Water mist suppression systems are a fairly new technology that’s still evolving and quickly becoming a reliable and effective means of fire suppression for many applications.

Water mist suppression systems are also a clean alternative to other methods of fire suppression such as total flood carbon dioxide systems.

Water mist systems use highly pressurized water and specialized sprinkler and spray heads to dispense water as small droplets, or mist.

What makes a water mist system different from traditional wet sprinkler systems is the size of the water droplets. NFPA 750 defines low, intermediate, and high-pressure systems. Water mist systems are those with operating pressures of 500 psi or greater.

For a system to be considered water mist, it has to have droplets smaller than 1,000 microns. For reference, most traditional sprinkler systems have droplet sizes around 5,000 microns.

Smaller droplets translate to an increase in the number of droplets that can be dispersed. The more numerous the water droplets, the larger the water surface area exposed to heat. More drops will evaporate and turn to steam that will then absorb more heat.

A water mist system uses water mist to control, suppress, or extinguish firesby:

• Cooling the flames and surrounding gasses through evaporation
• Displacing oxygen by evaporation
• Diminishing radiant heat by the small water droplets themselves

In short, water is the agent being delivered in a small mist that quickly absorbs heat, thus interrupting the combustion process by cooling whatever is burning to the point of extinguishment.

There are many advantages to a water mist suppression system, namely its overall safety and effectiveness at extinguishing fires.

A few benefits of water mist systems include:

• More effective extinguishment
  • Better penetration into the seat of the fire
  • Superior coverage of the protected volume
  • Improved cooing effect
  • Prevents reignition
• More economical / time saving
  • Less water consumption
  • Lower cost associated with water damage
  • Less expensive to recharge; no need to purchase expensive agents
  • Easier testing of systems
• Safer
  • Control a room’s temperature allowing for safer egress
  • Prevents combustibles from explosion
  • Uses water vs. other clean agents

Water mist suppression systems are highly effective when used for specific applications such as food processing facilities, sensitive electronic equipment, and electric power generation.

Water mist works best in these applications because not only is water safer than other extinguishing agents, but the way it is delivered (as a mist) protects sensitive equipment that would otherwise be damaged by water from a traditional sprinkler system.

Fire Systems, being a Fike Systems and Kidde Systems distributor, has access to some of the most widely recognized UL Listed Water Misting Suppression Systems. We have the resources with the backing of the manufacture to develop a solution specific to the need someone may have.

Call Fire Systems, Inc. today at 770-333-7979 or visit our websitefor more information on water mist suppression systems, or for any of your fire protection needs.