Viable alternative to residential sprinklers for multi-million pound building

Plumis Automist has been used to provide an innovative, best value fire protection solution for a multi-million pound Victorian terraced house in Kensington, London. The prestigious three-storey building was to incorporate a contemporary design, including a loft conversion and an open plan staircase at ground floor level. Building Regulations require that in such cases where a separated escape route is not provided, an active fire suppression system such as sprinklers must be used. However, the architects were concerned that a sprinkler installation would have multiple consequences for the clean lines of the design.

Daniel Smith MIFSM MIFPO, Commercial Director at Blue Light Safety had installed Automist, a pre-engineered water mist system, in similar applications and was confident that a three-pump Automist system would meet his clients’ requirements. The installation proved rapid, and was less expensive than sprinklers. The process was also simplified by Automist’s modest demands: the water pressure requirement of only 1.0 bar and the flow of 5.6 litres per minute per pump eliminated the need for a dedicated water supply or storage tanks. Disruption on site was kept to a minimum as installation and commissioning took less than a working day to complete.  Automist only uses a small fraction of the water required for a conventional sprinkler system; it is neat and unobtrusive and fitted seamlessly into this impressive refurbishment.

Daniel Smith was pleased with the result and will continue to use Automist in the future for projects where the demands of Building Control and aesthetic considerations are both paramount.