Installing a wet chemical suppression system can protect your restaurant and its occupants. Most restaurant fires originate from cooking equipment. Fires in cooking areas can cause thousands of dollars in damage and shut down operations for days or weeks or longer. Installing a wet chemical suppression system is less expensive than repairing fire and smoke damage.
Advantages of Wet Chemical
Wet chemical fire suppression systems provide quicker flame knock down than a dry chemical system. The fine droplets suppress the fire and help prevent re-ignition after the discharge is complete. The easy clean-up is another advantage of a wet chemical system. After a fire has been extinguished the area can be cleaned up using a cloth to wipe away the residue.
Extinguishing Action
Once initiated, the pressurized wet chemical extinguishing agent cylinder discharges a potassium carbonate solution through a pre-engineered piping network and out the discharge nozzles. The discharge of fine droplets over the fire area is maintained for a duration of time to ensure suppression and inhibit re-ignition. The main extinguishing action is the cooling caused by the heat of vaporization. The fine spray discharge prevents the dangerous splash of hot grease or thermal shock damage to cooking appliances.
Re-ignition is prevented by saponification, a process in which the wet chemical agent combines with the grease to form a soapy layer at the surface of grease to seal off the fuel from the oxygen, allowing the grease to cool to below its auto-ignition temperature.
Limited Amount of Liquid Chemical
It is important to choose the right size system with the needed amount of liquid chemical to extinguish a fire. The system size is not only an important consideration at the time of kitchen design, but is just as important when introducing new appliances to an existing kitchen/hood.
If the size, design and installation are not per the manufacturer’s specification and listing, adequate fire protection may not be achieved. Call Fire Control Systems today to discuss your wet chemical suppression system needs.