A Brief History of Fire Sprinkler Systems

As the owner and president of California’s Response Fire Supply, Newport Beach resident Devin Doyle provides sprinkler protection systems throughout the region. Devin Doyle’s business is built on technology that dates back much farther than many people think.

Leonardo da Vinci pioneered the concept of sprinklers in the 1400s, albeit to correct the deficiencies of another invention, a conveyor belt that moved baked food from an oven. Unfortunately, the oven burned the food and started a fire. Da Vinci’s new sprinklers saved the day.

The next advance came in 1723, when chemist Ambrose Godfrey invented the first automatic system. His device connected heat-driven fuses to gunpowder, which exploded and released water from a container. Another inventor, William Congreve, improved on the technology a hundred years later. Protecting the Theatre Royal in London, a tank filled with 100 tons of water fed the sprinklers through perforated pipes.

Ancestors of the familiar sprinkler heads appeared in the 1870s, activated by a heat-sensitive bulb that shattered in a fire. Later improvements included the glass disc sprinkler in use today. A final refinement came in 1953, with the introduction of the modern spray sprinkler.