On 04/10/2020 12:15, JohnP wrote:
A school has just gone up in flames in my area. Usual photos of it burning
inside whilst water is put on the outside. Usual cries for sprinklers - but
these can be vandalised and could cause problems.

I know about dry risers - usually to Landing Hose Unions - but what about a
simple array of pipes in the roof space with open nozzles. In the event of
a fire then the Fire Engine hooks up and dowses the fire from the inside
using the fixed nozzles - no need to enter the building. Notre Dame would
have possibly been saved if such a simple system was in place.

Any thoughts? It seems a compromise to a full sprinkler system but has the
advantage of not being automatic and able to flood the building.


Unlike a sprinkler system, which releases water only in the vicinity of
the fire, that would release water throughout the building. Fine if the
whole building is on fire, but it could result in unnecessary water
damage if the fire were only localised.

There are dry sprinkler systems. They contain compressed air or
nitrogen, but they still need a detector head to activate. That releases
the gas which, in turn, activates a valve that allows water to enter the
system.

--
Colin Bignell