Insulated Fire Suppression in a refrigerated warehouse
PROJECT STATS
- Over 500 feet of 10 inch diameter piping with 2 inch thick insulation
- Over 600 feet of electrical heat tracing
- Waco Project Manager: Grady Sibold
About This Project
Food processing plants often temporarily store their product in a refrigerated warehouse. Temperatures must be kept below freezing in order to protect and preserve the product. A fire suppression system in such a warehouse requires special attention. Often, a dry pipe sprinkler system is recommended. In such a system, compressed air takes the place of water in the cold part of the system to prevent the water in the pipes from freezing.
In 2016, a cold storage facility located near Warsaw, North Carolina specified a wet pipe sprinkler system in a new building that would have operating temperatures at or below freezing.
What IT TOOK TO ACHIEVE THIS PROJECT.
Unique Project Challenges
Waco was called upon to install electrical heat tracing on the pipes and then insulate them with two-inch thick fiberglass insulation. A .030” thick PVC jacket was then installed over the insulation. A red colored jacket was chosen so the sprinkler system could be easily differentiated from other piping.
Initially, Waco planned to complete the project with the system turned off. During the last few weeks the owner needed to start the system up, so the insulators had to complete the project in below freezing conditions. Our ability to work with the owner allowed them to start storing product sooner and begin operating at full capacity several weeks ahead of schedule.