What is a fire suppression system? A fire suppression is a collective term for any engineering group of units that are designed to put out a fire.

In the effort to minimize a fire, a fire suppression system is one of the technologies that are commonly used in many settings.

This technology is designed to detect and automatically put out the fire, unlike any conventional fire extinguisher that still uses a human effort to put out the fire.

What is a Fire Suppression System?

The fire suppression system is a collective term for any engineering group of units that are designed to put out a fire.

This system is equipped with a very sensitive fire detector that can detect early signs of fire; such as smoke or an increase in temperature.

This early detection is very useful as the fire can easily be put out before the fire has any chance to spread and is more difficult to put out.

Another thing that is great about this system is that it can automatically put out the fire after detecting it and preventing any further damage to the properties.

Also, this system can be equipped with the right fire extinguishers agents to suit the classification of the fire, such as gasses or special chemicals that are used to extinguish the fire in electrical devices without breaking it.

There are several industries that gains benefit from using this system, for example:

Warehouse and storage: A fire suppression system would effectively manage the risk of fire in a room with a large amount of potentially flammable goods.
Industrial and manufacture: Industrial settings are at a high risk for fire because of the presence of highly flammable materials. So, this system is a critical investment for the industrial and manufacturing settings.
Data center and server room: Many businesses and organizations are highly relying on data centers for their activities. So, if the data centers are on fire, the impact would be catastrophic. And because of that reason, the fire suppression system is the best investment for these settings.

Also Read: “What is Fire Hydrant Equipment?“

The Difference Between a Fire Sprinkler and a Fire Suppression System

Although they share a similar function which is to detect and control or extinguish fires, they are some difference that you need to know./

A fire suppression system does not always use water as its fire extinguisher agent, and it can be effective in certain types of fires such as a fire caused by a combustible gas or oil thus making it more common in industrial environments.

A water sprinkler however, relies solely on the use of water to extinguish a fire, thus making its functions more strictly in a condition where class A fires are more likely to appear.

Also Read: “The SNI Certification for a Fire Hydrant Installation“

Types of Fire Suppression

The fire suppression system is divided generally by 5 types according to the classification of the fire itself.

Here they are!

1. Gas Systems

The first one is the gas suppression systems that store the fire-suppressing liquid which is pressurized with nitrogen.

Contained in the liquid there is a chemical agent called “FM200” which is used to extinguish the fire.

These gaseous agents are usually condensed in liquid form and stored in compact cylinders, making these systems easy to transport and store.

And since this system doesn’t use any water, the gas system has the benefit of being installed in a room with a large amount of electrical equipment.

2. Wet Chemical Foam

The next one is the wet chemical foam that is specifically designed for suppressing fires in the kitchen.

By quickly emitting a water-based chemical foam agent directly into a small localized area, this system can effectively putting out a fire in the commercial kitchens.

The wet chemical foam is usually placed under the canopies of cookers and can be activated either manually by a switch, or automatically through the use of a heat link which is a wire that breaks when exposed to heat thus triggering the valve.

3. Water Mist System

The water mist system is the next type of fire suppression system. By producing droplets that are much smaller than conventional sprinkler systems, it can effectively put out the fire. as

It works by creating a layer of steam that starves fires of oxygen, because as we all know the oxygen is the main fuel to create a fire, thus reducing the affected area’s temperature.

One advantage of the water mist system is that it uses much less water than the traditional sprinkler, thus making it a more sustainable fire suppression method.

4. Foam Deluge Systems

A fire that involves flammable liquids is considered one of the biggest challenges for the fire suppression systems.

And for that, the foam deluge system is the most effective means of controlling the spread of these environments.

The mixture of foam and water that are present in this system can effectively and quickly control the burning flammable liquid thus cooling the surface area.

And because of its thick consistency, the foam deluge system can act as a thick blanket to starve the fires of oxygen and prevent the flammable gasses.

5. Pneumatic Heat Detection Tubes

This is the most compact and portable mobile fire suppression system that is designed much like a fire extinguisher.

It consists of two primary components, the pipe and a valve.

The pipes is installed around the potential source of fire and will emit a suppressive agent directly onto the flame when it reaches a certain temperature via the valve.

The pneumatic heat detection tubes serve as the early stage fire suppression system, and are usually placed in small areas.

And because of that, they are not recommended for rooms with areas with a high ceiling and unsuitable for suppressing large fires.

So there you have it! The thorough explanation of “What is a Fire Suppression System?” that dimulti have prepared just for you!