Unstable environment heat detectors?

Fire Alarm General Discussion
1

We are installing a system in a brewery that periodically emits large amounts of steam. In addition to that, it is in a very old building that is very dusty, and has no venting at the peak so the steam accumulates, etc…

ROR heat detectors are out of the question, they would set it off without a doubt. I am considering 195 degree fixed heat but placing one of them over a brewing pit that emits steam at 212 degrees could still set it off.

I talked to my distributor who didn’t have a good suggestion either.

Any advice?

2

Have you thought of using a linear heat detector, such as protectowire? It can go up to about 220 degrees ambient temperature with an alarm point around 300 degrees… and since it is a wire inside a heavy duty jacket, you can put the electronics elsewhere and not have to worry about the steam corroding a spot-type heat detector.

3

+1 on the Protectowire. I know you can also get explosion proof heat detectors that keep the electrics completely sealed from the room environment but they are expensive. Is the building sprinklered?

4

Another thought on the Protectowire… We have a site with about 8 cold storage warehouses. They power wash the warehouses every so often, top to bottom. All but one have Protectowire in them and never have problems with the power washing messing up the system. The one with the standard heat detectors, a nightmare.

5

I’d put in explosion proof heats rated at 240 or above.

A lot of manufactures make this same style heat detector, but look for ones like this: http://www.kiddefiresystems.com/utcfs/Templates/Pages/Template-53/0,8062,pageId%3D942%26siteId%3D383,00.html

For heats, the code states:
17.6.2.3* Ambient Ceiling Temperature. Detectors having
fixed-temperature or rate-compensated elements shall be se-
lected in accordance with Table 17.6.2.1 for the maximum
expected ambient ceiling temperature. The temperature rat-
ing of the detector shall be at least 20°F (11°C) above the
maximum expected temperature at the ceiling.

Pay special attention to that last line.

6

I had the same thought but you beat me to it. Couldn’t think of the official term for them so had to look it up! We’ve always referred to them as “donkey *****” but I guess they are officially referred to as “rate compensated heat detectors”. We had some located in a gas fired industrial turbine so they should hold up to a little steam!