Roof Sprinkler System Cooling

First the concept of sprinklers on the roof is not new.

Roof sprinkler system cooling.

That said this particular suggestion turning on rain bird sprinklers when a wildfire is burning nearby is not advised for a number of reasons. Cooling with liquid water running off from a sprinkler is not efficient but evaporative cooling from a small amount of water like a periodic sprinkle is very efficient. Heat is now transferred out of the building through the roof. Yes water on the roof will help cool it.

Here is a some information on two roof sprinkler systems. These systems provide cooling by spraying water on the roof surface. At its lowest tech a roof misting system can be little more than a garden hose set to the mist setting and aimed across the roof. Ember s guard rooftop sprinkler system this multipurpose portable tool is primarily made to protect your property from ember attack but can also be used as irrigation for garden and lawns as well as cooling your roof or misting your patio and as an entertainment for kids on a hot days of summer.

Some of the water evaporates which increases the relative humidity while reducing temperatures in the microclimate. This effect creates an effect equivalent of r 7 roof insulation during the day. An evaporative roof cooling system is designed to reduce the temperature of a roof from 165 f to about 90 f. A rooftop sprinkler system ember s guard is adapted to protect homes from falling embers in the case of a wildfire or bushfire.

One study indicates that water use is around 100 gallons per day per 1000 sqft of roof area. It is also foreseeable that an owner can use the embers sprinkler system to wet the rooftop of houses on a hot day to cool down the house for general irrigation purposes or wet summer fun. The principle is similar to the way the human body cools itself with perspiration. When rooftop sprinklers are activated they spray water high up in the air which lands on the roof trees and other surfaces that are within range.

Also called an evaporative cooling system a roof misting system lowers surface temperatures by spraying an extremely small amount of water across the roof allowing the water to cool the roof as it evaporates. They are simple and appear to be effective but would not be a good choice in areas where water is in short supply. The microclimate is the area right around where the sprinklers are located. This has been attempted thousands of times during wildfires with very limited success.

These types of systems can also be set up to operate automatically either on a timer or connected to an automatic temperature sensor which triggers the system whenever it gets too hot. The water evaporates and cools the surface. As the water evaporates it cools the roof and helps to lower the temperature of the roof tiles and the ceiling cavity beneath it.