06-16-2017, 10:05 AM
(06-16-2017, 08:11 AM)jamincan Wrote: It seems the main risk with using water on electric fires is shock and damage to equipment. There seems to be a pretty good answer to the question on quora that suggests that sprinklers, when properly installed, do not increase the risk of shock, and provide no additional risk of damage over the fire itself or other fire-fighting measures, except in specific circumstances like a data centre, for example.
Electrical equipment in sprinklered buildings have drip shields or are designed to not allow water to flow down the front. Also note that when a sprinkler is activated, only the heads in the area of the fire release water as the heat will break the fluid filled glass seal.
In an example like a data centre or control room they may implement a Novec clean agent type suppression system which is friendlier to electronics and quicker to activate than water and often implemented in rooms which aren't regularly occupied. The novec fluid suppresses the fire, then evaporates.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjZKsKXL-hI