Fire sprinklers have saved countless lives and millions of dollars worth of property. Perhaps we take them for granted. Have you ever stopped to wonder just how fire sprinklers work? The popular YouTube channel Discovery News explains.
Unlike what you see in the movies, setting off one fire sprinkler does not set off all of the sprinklers in a system. A sprinkler head installed by a fire protection sprinkler company goes off when subjected to intense heat. Each sprinkler head needs to feel that heat to go off.
This way, a sprinkler system does not destroy properly through water damage.
A sprinkler head contains a valve that’s connected to a water supply. This valve is covered by a glass tube. There is sugar alcohol inside of the tube that expands only when it feels a huge upsurge in heat. The gas breaks the glass, which releases the valve. Sprinkler heads are made to react with different degrees of heat.
Many fires start on the floor or on furniture, which is usually waist height. So, why are fire sprinklers installed on the ceiling? This is because heat rises. The heat from fires tends to rise quickly, setting off the fire sprinklers.
