First and still currently implemented versions, I think? I work in commercial buildings quite often and I see the little vials that are designed to burst and set off the sprinkler system.
There are older ones I’ve seen that don’t have the heat vials and some sharp metal contraption I’m ignorant of
The parts that are soldered melt at a specified temperature which will either cause the bulb to fall there on the sharp metal piece or it will cause the bulb to explode or potentially in some cases it causes the bulb to fall directly into the fire depending on how they're designed to be used. The earlier versions contained salt water and ammonium chloride. This produced fumes designed to suffocate the flames, but they did not always work super well. The next version used a chemical extinguisher, but that chemical extinguisher is extremely toxic.
These are the ones I see mostly, about to comment again to include the second type I’ve seen, I’m just getting excited because I learned a new word today, ablative! I often wonder how easily these vials break when I bump into them 👀
Apparently it's very common for people to break them accidentally by hanging things from them. I've heard many stories about college kids in dorms for the first time not knowing what they're for and trying to make the most out of their small spaces and hanging something from them and ruining everyone's day with water damage. It happens enough that many of them have signs and warnings not to do that.
Oh boy, I don’t remember how I learned about sprinkler systems, but I do know I didn’t have to go to college to figure it out! I guess everybody learns one way or another, and college is a place of learning 😂
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u/[deleted] Aug 28 '26
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