How do office buildings test whether their sprinkler systems work?
In: Engineering
They never do, the rest of the sprinkler and alarm system we test weekly
they are installed by well-trained individuals and the designs are signed off if there is never a fire they are never tested.
Sprinklers do not work like the movies. Each head has a temperature sensitive valve on it, when the right temperature is reached for a prescribed period of time the valve opens and does not shut. Some melt a solder weld, others expand liquid in glass tubes to start the sprinkler
This will cause a drop in pressure in the sprinkler system, as they are always pressurized with water (or air if freezing is an issue).
This drop in pressure causes all the fire sprinkler pumps to come on full speed and to stay on, continuously pumping water until someone authorized shuts them down
the pumps coming on do not cause any other sprinklers to activate this has to occur by fire or a heat source – we run the pumps weekly and no sprinklers let water out when doing so
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