When new construction regulations for controlling water mains pressure in the event of a fire were introduced in Poland in 2006, Danfoss Industrial Automation stepped in to ensure the delivery of the high water pressure necessary for fighting fires.
Modern water supply and distribution lines for residential, commercial and industrial facilities are generally made of plastic. Although resilient, in the event of a fire these pipes are likely to melt. If a fire hydrant installation shares the same water piping network, any heat damage to the pipes will cause a drop in water pressure, and water pressure is crucial for effective firefighting.
In Poland, construction regulations introduced in 2006 stipulate that there must be a way of securing water mains pressure in the event of a fire, so Danfoss’s team in Poland came up with a solution.
When the new regulation was introduced, the team at Danfoss Poland was quick to realize that the EV220B solenoid valve, particularly the bigger DN65-DN100 flanged versions, would be a good fit as a firefighting shut-off valve. The team created an application note, explaining the new regulations and the valve specifications, which they sent to design offices throughout the country.
A good fit for robust industrial applications demanding high flowrates, the EV220B has a cast iron valve body, a built-in pilot filter, a flanged connection, and a working pressure up to 10 bar.
A building’s water supply is normally divided into two sections — one for general every day use, on which the EV220B is mounted, and the other for the hydrant line. In the event of a fire, the EV220B shuts off the internal water distribution system, ensuring that all water flows to the hydrant. The valve can be closed in three different ways: manually via a remote switch, automatically by means of an output from the firefighting system (if such a system is installed), or by means of a Danfoss pressure switch, which detects a pressure drop in the firefighting line when the firefighters open the hydrant.
