A dry pipe sprinkler system is designed for spaces where a water-filled system would be at risk of freezing. Instead of water, the pipework is kept full of pressurised air or nitrogen, with the water held back at a valve in a heated area until it is needed. When a sprinkler head opens the air escapes, the valve releases and water flows through to the fire. MEP designs, supplies and installs dry pipe sprinkler systems for unheated and cold environments across the UK.
The pipework beyond the dry pipe valve is charged with pressurised air rather than water. When heat opens a sprinkler head, the air pressure in the pipes drops, which allows the dry pipe valve to open and water to surge through the system to the open head. Keeping the water back in a heated space means the pipes running through cold areas stay empty and cannot freeze, while the system remains ready to deliver water automatically whenever a fire occurs.
Dry pipe systems are used wherever temperatures can fall below freezing: unheated warehouses, loading bays, multi-storey and open-sided car parks, cold stores and external canopies. There is a short delay between a head opening and water arriving, because the air has to vent first, so the systems are engineered to keep that delay within acceptable limits. We assess the layout and temperatures, size the system to control that delay, and design to BS EN 12845 so the installation performs reliably in cold conditions.
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A sprinkler system whose pipes are filled with pressurised air instead of water, with the water held back at a valve until a head opens, so the pipes cannot freeze.
To protect areas that can drop below freezing, where water sitting in the pipes would freeze and burst them.
When a head opens, the air pressure in the pipes falls, the dry pipe valve opens and water flows through to the fire.
Yes, a short one, because the air has to vent before water reaches the open head. Systems are designed to keep this delay within acceptable limits.
In unheated warehouses, car parks, loading bays, cold stores and other spaces exposed to freezing temperatures.
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