Creating Your Own Fire Sprinkler System Design

Designing your own fire sprinkler system design can be really tricky. However, it’s really important that you have a perfectly designed fire sprinkler system for your house. A fire sprinkler system is your first line of defense when it comes to fires. Thousands of people lose their homes due to fire accidents. A well designed fire sprinkler system can help save you, your family and your property from the threat of fire.

Step 1 - Choose the Location of the Fire Sprinklers

Choosing the appropriate locations for your fire sprinklers is necessary for you to have an effective fire sprinkler system design. Your top priority is the bedrooms. Since fires can ensue in the middle of the night when the residents are sleeping, having fire sprinklers in one’s bedroom will give you the much needed peace of mind. At the same time, you should have a fire sprinkler for your kitchen and living room. You should also have one for your basement. Lastly, check areas of your home with low ceilings and narrow walls like closets that allow for the accumulation of smoke that can lead to asphyxia.

It also takes planning to come up with the specific portion of the ceiling in which to install your fire sprinkler. Your fire sprinkler manual will specify an area of coverage for its smoke and heat detector. Most of the time, this area is measured in circumference. You should place the fire sprinkler head in a specific section of your ceiling where the area of coverage can extend to a large area of your room.

At the same time, your fire sprinkler heads should be installed at least 500 mm away from any ceiling obstruction or beam to preserve the efficiency of the system.

Step 2 - Choose the Right Equipment

Part of your fire sprinkler system design is picking out the right tools and equipment. For instance, you need to stay away from concealed sprinkler heads as the concealed assembly plates are outdated and the replacement of worn out plates is no longer possible.  

Step 3 – Secure Water Supply

You no longer have to tap a public water supply for a fire sprinkler system. You should be able to have steady and adequate amount of water to feed to your fire sprinkler system. You should also have the required minimum water pressure for your fire sprinkler system.

Step 4 - Route the Pipes

When it comes to planning the whole route of your fire sprinkler pipes, it’s important that you stay clear of electric panel boards, switchboards, motor control centers and other electrical equipment. You should provide a main drain that is 2 inches wide for tests. You should also equip each standpipe with a pressure gauge.