The recent withdrawal of BS 8458:2015 and introduction of BS EN 14972-17 created a void in water mist products that manufacturers have been competing to fill. iCO was the first UK manufacturer to release a high-pressure nozzle successfully tested to the new standard and, hot on the heels of this achievement, is proud to announce that its new concealed low-pressure nozzle is the first to successfully pass the same stringent fire test programme, proving its fire suppression performance under the residential test conditions defined by BS EN 14972-17.
Clearing the way for residential low-pressure water mist
Low-pressure water mist systems are ideally suited to residential applications such as care homes, HMOs, hostels and student accommodation. With solid evidence that iCO’s concealed low-pressure nozzles have been independently fire tested to BS EN 14972-17, a significant barrier to specification and approval has been removed. This means systems incorporating iCO low-pressure nozzles, when correctly designed and installed in accordance with BS EN 14972-1 and the manufacturer’s DIOM, are now a viable alternative to sprinklers in appropriate residential applications up to 45 metres in height, with a maximum tested nozzle installation height of 3.5 metres.
Benefits of lower water flow in fire suppression
Why choose water mist over sprinklers? In a word, space. By using lower water flow rates for fire suppression, low-pressure water mist systems can require up to 50% less stored water than conventional sprinkler systems. This can dramatically reduce the size of the water tanks needed, while lower system demand can also enable smaller pumps. Together, these benefits can significantly reduce the space needed to accommodate effective fire suppression infrastructure – a major advantage for architects and installers working on new developments and renovations.
What is BS EN 14972-17?
BS EN 14972-17 is the new European fire test protocol for automatic water mist systems protecting residential occupancies. It works alongside BS EN 14972-1, which sets out the requirements for the design, installation, inspection and maintenance of water mist systems. Together, these standards supersede BS 8458:2015, which has now been withdrawn.
Proof of performance for streamlined sign-off
Independent fire testing to BS EN 14972-17 was carried out at Baltic Fire Laboratory, an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited fire research facility specifically accredited for the BS EN 14972-17 test method. Tests A–E were successfully completed at both 2.5 metre and 3.5 metre installation heights, demonstrating the nozzles’ fire suppression performance across the different fire scenarios and test conditions defined by the standard.
Greg Farmer, Business Development and Partnerships Manager at iCO, is proud to have added another first to iCO’s list of innovative achievements, saying: “Protecting people from fire where they live is at the heart of everything we do. We wanted to make sure our new concealed low-pressure nozzle had robust, independent evidence of its performance before we brought it to market, so successfully completing the BS EN 14972-17 testing is a really important milestone for us. It means installers, specifiers and approvers have that evidence from day one, giving them greater confidence in the product and helping to make conversations around specification and approval much more straightforward.”
Suggested pullouts:
An industry first: A concealed low-pressure water mist nozzle that’s been independently tested to BS EN 14972-17.
Low-pressure water mist can now prove performance for residential buildings up to 45 metres tall, with an installation height of up to 3.5 metres.
“Installers and approvers now have the confidence that our low-pressure nozzles come with the solid evidence required for smoother sign-off.”
For more information please visit: https://ico-products.com/concealed-low-pressure-mist-nozzle/
