Sprinklers in commercial kitchens

[saddlers]

Can anyone point me towards any relevant guidance on the suitability of sprinkler heads in commercial kitchens and the effect on fat fires. I know this may be a stupid question, but I seem to be struggling to quickly locate any guidance. Does the guidance lean more towards providing a localised suppression system, such as Ansul system.

[Chris Houston]

Ideally you would want both sprinklers and Ansul, but don't avoid putting sprinklers in kitchens just because there is deep frying going on.  The fire brigade won't hesitate to apply water in large quantities to kichens on fire, if you are worrying about an injury risk to people in the kitchen - then don't by the time the sprinkers have activated they will not be standing about in the kitchen.

[saddlers]

Thanks Chris, my mind was saying that by the time the system activates, no-one should be close enough to be at risk, but bizarrely I have never come across this scenario before, so thought I would get a more informed opinion.

Input is really appreciated

Thanks

[Chris Houston]

I think they might put different temperature bulbs in kitchens, but I know I wouldn't be hanging around in a room that was 68 degrees hot.  If I was, I'd be hoping for some water to start coming from the ceiling!

[MC]

I work for a company who instal Ansul systems, email me and i can give you our technical teams number, maybe they can help you with guidance material.

MC

[Mike Buckley]

It might be worth looking at a water mist system. Due to the small size of the droplets this should not create a problem with the fat fire.

[John Webb]

My some years old and possibly out of date notes on sprinklers says:
(a) operating temp of head to be not more than 30deg C above the highest expected ambient
(b) where there are ovens and/or hot process ventilating hoods, sprinklers within 3m (plan) to be either the same as any sprinklers fitted to the oven or hood, or 141deg C, whichever is the lower.

[kurnal]

Generally commercial kitchens do not represent such a high fire risk as to warrant the installation of sprinklers in their own right. However it the building has sprinklers elsewhere for what ever reason- size, height, engineered solution etc then the sprinklers should also cover the kitchens.  

If you are looking at the kitchen in isolation as a fire risk in an  otherwise unsprinklered building then the ansul is the way to go. In fact even if there are existing sprinklers an ansul system for the cooking range would be a great way of reducing risk.

[Ashley Wood]

High pressure water mist systems have been installed in many hundreds of kitchen applications. The advantage they offer over the Ansul system is speed of extinguishment, rapid cooling, clean and environmentally friendly. I have recently seen one company that has developed a stand alone pumped system that sits in nothing larger than a bread bin! it works and has passed live tests with the LPC and is going through the accreditation process. In the past these systems have relied on a one shot cylinder system arrangement.

One question I have for the Ansul folks. What does the end user do with the oil waste/foam mix when they dispose of it? A lot of restaurants, etc. have their used oil taken away to be made in to Bio fuel, once contaminated the oil is useless to them.

[Chris Houston]

I'm unconvinced that there is any significant environmental impact difference beween ansul and water. In the grand scheme of things this appears to be negligible to me.

[CivvyFSO]

I would like to take this opportunity remind you of the forum rules regarding multiple posts....

*CivvyFSO runs off laughing

[CivvyFSO]

And also of the spelling of 'negligible'.

*CivvyFSO slips

[Chris Houston]

Did I ever mention: one of the fun things about being Forum Admin is the fact I can change history? :lol:

[Mike Buckley]

and you thought 1984 was fiction

[kurnal]

By changing history you may be influencing and changing the future too- scary.

if you hadnt changed history I would not have posted this and instead would have been in time to put a fiver on a cert at the bookies and I could have been on my way to being rich. So you owe me.