Water Mist Fire Protection
Water mist fire protection is increasingly becoming a popular choice for ensuring fire safety on most commercial buildings in Singapore — the smart replacement for conventional fire sprinkler systems.
How a Water Mist System Works
The system produces very fine and pressurized water sprays to contain, suppress and stop flames. When directed towards the flames, the sprays first act by cooling off the combustion and displacing the oxygen that supports burning. Finally, the droplets of water smother the heat, thereby extinguishing the fire.
The effectiveness of water mist fire protection mainly depends on the spray characteristics including size of water droplets, pressure and water density. Systems that produce smaller droplet sizes are the best for extinguishing fires quickly. Systems that produce large droplets are mainly ideal for small and low temperature fires.
Most water mist systems use stainless steel pipes for moving the water to the nozzles. Although the pipes are accorded anti-corrosive coating, it is always advisable to only use tap water to prevent rust. Untreated water could corrode the pipes and cause blockage of the nozzles, making the system ineffective during fire emergencies.
Three Pressure Operating Levels
Water mist systems are designed for low, medium and high pressure applications depending on the environment and fire risk level.
Low Pressure
Same as ordinary water sprinklers
Small fires in homes, office spaces, warehouses and smaller enclosures
Medium Pressure
175 psi to 500 psi
Wide range of fires in living and work spaces
High Pressure
500 psi and above (up to 2,300 psi)
Large fires in commercial and industrial spaces
Deluge vs Automatic Nozzles
When buying water mist systems, it is also important to consider the nozzles. The systems can have either deluge or automatic nozzles.
Deluge Nozzles
Deluge nozzles remain open at all times such that as soon as the water flows into the system, they start releasing it towards the flames. This provides immediate and unrestricted water discharge to the fire area.
Automatic Nozzles
Automatic nozzles are designed with a thermal element covering the head that will instantly burst under high temperatures, allowing the flow of water to extinguish the fire. They activate only where heat is detected.
Unique Benefits of Water Mist Fire Protection
Compared to gaseous fire suppression agents and water sprinklers, water mist fire protection is proven to deliver the following unique benefits.
Instant Activation
Whether the nozzles are deluge or automated, water mist systems always provide more rapid response that enables users to safely and quickly put out fires.
Effective on All Fire Types
Water mist systems produce very fine water droplets that can effectively penetrate into the seat of flames, extinguishing different kinds of fires and providing an increased cooling effect.
Eco-Friendly
Water mist systems have no impacts to humans, pets and the environment. Regardless of where it is used to suppress fires, there are no toxicity issues, making them a safe fire protection alternative.
Less Water & Damage
The system uses much less water than sprinklers to extinguish different types of fires. Due to the small droplets of pressurized water released, there is a significantly reduced risk of water damage to your belongings after use.
Explore Water Mist Fire Protection Systems
At Ezzogenics, we offer a huge selection of high quality fire protection systems and fire safety products for residential, commercial and industrial spaces.