Fire Sprinkler System Watford
With more people now working from home, a large number of offices are being converted into residential properties which require fire sprinkler systems.
Kings Langley is a village situated on the outskirts of London, surrounded by countryside and just a short drive to the Chiltern Hills. Previously an office building, Shannon House has permitted development approval to convert into 73 luxury studio apartments, situated over four floors.
Safeguard Sprinkler Systems have been appointed to install a Fire Sprinkler System offering full coverage to all 73 studio apartments and communal areas.
The project is a Risk Category 2 which means that Safeguard Sprinkler Systems will install a full cover, domestic fire sprinkler system. In total, there will be 283 fire sprinkler heads, fed by a pump and tank, located in the basement of the building. In this project, the pipework has been hidden above the ceiling whilst the refurbishment was taking place.
As Shannon House is a residential property, the fire sprinkler system will provide the building with a 30-minute operational run time.
Get in touch with Steve at Safeguard Sprinkler Systems to discuss your future project.
Things we consider when installing a shared pump and tank fire sprinkler system
- The effective water volume required to serve our Sprinkler System.
- The amount of water required to serve the Domestic water requirement.
- The pump used to deliver the water for the sprinklers and the domestic has to be able to cope with both demands.
In the event of a fire, the water in the tank should be made available only to serve our Sprinkler system. This is achieved by installing a priority demand valve. The valve is triggered when our system is activated and it closes off the supply of water to the domestic side, to prioritise the Sprinkler system.
To ensure there is adequate water available, a Ball valve will continuously monitor the water level and activate the water infill to the tank whenever the capacity is reduced to 90% or below. A low-level alarm sensor is fitted to the tank which will sound the alarm should the water level drop below the required level.
What do fire sprinkler heads look like and how do they work?
The fire sprinkler heads we install are white in colour and are hardly noticeable against a white ceiling.
If the fire sprinkler heads detect a temperature of 63°C, this will set off the fire sprinkler, which will then run for 30 minutes. This will give any residents sufficient time to leave the building and call the Fire Brigade.
In comparison to the amount of water used when the Fire Service extinguish a fire, there is very little water dispensed by fire sprinklers, which results in very little water damage being caused to the property. In our experience, where fire sprinklers have been activated in the event of a fire, the flames have often been extinguished by the time the Fire Service arrive.
Once all of the building works have been completed Safeguard Sprinkler Systems will carry out the commissioning, the process which involves testing the installed system to ensure it operates correctly in accordance with BS safety standards.
Cost of installing a fire sprinkler system in a residential property
Installing a fire sprinkler system in your home is not as expensive as you might think. Every project is bespoke, and we consider the number of rooms in the property and whether the town water mains supply is able to delivery sufficient water or whether a pump and tank system will be required.