How do the fire sprinklers operate?
Individual automatic sprinklers are spaced throughout the building at the ceiling level, and are connected to piping hidden within the ceiling. The piping contains water under pressure. In the event of a fire, one or more sprinklers that are nearest to the fire will sense the heat. The heat causes the melting of a fusible element or breaking of a glass heat sensitive bulb that will permit water to flow only from the sprinklers in the area of the fire. The sprinklers distribute water directly where it is needed to confine and control the fire. In the majority of fires, only one or two sprinklers are required to operate. Only the sprinkler closest to the fire will operate and the operation causes the automatic, simultaneously sounding alarm system to be activated.
