Plumis Automist User Handbook Manual

Automist® Fixed Wall Head Handbook

Version 1.2.3

The Automist Fixed Wall Head Handbook is designed to

provide Accredited Automist Installers with essential

information regarding specification, installation,

maintenance and commissioning of the Automist fire

protection device.

Supersedes – Automist Fixed Wall Head Handbook Version 1.2.2

Automist® Fixed Wall Head Handbook v1.2.3

Contents

INTRODUCTION TO THE FIXED WALL HEAD SYSTEM ............................................................................................... 4

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Automist operation ....................................................................................................................................................... 6

The Automist System .................................................................................................................................................... 7

Fire Performance and Regulations Compliance ........................................................................................................ 8

LABC Registered Detail ............................................................................................................................................ 8

Fire Engineered Applications .................................................................................................................................. 8

Quality Assurance ......................................................................................................................................................... 9

HOW TO SPECIFY THE FIXED HEAD AUTOMIST SYSTEM ........................................................................................ 10

Specifying Automist .................................................................................................................................................... 11

Room Compatibility ............................................................................................................................................... 13

Spray Head Placement .......................................................................................................................................... 14

Detection System ........................................................................................................................................................ 15

INSTALLER GUIDELINES .............................................................................................................................................. 17

A) Preparing the site............................................................................................................................................... 19

B) Configuring the Spray Head ............................................................................................................................. 20

C) Installing the Automist Head ............................................................................................................................ 21

D) Connecting the water supply ........................................................................................................................... 23

D) Connecting the electrics ................................................................................................................................... 26

E) Commissioning and maintenance ................................................................................................................... 29

The Automist Controls ............................................................................................................................................... 30

Commissioning Procedure .................................................................................................................................... 30

Power supply .......................................................................................................................................................... 33

Water Supply ........................................................................................................................................................... 33

Pump & Placement ................................................................................................................................................ 33

Alarm Relay Placement .......................................................................................................................................... 34

Head Placement ..................................................................................................................................................... 34

High Pressure Hose ................................................................................................................................................ 34

Coverage.................................................................................................................................................................. 34

Documentation ....................................................................................................................................................... 34

Cleaning ....................................................................................................................................................................... 36

Repair ........................................................................................................................................................................... 36

Troubleshooting .......................................................................................................................................................... 36

Warranty ...................................................................................................................................................................... 39

Fixed Head System Servicing……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….38

Automist® Fixed Wall Head Handbook v1.2.3

INTRODUCTION TO THE FIXED

WALL HEAD SYSTEM

Automist® Fixed Wall Head Handbook v1.2.3

Introduction

• Read all of these instructions.

• Retain this guide for later use.

• The content in this manual may differ from the product and is subject to change without prior

notice.

• Follow all warnings, cautions and instructions contained in this guide.

• The appliance is not to be used by persons (including children) with reduced physical, sensory

or mental capabilities, or lack of experience and knowledge, unless they have been given supervision or instruction (excluding children).

• Automist requires recommissioning at least annually to provide effective protection.

• When this product has reached the end of its serviceable life, it should be disposed of in a safe

manner.

IMPORTANT: Once installed, complete and submit an installation and commissioning form to Plumis.

WARNING: To avoid hazards, all installation procedures and maintenance must be supervised by an

Accredited Automist Installer.

Automist® Fixed Wall Head Handbook v1.2.3

Automist operation

In the event of a fire, Automist is triggered automatically by a relay contact, provided by one or more

heat alarms/detectors,1 compliant with either BS 5446-2 or BS EN 54-5

. The link between detector and

relay may involve a fire panel or, more commonly, a direct wired or wireless connection between the

devices.

Once triggered, a 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 and the accumulation of toxic

gases, thereby reducing damage and increasing survivability. Adding water to a 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.

Unlike conventional sprinklers, Automist can be stopped manually by pressing a button on the pump’s

front panel, by means of an optional remote STOP button, or by cutting power to the independent

circuit on the consumer unit (marked with an indicator sticker). 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.

The water mist technology also has benefits for suppressing a greater range of fire scenarios, particularly

fires that are shielded from the nozzle release point.

Watermist has a different principle of fire fighting to sprinklers which suppress fires by wetting surfaces and

directly cooling the flames with large water drops, helped by gravity. Water mist uses fine droplets that

evaporate at the base of the fire to extract heat (cool) the fire and displaces oxygen from the fire zone,

resulting in fire control, suppression or extinguishment. Thus, water mist works best when placed closer to

the ground avoiding ineffective evaporation in the hot layer in the ceiling and the upward flow of hot

combustion products. Automist leverages this phenomenon by placing the spray head half way up the wall

(around light switch height): between the hot layer and furniture. This allows increased fire suppression

performance with the same amount of water. Automist is a member of the International Water Mist

Association’s (IWMA) “Archimedes Club” for the products which utilise the optimum deployment of water

mist technology.

In this document the terms “heat alarm” and “heat detector” are used interchangeably.

With suitable interface equipment, either BS 5446-2 heat alarms or BS EN 54-5 heat detectors may be used to

activate Automist. Other specific alarms/detector models are also acceptable where Plumis has tested the

products and documented their use on the Plumis Partner Site library page, provided that associated Plumis and manufacturer guidance is followed.

Automist® Fixed Wall Head Handbook v1.2.3

The Automist System

1. WRAS approved isolation valve

2. Automist Smartscan supply label & cable tie

3. ¾” single check valve

4. Filter

5. ¾” Stainless Steel Inlet Hose

6. Automist Smartscan Pump Unit

7. Quick connect with test point for pressure gauge

8. High pressure Outlet Hose

9. Assembled Automist wall mounted head

10. Heat alarm and relay base (not included)

11. Sticker set (not shown)

1 2

3 4

Automist® Fixed Wall Head Handbook v1.2.3

The nozzle is positioned at a recommended strategic height of 1.4m to 1.5m from the ground to avoid

obstructions by most domestic furniture while still placing mist close to the base of the fire, maximizing

the effectiveness of the very small water flow.

Fire Performance and Regulations Compliance

LABC Registered Detail

Automist is described in an LABC Registered Detail (EW171) for use in open plan layouts in loft converted

houses in England and Wales. The Registered Details scheme allows UK building control officers to approve

a project without a long and detailed investigation.

The full report "Ad-hoc tests on watermist systems utilising the principles of the procedure defined in Draft BS 8458: 2014: Annex B, Method for Measuring the Capability of a Watermist System to Control a Fire "Room Fire Test for Watermist Systems with Automatic Nozzles" Document Reference 356142" can be downloaded from the Plumis website.

A copy of the report can be downloaded from the Plumis website.

Fire Engineered Applications

Automist may be used in a variety of applications as part of a fire engineered solution where suppression is

used as a key enabler for means of escape by extending tenable conditions.

A fire engineering assessment has been commissioned by BB7 Fire Engineering to allow fire engineers to

more easily interpret the fire performance of Automist using Fractional Effective Dosage (FED) heat

calculations for the testing carried out on the BS 8458:2015 test protocol. FED Asphyxia for toxic gases did

not need to be measured as the suppression test protocol is an open door ventilated fire where there is no

retention of combustion gases and oxygen can be freely replaced in the test chamber.

A copy of the report can be downloaded from the Plumis website.

EN 60335-1:2002 Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety: Automist System Clarifications

• The Automist system is a Class I appliance, meaning the system provides additional electric

shock protection in the form of a fully earthed pump enclosure

• The system therefore uses protective impedance because of the earthed enclosure

• The Automist pump unit is a stationary device

• The spray head is a fixed appliance

• The Automist pump unit uses a type Y power supply cord – if the cord is damaged, it can only be

replaced by Plumis (the manufacturer) to avoid a hazard

Automist® Fixed Wall Head Handbook v1.2.3

Quality Assurance

Concept

• Independently tested - Objectively and extensively tested by Exova Warrington (further details in

Ad-hoc test on watermist systems utilising the principles of the procedure defined in BS 8458:

2015: Annex B)

• All concept proposals are underpinned by British Standard fire engineering justification.

• CE marked – Tested to meet EU consumer safety, health & environmental requirements

• Water Regulatory Advisory Scheme Approved - Automist fire suppression system was examined,

tested and found, when correctly installed, to comply with the requirements of the United Kingdom

Water Byelaws (Certificate number 1102330)

Company

• Third Party Certification by BRE Global have established Plumis Limited have complied with the

Quality Management Systems requirements of ISO 9001:2008 for the design, manufacture and supply of water mist fire suppression systems.

Installation

• Installation - Automist should be specified, commissioned and signed-off by Plumis or an

Accredited Reseller. Each installer is fully trained to ensure that every project is installed to the very

highest standards, receiving a Plumis Certificate of Approval on successful completion of their

training.

Automist® Fixed Wall Head Handbook v1.2.3

HOW TO SPECIFY THE FIXED

HEAD AUTOMIST SYSTEM

Automist® Fixed Wall Head Handbook v1.2.3

Specifying Automist

Automist design specification guidelines state that a single pump can cover an area of up to 32m2, with a

maximum ceiling height of 3.5m. Based on third party test data, spray heads must be located within 5m line

of sight of any possible fire location.

Small potentially blocked or shadowed floor areas shall be permitted on a horizontal plane in

compartments of 64 m2 (two pump units) or less as long as the maximum area of the total contiguous

shadowed floor area, regardless of geometric configuration, does not exceed 2 m2.

Automist® Fixed Wall Head Handbook v1.2.3

Preliminary Automist designs can be recommended by specifiers by following these recommendations,

however, Plumis accredited installers are trained to specify, install, commission and maintain the Automist

system. Their early involvement in the project is recommended as they are required to verify installation

proposals, provide critical supporting technical information and also commissioning certificates for project

approval by Building Control or other involved third parties.

Automist is accepted for use as a compensatory measure for loft conversions where an open plan

ground floor layout exists. The applicable regulatory guidance is given in paragraph 2.20.b of

Approved Document B (Fire safety) – Volume 1: Dwelling houses (2006 edition incorporating 2010

and 2013amendments). This Registered Detail does not apply to any other Automist product.

For details on the applications where water mist can be used as a means of suppression in BS 9991, please refer to Appendix B.

Automist® Fixed Wall Head Handbook v1.2.3

Room Compatibility

A single Automist pump unit was tested by Exova Warrington in an area of up to 32 square metres (2.5m

ceiling height) with fire hazards up to 5m away. The spray head should therefore be within 5m of & in the

approximate line of sight of any fire hazards.

Small potentially blocked or shadowed floor areas shall be permitted on a horizontal plane in

compartments of 64 m2 (two pump units) or less as long as the total area of all individual contiguous

shadowed floor areas, regardless of geometric configuration, does not exceed 2 m2.

The maximum ceiling height must not exceed 3.5m following the guidance on BS 8458:2015. Higher ceiling

applications require the involvement of a fire engineer.

More information on Automist’s appropriateness for a given space is available. Please refer to our technical

area online or contact our technical team.

IMPORTANT: Do not install Automist outside this specification without first discussing the design with

Plumis. Installing Automist outside these guidelines without properly documenting and agreeing such

variations could make you responsible for deaths or injuries.

Installation requirements

• Before installing ensure that the following have been provided at the installation site:

• Sufficient space to install the pump in accordance with these installation instructions. The pump is

365 mm (height) by 240 mm (depth) by 178 mm (width) and weighs 7.0 kg.

• The pump should be installed in one of the following locations with clearance of 100 mm at front

and rear:

• In a room or cupboard with volume of at least 0.124m

, that is separated by a fire resisting

partition from the mist-protected room(s) that it serves, or

• In a cupboard with volume of at least 0.124m

, within a room that the pump serves, with

the top of the pump less than 80cm above finished floor level.

+ 28 hidden pages

Plumis Automist User Handbook Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual