FIR-04 · Fire & life safety · review-required
Dry-pipe sprinkler system
Dry-pipe systems hold pressurized gas in piping until sprinkler operation releases the valve; they are not the same as preaction.
How it works
Use gas pressure to hold a dry-pipe valve closed until an operated sprinkler reduces pressure enough for water admission.
Where it fits
Reference comparison for environments where freezing or another approved condition drives dry piping.
Where it breaks
Dry pipe is selected merely to avoid water above IT equipment or is described as detection-controlled preaction.
Tradeoff register
- Keeps water out of piping during normal state
- Introduces valve and gas supervision
- Water delivery sequence differs from wet pipe
Interactive teaching model
This card connects to the fire lab. Its output is a bounded calculation or an illustrative directional model, not measured site data or a commissioned design result.
Source register
These sources support the teaching summary. Use current standards, site engineering and authority approval for real work.
- NFPA 13 (2025) — Installation of Sprinkler Systems
NFPA · NFPA LiNK access conditions apply · reviewed 2026-08-26. Rights note: Link to the official edition; do not reproduce system requirements or substitute for adopted code. - NFPA 75 (2024) — Fire Protection of Information Technology Equipment
NFPA · NFPA LiNK access conditions apply · reviewed 2026-08-26. Rights note: Link to the official edition; do not reproduce or paraphrase requirements as local approval.