A fire suppression system helps minimize the risk of damage and put out the fire as soon as possible if a fire ever starts within your company or in a building you own or run. In addition to providing you with the piece of mind that comes with having one installed, a fire suppression system can save your life in the case of a fire. Today’s market has a wide variety of fire suppression system types. The five most popular types of fire suppression systems are listed below.
Fire Suppression Systems
A fire suppression system is a device designed specifically to put out the fire. A fire suppression system is often equipped with parts that can identify fire in the beginning stages.
A vital element of any fire safety infrastructure is a fire suppression system. The word “fire suppression” relates to any engineering arrangement of parts designed to extinguish a fire. This can be managed by using an extinguishing agent, such as chemical compounds, foam, or water.
This article explores the various uses for a fire suppression plan so that building owners and site teams may start keeping to fire safety standards and providing tenants and building occupants with peace of mind.
How does a fire suppression system work?
The components of a fire suppression system are designed to find fire as soon as possible. These components will immediately detect any sign of smoke and fire. So that the fire can be put out before it has a chance to spread, the suppression system will then sound an alert.
Since a fire suppression system is activated when a fire occurs, it may be seen as an “active” fire safety system. A fire suppression system involves many parts that “actively” try to put out smoke and flames, as will be explained in more detail later in this article.
1. Water Mist Suppression Systems
To detect fires as soon as possible, a fire suppression system will have built-in components. These components will immediately identify any sign of smoke and fire. So that the fire can be extinguished before it has a chance to spread, the suppression system will then sound a warning alarm.
Because a fire suppression system is activated in reaction to the existence of a fire, it may be considered an “active” fire protection technique. A fire suppression system also includes several parts that “actively” try to put out smoke and flames, as will be discussed in more detail later in this article.
2. Foam Suppression Systems
Foam suppression systems are very useful for fighting fires triggered by combustible liquids. The process uses a specific foam concentration that, when combined with water, produces a foam blanket that puts out the fire and stops it from starting again. Foam systems are often observed in industrial environments with flammable chemicals, petrochemical complexes, and airports.
3. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Suppression Systems
Carbon dioxide (CO2) suppression systems are specifically made for areas that need to quickly put out fires without leaving any residue behind. The way CO2 systems function is by excluding oxygen, which lowers the oxygen level to a point where fire cannot continue. These systems are often installed in electrical substations that are server rooms, and control rooms.
4. Clean Agent Suppression Systems
For the protection of valuable assets, precious machinery, and locations where water-based systems are incorrect, clean agent suppression systems are perfect. They put out fires fast without exposing people or delicate machinery by utilizing ecologically friendly gaseous agents like FM-200 or Novec 1230. Clean agent systems are commonly utilized by businesses in data centers, museums, archives, and telecommunications infrastructure.
4. Dry Chemical Suppression Systems
Dry chemical suppression systems are commonly used in places with Class A, B, or C fire risks. This method smothers the fire and stops the chemical reaction by using a dry chemical powder, like monoammonium phosphate. They perform well to put out flames induced by electrical equipment, gasses, and substances that are flammable. Dry chemical systems are frequently used by companies in manufacturing facilities, warehouses, and industrial environments.
Which industries commonly use fire suppression systems?
All businesses use fire suppression systems to make workplaces safer and less likely to bring about property damage, but some have special demands that make having a completely functional fire suppression system more essential.
- Industrial and manufacturing: The presence of highly flammable compounds in industrial settings has been discussed many times in this text, but it’s also important to note that huge quantities of raw materials are also present in industrial and production facilities.
- A fire suppression system is therefore an essential investment because, separate from personal safety, one of the main risks of fire is the potential breakdown of supply chains.
- Storage and warehousing: If storage facilities keep to professional health and safety standards, they will regularly utilize all available space. A fire suppression system will provide the necessary coverage to safeguard a sizable commercial area while also successfully managing the risk of having a lot of potentially flammable items nearby.
- Server rooms and data centers: Fires are the second most common reason for data center outages, after problems with the power supply. They also have outages of more than twenty-four hours on average, which can have disastrous effects on the numerous companies and organizations that depend on data centers for their operations. Additionally, a lot of electrical equipment in data centers and server rooms is very sensitive to changes in temperature. A fire suppression system is an essential use for each of these reasons.
Conclusion
Effective fire protection depends on selecting the appropriate suppression system. The five basic types of special suppression systems specified in this article offer many options for managing various fire risks. Every system, whether it is dry chemicals, foam, carbon dioxide, water mist, or clean agents, has unique advantages for putting out fires and saving people and property.
You can choose the best suppression system for your area by knowing everything about these systems and their specific uses. A proper suppression system is an investment in your surroundings’ safety, so keep that in mind.
