Low cost home fire sprinkler alternative with innovative watermist technology

Automist is a simple, retrofittable, sprinkler-alternative for full room active fire protection (LABC Registered detail - RD171). Perhaps you are a homeowner looking for peace of mind from kitchen fires, a fire inspector trying to prevent the risk of flashover on an escape route, or even a landlord looking to safeguard your tenants. Automist is changing the way people think about domestic fire protection.

There is increasing demand for open-plan spaces, but fire safety rules and building regulations can make it difficult to get approval from building control. Automist gives designers a number of active fire protection options to protect escape routes and aid evacuation for a fraction of the cost of a traditional sprinkler system.

The Automist emitter can be installed in a number of configurations:

Under a standard monobloc tap - e.g. kitchen sink installation
On a worktop - e.g. sluice room installation
Wall mounted - e.g. under a stairwell installation

James Dyson said of the device, after it won the James Dyson Award in 2009: "This simple but clever device should become a permanent safety feature in the home. Smoke alarms are an essential part of modern life but have remained fundamentally unchanged for forty years. Automist not only detects a fire but can put it out as well."

Enable open plan living

Potential benefits of using Automist to meet building regulations:

Enhance the project design with more open space
Increase the design density of the overall development
Reduce building costs due to a reduction in passive fire protection systems, such as enclosed staircases or fire rated doors
Offer peace of mind to the inhabitants

Automist installation options

In the event of a fire, the system is triggered automatically by a heat alarm or a fire panel output. Heat detection is recommended for kitchens in Approved Document B, and effectively eliminates nuisance activation. Unlike conventional sprinklers, Automist can be stopped manually by pressing a button on its control panel. As Automist uses much less water than a traditional sprinkler system, water damage in the event of activation is minimised. Where desired, manual activation can also be provided through a manual call point.

Once triggered, an under-sink pump drives mains water through the unique nozzle unit, quickly filling the room volume with a dense fog. Water mist removes heat and displaces oxygen from the fire zone, resulting in fire control, suppression or extinguishment. The intention is to lower the temperature, lessen the radiative heat and reduce the oxygen concentration to such an extent that combustion can be longer be maintained, and therefore reducing damage and maintaining survivable conditions.

Adding water to a kitchen chip pan fire can greatly exacerbate the fire, the same is not true for water mist, as the updraught from the flame and the evaporation of the tiny droplets prevents water from reaching and collecting in the pan.

Click to learn more about how Automist compares to other domestic fire protection options or watch videos of Automist.

Automist pump unit