Associate Safety Professional Practice Exam

Which system is described as being filled with water at all times?

1. Dry-pipe system

2. Wet-pipe system

3. Deluge system

4. Pre-action system

The correct answer is: Wet-pipe system

A wet-pipe system is characterized by the fact that it is filled with water at all times. This type of fire protection system consists of a network of pipes that contain water under pressure, ready to be discharged immediately when a fire is detected. The water is stored in the system itself, and it flows through the sprinkler heads directly to control or extinguish a fire without delay. In contrast, a dry-pipe system contains air or nitrogen under pressure in the pipes instead of water. This air pressure keeps the valves closed until a fire is detected, at which point the pressure drops, allowing water from a remote source to flow into the pipes. Other systems like deluge systems and pre-action systems have different operational mechanisms. A deluge system uses a wide opening in the sprinkler heads that are opened simultaneously when a fire detection system is activated, delivering a large volume of water quickly to the area. Pre-action systems combine features of both dry and wet systems, as they require a two-step process: first, the detection of a fire which allows water to enter the pipes (but not to the sprinklers), and second, the activation of individual sprinkler heads to release water. Thus, the key distinction for the wet-pipe system is its constant presence