Buildings fitted with a required automatic fire sprinkler system designed to Australian Standard AS 2118.1 that include a commercial kitchen will also incorporate cooking equipment, kitchen hoods and associated ventilation systems (including exhaust ducts).
Unfortunately over time kitchen hoods and exhaust ducts accumulate oil, grease and other byproducts of cooking in kitchens. This accumulation can lead to a fire and promote the spread of fire.
An automatic fire sprinkler system is installed in kitchen hoods and ducts to protect these locations from a fire or help prevent the spread of fire through a building.
These systems are designed to Australian Standard AS 2118.1. The Standard requires sprinkler heads to be installed at specific locations;
- under kitchen hoods, not more than 3.6 meters apart; and
- in horizontal ducts 4 meters apart;
The first sprinkler in a horizontal duct shall be installed adjacent to the duct entrance. or - at the head of a vertical rising duct.
Where the cooking equipment includes a deep fat fryer, there are other considerations that installers and maintainers MUST take into consideration.
