Dry Pipe Fire Sprinkler System

A dry pipe sprinkler system is one in which pipes are filled with pressurized air or nitrogen, rather than water. This air holds a remote valve, known as a dry pipe valve, in a closed position. Located in a heated space, the dry-pipe valve prevents water from entering the pipe until a fire causes one or more sprinklers to operate. When the sprinkler’s detectors are alerted to a fire, the air escapes and the dry pipe valve releases. Water then enters the pipe, flowing through open sprinklers onto the fire.

Advantages of using dry pipe fire sprinkler systems include:

• Dry pipe sprinkler systems provide automatic protection at temperatures below 4°C or in areas where frost is likely.
• physically damaged wet pipe system will leak while dry pipe systems will not. Should impact damage happen, there will only be a mild discharge delay, i.e. 1 minute, while air in the piping is released before water flow.

Typical dry pipe installations include;

• unheated warehouses

• garages,

• outside exposed loading docks,

• commercial freezers.