How Do Sprinklers Work?

A sprinkler is a tool for water distribution by spraying in the air, with water passing through plumbing pipes. According to WordNet, a sprinkler is a mechanical device attached to a garden hose for watering a lawn or a garden.

A sprinkler may also function as a fire extinguisher or suppressant. In buildings, sprinklers are installed with an integrated system of pipes with an adequate source of water supply. Control valves are likewise installed, as well as a device for activating the alarm once the system operates.

Two main purposes of sprinklers are for lawn or crop irrigation and for controlling or extinguishing fire in buildings. In irrigation, the sprinkler heads discharge water over a specified area. In fire protection, water is dispersed from a network of overhead pipes through nozzles that automatically activate when temperature rises to a certain level. The sprinkler heads, in their inactive state, are secured by heat-sensitive seals that obstruct water flow until such time that it senses a warm temperature. Then, seals melt, the metals fuse or the glass bulbs break, triggering the spraying of water.

Sprays or spray heads are sprinklers that have a fixed spraying pattern and water pressure not exceeding 30 lbf/in2 (200kPa) so as not to develop misting problems. Rotors, on the other hand, are the higher pressure sprinklers that rotate and are driven by a ball drive, gear drive, or impact mechanism. The rotors, also known as pulsating sprinklers, have the ability to rotate in a full or partial circle.

Another type of sprinkler is the gun, which is similar to a rotor, except that the former can operate at very high pressures of 40-130 lbf/in2 (275-900kPa) and flows of 50-1200 US gallons/minute (3-76 L/s). The use of guns can be seen in industrial applications, such as dust suppression and logging.

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