Fire Sprinkler Systems for Office Buildings

A fire can spread rapidly through an office building, putting people at risk and potentially causing serious property damage and disruption to business operations. Fire sprinkler systems for office buildings and other commercial areas provide automatic fire protection that can react quickly when a fire starts.

At Armstrong Priestley, we provide expert fire sprinkler systems tailored for businesses as part of a wider fire protection system, helping to control fires before they spread out of control in a susceptible environment.

By allowing us to help with your fire safety, it is easier to ensure that fire safety regulations are met, valuable materials can be protected from destruction, and most importantly, lives can be saved.

Click here or call 0113 394 4040 to speak to our experts about fire suppression system installation and the type of system that would be best suited to your needs.

How Do Fire Sprinkler Systems Work?

Most automatic sprinkler systems use individual sprinkler heads that react to heat. Each sprinkler head has a heat-sensitive element, commonly a glass bulb filled with a special liquid.

These sprinkler heads are designed to activate as soon as the heat rises to the point of action. The liquid within the glass bulb expands; water is then released through the sprinkler head.

One great aspect of the way the fire sprinkler systems work is that it doesn’t automatically activate every single sprinkler head, causing unnecessary damage to unaffected areas. The sprinkler head closest to the fire is designed to react when sufficient heat reaches it.

Why Do Office Buildings Need Fire Sprinklers?

As with all commercial buildings, office buildings will benefit from fire sprinkler systems for several very important reasons.

The main reasons are that office buildings:

Contain a range of fire risks, from electrical equipment and kitchens to storage areas, documents and other combustible materials.
Tend to have open-plan layouts, which can also allow a fire to spread rapidly if it is not controlled.
They are used by many people, both staff and visitors.
Have valuable assets, from equipment to confidential docs.

Why having a fire sprinkler system in place as part of a wider fire safety plan, it becomes much more likely that you can control a fire before it gets out of hand, causing unimaginable damage.

Different Types of Fire Sprinkler Systems

There are several types of fire sprinkler systems that could work for your office building depending on many factors, including:

The building
Its fire risks
Environmental conditions
System design

Some of the systems that may be worth considering are:

Wet Pipe Systems: contain pressurised water within the pipes. When a sprinkler head activates, water is discharged directly onto the fire. They are widely used where temperatures remain suitable for a water-based system.
Dry Pipe Systems: use pressurised air within the pipes rather than constantly holding water in the pipework. They can be considered for areas where freezing temperatures could affect a wet pipe system.
Pre Action Systems: have additional controls before water is introduced into the sprinkler pipework. They can be suitable for buildings or areas where accidental water discharge needs to be carefully controlled.
Deluge Systems: use open sprinkler heads and are designed to discharge water over a larger area when activated. They are generally associated with higher-risk applications rather than standard office environments.

It is impossible to determine the best system with extreme confidence without a professional fire protection assessment to help determine which system is appropriate. Once all the checks are complete, we are more than happy to get to work and provide a result like the one we did for Unipart last year.

Where Are Sprinkler Systems Used?

Fire sprinkler systems are extremely common in commercial buildings of all sorts, not just in office buildings.

They can be found in:

Office buildings
Commercial buildings and properties
Residential blocks
Student accommodation
Educational institutions
Hotels
Fire stations
Warehouses and other commercial premises

It is important to note that requirements from one building to another can differ significantly, especially between commercial and residential buildings, so system design and installation should always reflect the individual property.

Do Sprinklers Cause Water Damage?

Fire sprinkler systems can cause water damage, which is one of the biggest concerns for property and commercial business owners. However, a main reason for that is that a fire can get too far out of control while waiting for a human response or turn on prematurely because of smoke. The great news is that an automatic sprinkler system is designed to react to heat from a fire, limiting that water to the sprinkler head that has detected the heat.

By working with Armstrong Priestley, you can ensure a properly designed and installed system that can therefore provide targeted fire suppression while limiting unnecessary water discharge.

The purpose is to provide rapid protection while a fire is still manageable, helping reduce the potential for extensive fire damage.

How Can Sprinklers Help Save Lives?

In addition to all the damage that can be prevented, the automatic response to a developing fire makes fire sprinkler systems particularly valuable before emergency services arrive.

By controlling or suppressing a fire, sprinklers can help slow rapid fire spread and improve conditions for people leaving the building. This can allow search and rescue operations to be performed efficiently, potentially saving the lives of many.

Fire Sprinklers and Building Regulations

Building regulations, British Standards and other applicable requirements may influence the specification of a fire protection system. In fact, for some property types, sprinklers may be legally required, while in other circumstances they may be incorporated as part of a fire risk assessment and overall fire protection strategy.

This means that sprinklers are only one part of an effective fire safety strategy.

You will also need:

Emergency lighting
Alarms
Escape routes
Appropriate fire safety procedures
Paperwork as proof

Property owners and responsible persons should obtain professional advice before deciding on the appropriate system.

Choosing Fire Sprinkler Systems for Office Buildings

As mentioned previously, every office building has different requirements. The appropriate fire sprinkler system will depend on the property type, fire risks, building structure, water supply and relevant standards.

At Armstrong Priestley, we have been helping provide fire safety and guidance for commercial and residential buildings using our expertise. Keeping people safe is what we do best, and we can provide professional advice on commercial fire sprinkler systems for you, too!