Nobel’s K-Series installed in Exclusive Girls School
Nobel Fire Systems has installed two of its K-Series kitchen fire suppression systems in the main and Summerside kitchens at Malvern St James School for girls in Great Malvern, Worcestershire. The school which was founded in 1893 has around 430 pupils in the age range 4-18 with over 200 of them being full time boarders.
Malvern’s full boarding school status means that as well as carrying responsibility for the girls academic, pastoral and social needs, the school also has to cater for their appetites on a daily basis. In addition, Malvern has a reputation as an ideal venue for events, functions, residential courses and conferences and offers wide ranging menus that include hot meals cooked in the on-site catering kitchens.
Ensuring the demands of Malvern St James kitchens continue to be met in the safest conditions the school has invested in a refurbishment programme that’s seen new equipment and systems introduced to the main and Summerside kitchens. During the refurbishment programme, pupil, staff and guest safety was a key determining factor in all decisions taken and this was particularly so when it came to choosing a new fire suppression system for the busy kitchens.
The school required a professional partner that was capable of understanding its specific needs and have the in-house ability to both design and install a fire suppression system that met all regulatory requirements while also providing full cover for all appliances and the surrounding area.
From initial assessment through to installation of the system, Nobel’s engineers worked closely with the school to ensure that every part of the specification was met at every stage. Another important reason for Malvern St James selecting Nobel Fire Systems was its ability to provide the aesthetic appearance required in the refurbished kitchen.
While the majority of ‘traditional’ fire suppression systems require pipework to be very visible and tend to display cheap looking copper or brass plated nozzles that protrude through the kitchen’s canopy or vented ceiling, the K-Series system has been integrated seamlessly and in complete sympathy with the overall good looks of the two school kitchens.
Unlike other systems, Nobel’s K-Series does not require an additional water supply that then needs to be secured against isolation and which also requires minimum flows and pressures guaranteed for performance.
The K-Series system is specifically designed for commercial kitchens and protects both the cooking area and the ductwork on a permanent basis. It’s the only system on the market that takes into consideration the risk beyond the entrance to the duct. It’s also the only system to provide fire risk cover from the last nozzle at the extract plenum downstream along the entire length of the ductwork to the extract fan and/or point of extract to the external environment.
As operational reliability, longevity and low life time costs remain a key requirement for Malvern St James and all other customers, the electrical nature of Nobel’s K-Series system allows it to continuously monitor itself ensuring the integrity of the system is never in doubt. Faults are flagged by the systems control panel and announced through audible and visual alerts which can then be diagnosed and fixed remotely. System integrity is guaranteed 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
The system monitoring also has the added benefit of reducing servicing requirements to once a year, with the obvious associated cost savings. The majority of available mechanical systems on the market only allow checks to be made through a physical service, and that must surely be of concern to end users.