Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Freezing Locations Require Dry Pipe Fire Protection Systems

The most common type of Maple Grove fire protection system in use is the water sprinkler system, with the most popular being the wet pipe system. Wet pipe systems are filled completely with water up to the sprinkler heads, which, when activated, has water immediately available to douse the fire.

In areas where there is a danger of freezing, however, a dry pipe system is used. Areas that are more likely to have a dry pipe system include unheated warehouses, parking garages and cold storage plants. Dry pipe system do not allow water to be admitted to any portion of the pipe that could be exposed to freezing temperatures.

All piping that could be exposed to freezing temperatures is pressurized with compressed air or nitrogen, and this pressurization is done from the sprinkler heads back to the non-freezing area. A check valve will allow water to flow in the direction of the sprinkler heads, but it is held back by the gas pressure in the low temperature exposed fire protection area.

A sprinkler head will open when it senses the heat from a fire, allowing the gas to escape, lowering the pressure and allowing water to flow out. There is some delay before the water actually reaches the sprinkler head because it must purge out all gas to get to the sprinkler head. The fire code calls for systems to be designed so that water is available in less than a minute.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Fire Protection for Your Business


Nobody wants to think about dealing with a fire and the damage it does to a home or business. Fires are just one of those things that are beautiful when contained in a fireplace but horrific when they ravage your home or business! 

But, is it really all that important to have a high end Minnesota fire protection system in place?  Isn’t that just for large corporations? Not necessarily. A fire protection plan is vital, no matter how large, or small your company is.

In fact, a recent study by the NFPA shows that when a building is protected with operating sprinklers, that, in the event of fire, the average property loss is reduced by one-half to two-thirds when compared to companies that did not have a sprinkler system. And, even more importantly, deaths are reduced by as much as 50-75%. Thankfully, there is fire protection steps you can take to reduce (perhaps eradicate) your risk of fire to your business. 

These fire protection steps begin with having a fire suppression system. These suppression systems include fire sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, integrated security application and fire extinguishers. Each of these have features that make them suited for a specific environment, though they can be installed to suit your facility’s needs.

Today’s technology has brought about many advances in a plethora fields. One of these is in the fire protection field. Now there are a variety of ways you can protect your business. Here at Brothers Fire, we offer several choices that can help you.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Choosing an Effective Fire Suppression System

There are few things more important than protecting your loved ones and property. The best way to do this is to have an effective fire suppression system installed. That way, if a fire should break out, the system will protect your property until firefighters arrive on the scene. But, how do you go about picking a Minnesota fire suppression system company to install it? We discussed this in an article a while back and noted:

The first step in selecting a system is to determine your budget. The higher the price tag, the more features in the system. After you have decided how much you're willing to allocate, you should make some calls and do some research. Contact your local fire department to find out what firms they would recommend to install a system. Ask those with systems who they hired to set them up. Find out if these contractors are properly certified and commissioned, and see what their reputation is like.
Fire suppression systems become more expensive depending on the included features. You have to be comfortable with spending whatever amount you eventually decide on. Getting the opinion of your local fire department for systems and firms can help save you from having to do a lot of research into what system to get. You want to make sure that before you jump into anything, you have all have the necessary information.

Read the entire article: "How To Choose An Effective Fire Suppression System."