Options Tp Consider When Choosing Your Fire Suppression System

When you work in a field of business in which you need a fire suppression system rather than a simple fire extinguisher on hand, then you may wonder what options (if any) are available to you. Luckily, there are different types of fire suppression systems, each of which function a little differently and have different benefits and potential downsides. Get to know more about the main fire suppression system options so that you can make the right choice for you and your business.

Wet or Dry Chemical Agents

Some fire suppression systems utilize either wet or dry chemicals to put out fires. While using chemicals for fire suppression can sound like a scary proposition, it does not have to be. In fact, the most commonly used wet chemical in fire suppression systems is potassium carbonate which is also used in baking and wine-making.

Wet chemicals like potassium carbonate are also common in fire extinguishers and can be best put to use in commercial kitchen settings. Grease fires like those produced by malfunctioning deep fat fryers respond well to this type of chemical agent.

A common dry chemical agent for fire suppression systems, on the other hand, is sodium bicarbonate, also commonly referred to as baking soda. Again, this chemical agent is entirely safe and can be used on grease fires as well as electrical fires to great success. You can even use sodium bicarbonate on gasoline and propane fires making it an ideal chemical fire suppression agent for kitchen and industrial settings. Both of these primary chemical agents are also environmentally friendly for use as fire suppression systems.

Water Fire Suppression Systems

Water is by far and away the most common fire suppression system overall. Automatic and manual water fire suppression systems (also commonly referred to as sprinkler systems) are used in many multi-family housing units and standard commercial settings.

The problem with such systems is that an accidental activation of an automatic or manual water fire suppression system could ruin possessions in a residential setting or inventory in a business. Additionally, when fires are gasoline, grease, or electrical, water may not be the best fire suppression option.

Water is conductive, meaning that it carries an electrical charge that could prove dangerous is an electrical fire. And in kitchen grease fires, water may only serve to spread the fire rather than suppress it.

Now that you know more about the best fire suppression systems available, you can be sure to make the best possible choice for your business and get it installed as soon as possible.

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