Answers To Three Common Questions About Fire Prevention For Dust Collection Systems

When you work in an industrial environment, fire hazards are part of your daily activities. Unfortunately, if you work in an environment with a dust collection system, your risk factors increase significantly. Combustible dust can be a dangerous component of any operation, so it's important that you work with a quality fire prevention service to help keep the risk of serious dust combustion at bay. Here are some of the most common questions about fire prevention systems in your dust collection structure.

Where Do You Install the System?

Fire detection and suppression systems are usually placed on the primary trunk line of the duct. By putting it downstream of all of the branch pipes but upstream of the inlet to the dust collector, it can monitor all of the dust stream, from its initial introduction to the system throughout the entire cycle.

If your system relies on a positive pressure fan, you'll probably want to put the detector downstream of the fan's discharge. That way, you can be sure that anything passing through the fan is monitored for safety as well.

How Much Water Pressure is Sufficient?

It is important that your system have enough water pressure to maintain the proper spray pattern in the duct system. This means that you need to have access to a water supply that is consistent in both volume and pressure. Although there is no single figure that indicates that your water supply is sufficient, the fire prevention specialists can evaluate how much water flow your system will receive to tell you if it is sufficient. In some cases, you may be able to account for insufficient water pressure by increasing the volume of the water through the lines, which means that you have some flexibility in the supply line.

If the Water Spray Engages, Will it Ruin Anything Currently in Production?

One of the benefits of installing a fire prevention system in your dust collection infrastructure is that these prevention systems regulate the amount of water to use the minimum necessary amount to extinguish the spark or other problem. The valve opens long enough to address the threat, then closes to stop any excess water flow from reaching the system. In most minor situations, there won't be any interruption to your operation. In severe cases, you'll probably need to shut down the line long enough to clear things out.

Since combustible dust can lead to fatalities in some environments, it is in your best interest to use a fire suppression system. The more you know about these safety systems, the more secure your operation will be.

Contact a company like Ace Fire Protection to learn more.