What’s the Difference Between a Fire Sprinkler System and a Fire Suppression System?

In today’s world of greatly enhanced and ultra hi-tech fire safety systems – where merely shouting ‘FIRE!’ is no longer even remotely adequate and certainly wouldn’t meet the demands of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 – there are many products on the market to provide the protection you need at your commercial premises.

Fire sprinkler and fire suppression systems are two of the most effective solutions, because they don’t need human intervention to quickly tackle an existing fire or prevent a developing fire. And as they work in a similar way – the early detection of heat or smoke leading to an automatic response to extinguish it being triggered – they can be easily confused.

In this article, we’re going to explore the key differences that exist between the two, as well as detail which scenarios would be best for each in your overall fire safety setup.

What is a fire sprinkler system?

Probably the best known of the automatic extinguishers, a fire sprinkler system detects the presence of a possible fire and deals with it by sprinkling water over the affected area or in the direction of particular items in need of rapid protection. That makes it the right choice for dealing with Class A fires involving paper, wood, fabrics, etc.

Mechanical sprinkler systems are often found in commercial warehouses and storage areas or in the communal areas and stairwells of high-rise residential buildings. Sprinkler systems are also commonly installed in schools, colleges and care homes.

But water isn’t the right extinguishant to use in all fire situations and can, in fact, make things considerably worse if used on certain types of fire. For instance, what if the area in question contains expensive electrical equipment storing irreplaceable data?

With more and more commerce and communication being conducted online via desktop computers and laptops, together with the need to store huge amounts of vital data and information on bigger and bigger servers, using the wrong extinguishant could be a disaster.

What is a fire suppression system?

While a fire suppression system shares much in common with a fire sprinkler, the main difference is in the type of extinguishant it uses to deal with a fire. This is usually a gas such as carbon dioxide (although some systems dispense wet and dry chemicals). 

That means it is safe and effective when used on any kind of electrical fire, making it especially popular in locations such as server rooms and data centres.

The system works by filling the room in question with CO2 gas, which being heavier than air is able to both smother the fire and displace the oxygen it needs to continue to burn. Carbon dioxide has the added bonus of dissipating soon after it has been used so that there’s also no residue left at the end to damage or harm your expensive equipment.

In order for a fire suppression system to work, the room in which it is located needs to be sealed, so that when the gas is released it is contained for long enough to extinguish the fire. Ensuring this is the case is a process known as room integrity testing.

Find out more about how a fire suppression system works by reading our previous blog on the subject.

What’s the difference between fire sprinkler and fire suppression systems?

In short, the main differences between these two otherwise similar solutions are the types of fires they can be used on and the extinguishants they use. Fire sprinklers use water to put out Class A fires, while fire suppression systems use carbon dioxide to deal with electrical fires.

It’s worth mentioning here that CO2 extinguishant can also be used on flammable liquids, but this is unlikely to be a practical use for a suppression system – you’d usually be better off using a handheld CO2 fire extinguisher.

If you’re looking for a safe and practical solution for keeping your important electrical equipment and data safe from the threat of fire, why not get in touch with the experts at Scutum North? We support businesses throughout northern and central England – across a wide range of commercial sectors – with their fire safety requirements.

With years of experience and expertise to call on, we offer free site visits along with free quotations – and we always aim to beat any other quote you get, so we’re also your best choice for value!