The advantages of water mist include:
- No chemicals used
- Use less water benefitting “green technology” (typical between 60%-80% saving)
- Less damage to property than sprinklers and easier to clean up
- Environmentally friendly
- Faster activation in case of fire – smaller damages
- Aesthetic better looking (innovative designs)
What is water mist?
A water mist system is a fixed fire protection system that discharges a fine spray of small water droplets. Water mist systems propel water through a specially designed nozzle, breaking the water up into hundreds of micro droplets which produce the mist.
In the event of a fire, the water droplets will the remove heat and displace oxygen from the affected area, resulting in the fire being extinguished. The mist lowers the temperature, lessens the radiated heat and reduces the oxygen concentration to the extent that combustion can no longer be maintained.
Types of Water Mist Systems
- Pump & Tank Systems
- Cylinder Systems
There are two main types of water mist systems -
Pump and Tank Arrangment
The water is stored in a tank and is pumped to a network of heads which can either be open or closed.
Cylinder Arrangment
The Water and propellant are stored in cylinders.
Sprinkler Systems Vs Water Mist Systems
So what are the differences between sprinkler systems and water mist suppression systems?
- Water mist systems discharge less water than sprinkler systems.
- Because less water is used, clean up and damage to property is less with water mist suppression
- The average water mist droplet has a total surface area at least 100 times greater than the volume of water from a sprinkler system, meaning more effective suppression.
Due to the large volumes of water required with sprinklers then a large tank or even pumphouse as is required whereas small cylinders or small standalone tanks can be used for water mist.
- Water mist enables ‘smoke scrubbing’, whereby the smoke particles attach to the droplets and fall to the floor, eliminating the spread of smoke throughout the building.
- Water mist suppression is more effective in compartmentalised situations and may not be suitable for larger areas
- Water mist droplets can be blown away under certain conditions such as air conditioning and open doors reducing effectiveness.
Current Standards
The current British Standards are:.
- BS 8458:2015 Fixed fire protection systems. Residential and domestic watermist systems. Code of practice for design and installation
- BS 8489-1 2016 Fixed fire protection systems. Industrial and commercial watermist systems. Part 1: Code of practice for design and installation
- The BS 8489 series includes the following standards:
- BS 8489-4 Fixed fire protection systems. Industrial and commercial watermist systems. Fire performance tests and requirements for watermist systems for local applications involving flammable liquid fires
- BS 8489-5 Fixed fire protection systems. Industrial and commercial watermist systems. Fire performance tests and requirements for watermist systems for the protection of combustion turbines and machinery spaces with volumes up to and including 80 m3
- BS 8489-6 Fixed fire protection systems. Industrial and commercial watermist systems. Fire performance tests and requirements for watermist systems for the protection of industrial oil cookers
- BS 8489-7 Fixed fire protection systems. Industrial and commercial watermist systems. Tests and requirements for watermist systems for the protection of low hazard occupancies
These documents define the testing protocols for water mist systems in various different applications.
Where can Water Mist be installed?
- Residential Care Homes
- Domestic Homes
- HMO's
- Sheltered Housing
- Housing Associations
- Generator Protection
- Machinery Spaces
- Heritage Buildings
- Facade Protection
- Art Galleries
- Turbines
- Cable Tunnels
- Tunnels
- Car Parks
- Data Centre's
- Prisons
- Offices
- Hotels
- Shopping Centres
- Hospitals
- DRUPS
- Boiler Rooms
- Industrial Fryers
Why Should you Choose Water Mist Fire Suppression?
Water mist systems are effective at fighting a wide variety of fires. This makes them an option for a large range of facilities. Many applications that choose to use water mist are looking for an alternative to traditional fire sprinkler systems or fire suppression systems.
Water mist systems can provide an advantage as they use significantly less water than traditional fire sprinklers causing less water damage and they are safe to use in occupied areas.
Why Choose us?
- Speedy response from your initial enquiry
- Highly qualified and friendly engineers on hand to answer any questions or queries you may have
- Quick and easy installation resulting in the tightest deadlines being achieved
About SolarFire Systems
Whether you need a new Condensed Aerosol Fire Suppression System, Fire Alarm system or a Hypoxic Fire Prevention system installed at your commercial property, SolarFire Systems has you covered with many types of automatic fire extinguishing systems. We are known for our excellent customer service, our expertise, and our reliability. For more information on how we can help your business visit our website www.solarfiresystems.com or give us a call at 01628 902107.
For more fire safety tips, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. LinkedIn and subscribe to our youtube channel.
