It's my understanding that dry pipes (as we most often use the term here)
are only suitable for warehouse settings where pipes may freeze in winter
if filled with water.  You want to search CoOL (Walter Henry,
<[log in to unmask]>, conservation distribution list moderator)
or by subscribing to the conservation distribution list (request to
[log in to unmask]) at no charge.  The WAAC newsletter
has excellent pieces on fire protection in museums by Barbara Roberts and
Nicholas Artim.
 
While it's a hot topic of controversy here, many museums are going with
wet pipe systems on the model of the U.S. National Museums.  J. Andrew
Wilson of the Smithsonian Institution is a proponent of these (see Museum
News, November/December 1989).  See also National Fire Protection
Association Publication NFPA 911, Protection for Museums and Museum
Collections, 1991 edition (available from NFPA 1 Batterymarch Park, P.O.
Box 9101, Quincy, MA 02269-9101).  US legislation and codes will not apply
to you, but may be instructive.
 
Some museums that want sprinklers but do not want water above the
collections at all times opt for what I know as "pre-action" systems.
These hold the water flow back until (usually) several sensors have been
triggered.  The water is released at the individual sprinkler head when
the fusible linkage for that head is broken by sufficient heat to trigger
the particular head design.  Pre-action systems are more complex to
engineer (hence more $$) and to maintain.  I gather a new water
mist-based system is undergoing testing for museum use, with
collaboration from Nicholas Artim (Director, Fire Safety Network, P.O.
Box 895, Middlebury, VT 05753, Fax 802-388-1186), the National Gallery,
and the National Archives.  This should be available in the foreseeable
future; I gather preliminary testing shows it suppresses fire quickly
with a relatively small quantity of water distributed in a fine mist.
Retrofits sound like they'll be fairly easy.
 
What ever you choose, make sure the museum is committed to budget for
regular maintenance, testing, and sometimes flushing (depending on
materials and system.
 
Karen Motylewski, Director of Field Service, Northeast Document Conservation
Center, 100 Brickstone Square, Andover, MA 01810 / (508)470-1010 / FAX (508)
475-6021 / [log in to unmask]
 
On Fri, 9 Sep 1994, Glyn Balkwill wrote:
 
>
> Does anybody have information on the accepted norms, experience with
> these `dry' pipe systems or data on them being less efficient?
>