Fire suppression systems are used to extinguish and control fires. A suppression system uses an agent other than water to suppress a fire. Fire suppression agents can be foam, chemical or gaseous.
How Does a Fire Suppression System Work?
A fire suppression system is designed to take action to suppress a fire in its early stages, before it has a chance to grow and spread. When a fire is detected by heat, smoke or other signals, the fire suppression system will release a gaseous, chemical or foam agent onto the fire to extinguish it before it has the chance to spread. Fires need three things in order to burn: heat, oxygen and fuel. Suppression systems work by removing one or more of the elements needed to burn.
Types of Fire Suppression Systems
There are many types of fire suppression systems available depending on the type of facility that is being protected and the hazards present. Some types of suppression systems include:
- CO2 – Carbon dioxide can be used to blanket an area, displacing the oxygen. Due to oxygen displacement, this type of fire suppression is not safe to be used in occupied areas.
- Chemical – Chemical fire suppression systems can be either dry or wet. When a fire occurs, chemicals are released onto the fire to suppress it.
- Inert Gas – Inert gasses can suppress a fire by smothering them and reducing or displacing oxygen. Some common inert gases used include nitrogen, argonite and inergen.
- Foam – Water, foam concentrate, and air are combined to make a foam that when released onto a fire, smothers, and cools the flame in order to suppress it.
Fire Sprinklers vs. Fire Suppression
Fire sprinklers and fire suppression systems vary in the fact that fire sprinkler use water to control a fire and suppression systems use an agent other than water. While fire sprinklers are the tradition form of fire protection and work well in most applications, there are some instances in which water can cause irreparable damage to the area it is supposed to be protecting. Fire suppression systems can suppress a fire through the use of other agents that cause no harm to the property.
Beach Lake Sprinkler Installs and Services Fire Suppression Systems
The team at Beach Lake Sprinkler can install, inspect, and repair fire suppression systems including foam, FM-200, Novec 1230, Inergen and more. We work with you to help you determine which fire suppression system is right for your application. If you have a suppression system that needs an inspection or repair, the team at Beach Lake Sprinkler is ready to help. We have locations in Honesdale, PA and Brooksville, FL that serve customers in Northern Pennsylvania, Southern New York and Central Florida. Contact us today to learn more about our fire protection services.
