Fire sprinkler system
automatic fire extinguishing system consisting of valves distributed over an area
A fire sprinkler system is an active fire protection method, consisting of a water supply system providing adequate pressure and flowrate to a water distribution piping system, to which fire sprinklers are connected. Although initially used only in factories and large commercial buildings, systems for homes and small buildings are now in use.
Fire sprinkler systems are extensively used worldwide, with over 40 million sprinkler heads fitted each year. Fire sprinkler systems are generally designed as a life saving system, but are not necessarily designed to protect the building. Of buildings completely protected by fire sprinkler systems, if a fire did initiate, it was controlled by the fire sprinklers alone in 96% of these cases.
History
Leonardo da Vinci designed a sprinkler system in the 15th century. He automated his patron's kitchen with a super-oven and a system of conveyor belts. During a large banquet, a fire broke out. It was concluded that, "The sprinkler system worked all too well, causing a flood that washed away all the food and a good part of the kitchen."
Ambrose Godfrey created the first successful automated sprinkler system in 1723. He used gunpowder to release a tank of extinguishing fluid.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Fire sprinkler system” as automatic fire extinguishing system consisting of valves distributed over an area. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
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The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 30, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q220224. The Library of Congress control number is sh85048525. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1723.
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This entry incorporates text from “Fire sprinkler system” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.