Fire safety is a complex problem without a single answer. On this page you will learn the role that fire sprinklers have in engineering and designing fire-safe spaces.
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You might notice this fire sprinkler looks familiar. Pendant sprinklers are the most common sprinkler head installed around the world. This sprinkler is designed for use in the places where people live. Pendant sprinklers are installed pointing downward. The deflector is designed to spray water in a dome pattern down on a fire and the surrounding area.
These sprinklers are designed to be installed on a side wall, parallel to the ceiling. They are used when piping across the ceiling is not possible. The deflector is designed to send water away from the wall in a curved shape.
Notice the thicker frame, these sprinklers are meant for heavy-duty use. They are designed to be installed on a ceiling, pointing downward. The deflector is designed to spray water straight down in a tight pattern with a high velocity to penetrate the fire and reach deep into the storage rack.
You may have noticed a liquid inside the fire sprinklers. What role do you think this liquid plays in how fire sprinklers work?
You may have noticed a liquid inside many of the fire sprinklers. Let’s explore how this liquid could behave when thermal energy is added so we can understand: how does a fire sprinkler work?
With proper adult supervision, you can complete this Hands-on Investigation: How Do Fire Sprinklers Work.
Fire sprinklers are heat activated. They each individually activate at specific temperatures. Smoke or normal amounts of heat will not cause fire sprinklers to activate.
As you watch the video, look closely at how thermal energy from a fire interacts with the matter inside the bulb.
How could you model these interactions to describe how a fire sprinkler works?
Sprinklers were only found in
of the structure fires that occurred between
Though, when sprinklers are present, the fire is confined to the room or object of origin
of the time, and there are
fewer deaths!
From 2017-2021, Fire Sprinklers were present in only 8 percent of house fires (including apartments).
Think about it – What are the benefits of fire sprinklers? Where have you seen fire sprinklers, and where do you think they are missing?
