sprinklers – one percent of the sprinklers must be tested, it all comes down to whichever number is higher.
Then the plunge test occurs. This is where the sprinkler is placed in a plunge oven or a tunnel. During this test, fire conditions are simulated to check whether or not the sprinkler will activate as needed.
Fire Protection Services from Fireline
Whether you need smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, or an automatic sprinkler system installed at your commercial property, Fireline has you covered. We have been protecting people and property from fire damage since 1947—and our experience shows in our excellent work! We are known for our superb customer service, our expertise, and our reliability. For more information on how we can help your residential or commercial property, visit us online or give us a call at (800) 553-3405. We are located in Baltimore, MD, with a second office in Leesburg, VA. For more fire safety tips, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.