TL;DR
A preaction sprinkler system is a fire suppression design that keeps its piping dry behind an electrically held valve, releasing water only after a detection event—and, in double-interlock versions, a fused sprinkler head as well. The two-step requirement protects water-sensitive spaces such as server rooms, archives, and museums from accidental discharge caused by a damaged head or fitting.
What it means
A preaction sprinkler system is a fire suppression design that keeps its piping dry behind an electrically held valve, releasing water only after a detection event—and, in double-interlock versions, a fused sprinkler head as well. The two-step requirement protects water-sensitive spaces such as server rooms, archives, and museums from accidental discharge caused by a damaged head or fitting. NFPA 13 governs design, and the systems demand more maintenance than wet-pipe types.
Where it sits in the glossary
Preaction sprinkler system is part of the Trade jargon group inside the ProFix Directory glossary. Browse every term in this category from the glossary index.
Why Ohio homeowners should know it
This is a term Ohio homeowners encounter when reading contractor quotes, hiring paperwork, or inspection reports. Understanding it well enough to ask one good follow-up question is usually all the protection a homeowner needs.
ProFix Directory keeps definitions short on the index page and saves the longer context — Ohio-specific rules, where the term comes from, and which ProFix tools touch it — for these per-term pages so the term is easy to cite and easy to share.
ProFix tools that touch this term
See also
License: CC-BY-4.0 — quote freely with attribution to ProFix Editorial Team / ProFix Directory.