TABLE OF CONTENTS "What!? How much? I'm not spending that much money on a sprinkler system just because some Insurance company tells me to. Chances are it's only going to sit there and do nothing all its life anyway."
I wonder how many people have said that and, out of that number, I wonder how many people have lived to regret it. I'm sure the people who did live to regret it would say, in hindsight, "I wish I'd installed sprinklers when it was first suggested."
Let us consider for a moment what a sprinkler system is. By definition it is a device, developed for installation within buildings, or in and around equipment, to automatically detect a fire in its early stages. The system is only designed to control a fire until the fire brigade can respond, but extinguishment is normally achieved. The operation of the system also gives a local alarm. Sprinkler systems were originally developed for the protection of property or equipment, however, in recent years, they have been used for the purposes of life safety, being an aid to the means of escape of personnel.
A sprinkler system consists of a water supply with one or more sprinkler installations.
Each installation consists of a main set of control valves and a pipe array fitted with sprinkler heads. The sprinkler heads are fitted at specified locations just below the ceiling or roof level and, where necessary, below...
