I know that some people might call my knowledge and experience into question. And this is only natural - people are kinda wired to be skeptical because this skepticism acts as a check to make sure things happen as they should.
That said, I found a little something that should provide a small bit of insight into the sort of work I did as a Gunners Mate in the US Navy - the magazine sprinkler system.
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/...60_ch1.pdf
No worries, this is an unclassified document for a system that we've been using since before World War I, and have kept using because it never, ever fails. The only maintenance it needs is a quarterly operational check, and a ten-year interval maintenance requirement where all the rubber and monel bits get replaced.
That quarterly check is really kinda fun for us. It's one of those things that will have a lot of people on the ship wondering what the hell we're doing, because it's all the Gunners Mates' show with just a bit of coordination from the Damage Controlmen (because our magazine sprinkler systems have remote operation valves in their DC lockers). It involves fitting a device called a "test casting" into the main sprinkler valve, which will divert the water from the sprinkler pipes into a 2.5" fire hose which is connected to an overboard discharge port. Very noisy, because OMG 150PSI (10.3 bars) SALT WATER VIA SHIP'S FIRE MAIN SYSTEM! BOOM-WHOOOOOSSSHHHHH!!!
(The "BOOM" is that same 150 PSI salt water in the sprinkler system's hydraulic control lines as it opens the main valve... And it ain't a little one!)
That said, I found a little something that should provide a small bit of insight into the sort of work I did as a Gunners Mate in the US Navy - the magazine sprinkler system.
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/...60_ch1.pdf
No worries, this is an unclassified document for a system that we've been using since before World War I, and have kept using because it never, ever fails. The only maintenance it needs is a quarterly operational check, and a ten-year interval maintenance requirement where all the rubber and monel bits get replaced.
That quarterly check is really kinda fun for us. It's one of those things that will have a lot of people on the ship wondering what the hell we're doing, because it's all the Gunners Mates' show with just a bit of coordination from the Damage Controlmen (because our magazine sprinkler systems have remote operation valves in their DC lockers). It involves fitting a device called a "test casting" into the main sprinkler valve, which will divert the water from the sprinkler pipes into a 2.5" fire hose which is connected to an overboard discharge port. Very noisy, because OMG 150PSI (10.3 bars) SALT WATER VIA SHIP'S FIRE MAIN SYSTEM! BOOM-WHOOOOOSSSHHHHH!!!
(The "BOOM" is that same 150 PSI salt water in the sprinkler system's hydraulic control lines as it opens the main valve... And it ain't a little one!)