NORTHBROOK, Ill., Aug. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- UTC Fire & Security this week showcased the capabilities of its HI-FOG® water mist fire protection system to fire officials and other industry leaders from around the country during a fire test demonstration at the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) facility. The test was undertaken to illustrate water mist's advantages in increasing life safety and reducing collateral damage. UTC Fire & Security is a unit of United Technologies Corp. .
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090819/NE63296LOGO ) (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090819/NE63296LOGO )
HI-FOG is a proven fire suppression technology in commercial, marine and residential applications such as hotels and elder-care facilities. HI-FOG is the water mist brand of Marioff, a UTC Fire & Security company.
"Water mist is ideal to protect the single- and multi-family residential environment -- it improves life safety by lowering the temperature around the fire. And because less water is used, there is less damage to the building after the fire. This UL demonstration was an important step in our plans for the 2011 launch of a new water mist product for the residential market," said Scott Buckhout, President of UTC Fire & Security's Global Fire Products business.
HI-FOG uses 70-90 percent less water than traditional sprinklers, and is delivered through pipes that are much smaller in diameter than traditional sprinkler systems -- making installation easier, particularly in retrofits.
The HI-FOG system uses high pressure to produce a fine mist with tiny droplets and a greater surface area than conventional sprinkler systems to absorb heat efficiently through vaporization. The system suppresses the fire by removing two of the main elements it needs to survive -- heat and oxygen.
"Water mist is not a new technology -- Marioff has been suppressing fires with this system for more than twenty years," said Buckhout. "HI-FOG is the industry leader in the marine segment, and protects more than 1,500 land-based structures. The technology is ideally suited for the residential environment, and we are committed to developing a product to protect families at home."
About UTC Fire & Security
UTC Fire & Security provides fire safety and security solutions to more than 1 million customers worldwide. Headquartered in Conn., U.S., UTC Fire & Security is a business unit of United Technologies Corp., which provides high technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries worldwide. More information about UTCFS can be found at http://www.utcfireandsecurity.com/.
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090819/NE63296LOGO
UTC Fire & Security
CONTACT: Media, Sarah O'Shea, UTC Fire & Security, +1-860-284-3076,
sarah.o'shea@fs.utc.com
Web Site: http://www.utcfireandsecurity.com/
