How does a Restaurant Fire Suppression System Work?

One of the most vital components in you commercial kitchen, has the most mystery behind it. Boss Fire Protection would like to take the mystery out of commercial fire safety by empowering you with the knowledge necessary to manage your systems properly. use our beginner friendly resources to educate your teams, so you can create a safety driven culture in your facility.

The Ansul R – 102 restaurant fire suppression system is a pre-engineered, wet chemical, cartridge-operated, regulated pressure type with a fixed nozzle agent distribution network. The system is capable of automatic detection and actuation as well as remote manual actuation. Additional equipment is available for building fire alarm panel connections, electrical shutdown and/or interface, and mechanical or electrical gas line shut-off applications.

Regulated Release System – System Diagram

  • 1. Pull Station – Wire that is ran from the pull station to the regulated release. In the event of a fire, if the use of the detection line does not trigger release of the chemical agent, the remote pull station would need to be pulled to activate the system. Please note that when pulling the remote pull station handle, the wire can have up to 12” of slack. Make sure to pull until the system triggers.

 

  • 2. Detection line – Starts directly behind the micro – switch and runs to the associated hoods connecting to each fusible link in the system. The detection line is set with a tension bar and spring for means of automatic activation for the wet chemical system. There should be a minimum 1/4- inch to maximum 3/8-inch clearance from the hammer to the hammer base. In the event of a fire, your fusible link will melt, triggering the hammer to drop, releasing the chemical agent to extinguish the fire.

 

  • 3. Gas valve – Wire that comes down on the right side of the micro – switch into the air plunger. The line is installed with hand tight tension and set off by the compressed air released by the cartridge. This shuts off all gas under the vent hood when the regulated release is triggered. Eliminating a potential source of fuel if there is a fire.

 

  • 4. Micro Switch – The micro switch ties into the electrical breaker to shut off all electrical supply under the associated vent hoods and fresh air makeup. This small device plays an important role in the system by eliminating any additional fuel to the fire. Once triggered this device also sets off fire alarm system to notify the fire department for notification to respond.

 

  • 5. Cartridges – Ties into the regulated release and is made to puncture the seal of the cartridge upon actuation and fill bottles with compressed air and send chemical through system piping. Cartridges must be changed out or hydro – tested every twelve years by DOT specifications. This should be inspected and kept up with by your fire suppression inspection company.

 

  • 6. Actuator – Regulates compressed air that runs through the control head in the event of a fire. Hoses distribute the compressed air from the actuator to the bottles. The compressed air then pressurizes the bottles containing the wet chemical agent. This helps regulate the follow of the wet agent through the system for proper discharge.

 

  • 7. Bottles – Contain the chemical agent that flows through the wet chemical piping in the event of a fire. Its pushed through the piping by the compressed air that is release by the cartridges through the actuator and hoses. Bottles must be hydro – static tested every 12 years.

Wet Chemical Piping

Your fire suppression system uses piping and nozzles to help ensure that the proper amount of wet chemical agent gets to each appliance under your hood system in the event of a fire. This ensures that high risk appliances get more chemical than a lower risk appliance. All piping from fire suppression system start at the housing cabinet and transition to the hoods in which they are designed to provide coverage. Piping is typically ran from the housing cabinet and bottles, through the sub-ceiling of your facility to the top of each vent hood the system it is protecting.

Check out another video in our series for more information. Boss Fire Protection offers complimentary consultations for all your fire extinguisher and fire suppression sales and service needs.