Here’s an interesting video from Pyrochem on how outdoor Gasoline Station fire suppression systems works. I’ve seen suppression systems installed in some gas stations, but I’ve definitely seen stations where a suppression system isn’t installed.
Also included in the video are computer renderings of a dual action Simplex Tbar, an Autopulse Z-10 panel (Simplex 4004R), and a Wheelock MT.
Also, here’s a video of one of these systems in action:
I have NEVER seen a gas station system…
Are their common in Colorado(I believe you down in there)?
I saw a lot of these around Boston, but I’ve never seen one in the Midwest.
Some jurisdictions require them, but I’d say most don’t.
There are a lot of these around here, but its mostly in the more recently built gas stations. The ones without are generally older ones.
My company doesn’t do anything with these type of supression systems, so I can’t really say much about them.
Like Firefly said, I pretty much only see these at newer gas stations (like the Costco gas station near my house, which is where I fuel up most of the time). I have no clue what the requirements are though.
It depends on local or state codes, I have determined. When I took a road trip to the South (Tennessee) I noticed that gas stations stopped having suppression systems after leaving New England. Just about every station in Maine, NH, VT, and Mass that I have been to has a suppression system installed. I guess the deal is that if it is not required by local fire codes, who’s going to pay the extra expense of installing it, even if it actually does good and saves someone in a gas station fire?
In all honesty though, how often do catastrophic massive gas station explosions happen? Is a few billion spent annually in suppression for gas stations really necessary to protect against an extremely rare occurrence? Especially when most of the fuel is largely protected in an underground tank with a disconnect switch to stop the flow of gas?
Safety can go too far just as easily as it can be neglected.
I never really thought about it that in depth, but you have a point. The damge above ground wouldn’t be astronomical, and of all the times I’ve seen footage of fires at gas stations the risk to life doesn’t seem as high when compared to fires in enclosed structures.
I guess I’d just chalk it up to a lot of New England States cough Mass. cough being nanny-states that feel that only the most intense regulations will do.
Well I think that if it can stop a fire before it ignites the gasoline and potentially causes an explosion then why not?
At the very least install a tank monitoring system to warn of pressure in the tank building up – which could lead to an explosion.
Cool video. They did a pretty good job recreating a Simplex dual-action T-Bar. As for systems, I’ve never really looked close, but alot of stations around here (MN area) do have Fuel Shutoff switch stations (usually STI Stopper® Stations under the Stopper covers) near the entrance to the store. I’ll have to look more closely the next time.
The gas station near me burn down in 2011. They had no sprinklers and they now have them after it was rebuilt.
Sprinklers at a gas station? Do you mean a self-contained suppression system? I’ve never seen a wet pipe sprinkler system for a stand alone gas station.
I think that’s what they mean. Water would make it worse, rather than better…
Unless it’s a water mist system. But somehow doubt it. Cost would be astronomical. I’ve only seen two water mist systems in service. One was in a mansion and had gold plated mist nozzles. Thing sounded like a jet engine taking off, well, it basically is! The other water mist system was a kitchen hood system for a church.
You wouldn’t see a wet pipe system at a gas station. Not so much a cost thing, but more importantly a freeze thing. Unless you live south of Orlando, you wouldn’t have a wet pipe system outdoors like that.
Or could just be a dry system. But again the issue with that volume of water given the hazard may be an issue. The water mist systems are usually filled with air. And from what I understand, the water particles are so small, you can walk through the area and not even get wet. But funny you mention the Orlando reference. I used to watch Burn Notice that took place in Miami. Would see wet risers and back flows just sitting outside and say to myself “couldn’t get away with that here!”
A dry system would technically avoid the freezing issue, but you’re right, I’m not sure how that would work given that kind of hazard. The other thing to think of too is the flammable material in question, gasoline. Flammable liquid vs. ordinary combustible. Water is not the best choice of agent on a class B fire. Dry chem would be a better option.
Check this out - hopefully the link works:
I always wondered about the true real world effectiveness of those gas station systems. On a really windy day, how would could they become compromised. Or even a large vehicle being parked too close to the pump. Plus, the big downside of the dry chem is that it has tendency to ruin things. It would suck to ruin four cars because someone knocked into a manual release pull station with a broom handle. Bad day to leave your windows open! I guess you would have to look and the overall picture - how many accidental activations verses real events. I always figured the easiest thing to do would be to make the gas pumps act in a “dead man” way, in that your hand would have to be on the nozzle handle the entire time for gas to be dispensed. Seeing as most gas station fires seem to occur due to static electricity and people getting in and out of their cars while fueling up. And just adding flame detectors tied into the fuel emergency shutoff system. Maybe even just making people personally financially responsible for not following proper procedures such as no smoking, turn off engine, remain with pump, etc.
That system in your link is interesting. Almost like the deluge sprinkler systems utilizing high velocity nozzles. Being HV, I wouldn’t doubt its effectiveness on a class B fire, but from the sounds of that literature, it gives the impression that it would be more effective in a more confined space.
Gas stations are really tough. Trying to get an appropriate means of protection to safely and effectively extinguish a fire while at the same time making sure its cost effective. That’s not an easy combo in this situation. With the ability to shut off the flow of gasoline in the case of a fire, the property damage would seem fairly limited compared to a typical structure fire…and a lot of the options to protect a gas station are pretty expensive…maybe even more expensive than the pump area itself.