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Does Automist Smartscan comply with the requirements of BS 8458?

Yes, Automist Smartscan has been verified to conform with BS 8458:2015, Fixed Fire Protection Systems – Residential and Domestic Water Mist Systems – Code of Practice for Design and Installation, as confirmed by the BSI Verification Certificate (VC 780009).


Supporting Documentation:

 

Understanding BS 8458 Compliance:

BS 8458 is a code of practice, meaning it provides guidance rather than a rigid specification. According to the Standard of Standards BS 0:2016, Clause 9.4.1, compliance can be based on achieving equivalent or superior outcomes rather than following every recommendation exactly. The table below outlines how Automist meets BS 8458 requirements, including justifications for design elements that enhance system performance:        
 

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ClauseRecommendationJustification

5

System actuation should be automatic by a glass bulb or fusible link, initiated by heat.

Automist is activated using a dual-detection system (smoke detection + infrared temperature verification), leading to faster activation and preventing unnecessary water discharge. Tests show traditional concealed sprinkler heads activate 2.0 to 13.7 times slower than Automist.

6.3 b)

System design: The water mist system should be a wet pipe system (i.e. one that is permanently charged with water).

Automist operates as a dry-pipe system, avoiding risks like leaks, legionella, corrosion, and clogging. While wet pipe systems are necessary for mechanical nozzles, Automist’s electronic nozzles activate faster, and the system fills with water in just 20 seconds (validated in Clause 6.1 fire tests).

6.3 c)

Thermally activated nozzles should have quick-response thermal elements in accordance with BS EN 12259-1

Automist uses BS EN 14604 smoke detection and infrared temperature sensors, ensuring faster activation while preventing unnecessary nozzle activation.

6.5

System piping should be hydraulically designed to deliver the required water flow and pressures as determined by the fire tests in Annex C.

Automist is a pre-calculated system with a maximum total pipe length of 60m, eliminating the need for separate hydraulic calculations by the installer.

6.6

the system should be capable of providing pressures and flow rates to permit all the water mist nozzles in the fire test room or largest compartment, whichever is the greater, up to a maximum area of operation (AMAO) of 64 m2, to operate simultaneously

Automist is electronically controlled, ensuring only one nozzle activates per event. This guarantees that water supply is not exceeded—a limitation of traditional systems with multiple mechnical nozzles.

6.10.2.2

Where nozzles are fitted within a sloping ceiling, nozzle positions should be determined by the pitch of the ceiling.

Automist nozzles are positioned at 1.3m above floor level, allowing mist to be discharged directly at the fire’s base, reducing loss from hot smoke layers near the ceiling.

6.11.1

Components should be in accordance with BRE publication LPS 1283 [N1], FM 5560, or another appropriate standard that can be shown to give an equivalent performance (e.g. a listed component in the LPCB Red Book Live [15]).

Automist components have undergone third-party testing on all applicable clauses of BS 8663-1, providing equivalent or better performance.

6.11.6.2

All pumps should be designed to include an automatic test cycle where the pump is churned over at least monthly.

Automist’s high-pressure positive displacement pump does not require monthly churn testing, as this failure mode applies primarily to centrifugal pumps in wet pipe systems. Instead, full system discharge is part of commissioning and annual servicing.

 

Demonstration of equivalent or superior performance 

Key studies include: