A Dry Pipe Sprinkler System is a nice way to not heat the warehouse but still have the protection of the fire sprinkler system. The system is filled with air and air pressure is maintained by a compressor or compressed air. If the air pressure drops below a predetermined pressure the dry valve will trip that holds back the water and fills the system with water. Water only flows through the opening and sprays down on the fire. If your air compressor starts turning on more often than normal it is a good indication that there is a leak in the piping that needs to be found and fixed. If the leak gets too bad the compressor will not be able to keep up and the system will trip filling full of water and subject to freeze damage.
Maintenance is very important especially during cold temperatures.
Applications: Dry-pipe sprinkler systems are best used in environments with temperature fluctuation. The lack of water within the pipe eliminates the risk of a frozen pipe.
Operation: To make this type of system ideal for environments that could reach below freezing, dry-pipe fire sprinkler pipes are filled with pressurized air or nitrogen. When a fire initiates the opening of the heat-sensitive sprinkler head, the dry pipe valve opens and allows the water to flow into the pipes.
Special Considerations: There is a time delay in dry-pipe fire sprinklers because the pipes are not already filled with water. This can possibly allow a fire to grow larger than it would have with a wet-pipe fire sprinkler. To compensate for the delay, a quick opening device for the valve can be added to rapidly remove air or nitrogen from the pipes.