A Wet Pipe is the most common type of fire sprinkler system. A wet pipe system simply means that is full of water and if a head is opened water will flow out and spray the area. Hollywood has given people the impression that when activated water comes out of every head. This is not the case on most systems, just the head or heads that have reacted to the heat or damaged. The smell you will get can be pretty bad because of the standing water in the pipes.
| Maintenance is important, flow testing, inspectors test, main drain flow test and the tamper switches. The system just sits there waiting to do its job and fades into the background most of the time until it is needed. The local fire authority, your insurance company, neighbors, employees and customers are served well when you maintain your investment. |
Applications: Wet pipe sprinklers are the most frequently installed fire sprinklers due to their low-margin of error and simplistic design. They are ideal for indoor environments such as office buildings, retail stores, and commercial high-rises. However, because wet pipe sprinklers are constantly filled with water, they have the potential to freeze. These systems should only be installed in temperature-regulated environments. If temperature is a concern then see our Antifreeze systems or our Dry Pipe Systems.
Operation: Fire will activate the heat-sensitive automatic fire sprinkler in the sprinkler heads closest to the fire. The pressurized water will flow from the activated sprinkler heads. Because the fire only activates the sprinkler heads closest to the fire, water damage is minimal. In fact, much less water is used when extinguishing a fire from a fire sprinkler than fire department extinguishment tools. When the fire sprinkler initiates, alarms will sound and continue sounding until the water flow is manually disabled.
Special Considerations: Because wet pipe sprinkler systems have pressurized water within the pipes at all times, they should only be installed in temperature controlled environments. If wet-pipe sprinklers are installed within an area of a building that is not insulated, the pipes run the risk of freezing and eventually leaking. See our Antifreeze Systems or Dry Pipe Systems.