This self-paced online course covers sprinkler heads and sprinkler systems that may be used for unusual or special applications. Ordinary sprinkler systems using conventional sprinkler heads can be used to protect most situations. In some applications, however, special systems or systems using special types of sprinkler heads provide more effective, or more economical protection.

Upon completion you should be able to:

• List and describe the most common types of special sprinkler heads, including early suppression fast response (ESFR), large drop, and quick response heads.
• List and describe other sprinkler heads designed for special applications, including in-rack, extended coverage, residential, and coated heads.
• List and describe materials have special sprinkler protection requirements detailed in NFPA 13.
• List and describe different types of special sprinkler systems, including anti-freeze, exposure protection, limited area, and circulating closed-loop systems.
• Define response time index.

Who Will Benefit

Anyone whose job involves designing, reviewing, evaluating or installing fire protection systems, including: designers, installers, engineers, electrical contractors, technicians, project managers, fire marshals, and architects.

Course Summary

• In many instances, what is felt to be "common" sprinkler systems, mainly wet and dry systems, cannot properly protect the hazard or occupancy for which the sprinkler system is installed. Thus, systems with specialized design criteria are required.
• Storage occupancies are a situation where increased system capability is required, and this ability is gained by using specific equipment, such as large orifice sprinklers, and increased hydraulic design.
• There also many other special systems. These include systems to protect:
  • water cooling towers
  • exposures to a building presented by other structures
  • hyperbaric and anachoic chambers and facilities
  • power generation facilities
  • wharves and piers
  • telecommunication facilities
• Additionally, many of these occupancies are the focus of specific NFPA standards for their protection requirements. Other specific systems include those that use anti-freeze solutions, fire fighting foam and high speed deluge systems, for example.
• Essentially, almost anything can be protected by automatic sprinklers, even if the design requires some special arrangements for a special application. When sprinklers are not deemed appropriate, such as the case in the handling of explosives, a system that may not use water or the technology that is found in sprinkler system application, may be appropriate for use.