Quenchfire

Quenchfire and the Halo2 high-pressure water mist system

Quenchfire is a British manufacturer and installer of the Halo2 residential water mist fire suppression system. The company states it has specialised in water mist since its founding in 2012 and has installed more than 5,000 systems across the UK, covering new-build housing, retrofit and private homes. Its activity spans design, supply, installation, commissioning and maintenance, with the company presenting itself as accountable for the system at every stage of a project.

The Halo2 system works at an operating pressure of 100 bar. According to the company, high-pressure water mist breaks water into very fine droplets that absorb heat rapidly and displace oxygen at the fire, controlling it with considerably less water than a conventional sprinkler.

Components and technical data

The system is built around four elements described in the company's technical material:

• Pump unit: a compact triplex pump delivering 100 bar from a mains supply with a minimum input pressure of 1 bar. The unit measures 500 × 300 × 300 mm, weighs 25 kg and can be floor or wall mounted, with a minimum installation space of 650 × 300 × 450 mm.
• Pipework: small-bore high-pressure distribution routed to suit both new-build and occupied homes.
• Nozzles: automatic, ceiling-recessed units with a 57 °C frangible bulb and a k-factor of 0.9; each nozzle operates individually, only where there is heat.
• Signalling: an on-unit alarm and status indicator, with a 230 V or volt-free NO/NC output for connection to building systems.

The pump unit, model Halo2 2.0, has a water flow rate of 11 L/min and a power supply of 2.5 kW, 10.5 A and a C16 MCB.

Independent fire testing by the FPA

In September 2022 the Fire Protection Association tested Halo2 against the BS 8458:2015 Annex C room fire tests, as recorded in report 103857.001. The company states the system met the clause 6.1 recommendations in all six scenarios: corner, between two nozzles, beneath a nozzle, ventilation and two open-room configurations. The tests were carried out with 4 m nozzle spacing at 100 bar in an 8 × 4 m compartment, and the report places the BS 8458 application limit at rooms up to 80 m² with ceilings up to 3.5 m. The full 50-page report is supplied on request.

Standards position: from BS 8458 to EN 14972-17

The company publishes a plain statement on the current standards framework. BS 8458:2015, the former UK code of practice for residential and domestic water mist systems, was withdrawn by BSI in 2025 following publication of BS EN 14972-17:2025, which is now the current standard and forms part of the EN 14972 series alongside Part 1 for design, installation, inspection and maintenance.

Quenchfire is explicit that its 2022 FPA evidence remains relevant independent technical evidence for fire engineers but is not a claim of compliance with EN 14972-17. Its EN 14972-17 test programme was in its final design stage at the time of writing, with completion expected in early 2027. The company also cites BSI's position that the withdrawal of BS 8458:2015 does not in itself mean products manufactured to that standard can no longer be used or recognised, and that, as a non-harmonised EN, EN 14972-17 is not a legal obligation unless imposed by statutory or regulatory bodies. Project acceptance, the company notes, should always be agreed with the fire engineer and Building Control body.

Who the company works with

Quenchfire structures its technical support around the role of each participant in a project:

• Developers and contractors: programme-ready design packages, coordination with M&E and the fire strategy, and commissioning records for handover, plus early-stage design and budget costing.
• Architects and fire engineers: FPA test data, nozzle spacing and design parameters, and direct access to the technical team to support fire strategies and Building Control submissions.
• Housing providers and local authorities: retrofit programmes in occupied homes planned around residents, planned maintenance contracts and asset records for the life of the system.
• Homeowners: protection for extensions, loft conversions and open-plan layouts, with a home survey and quotation process and annual servicing available.

Process and project examples

The company describes a five-stage process: survey (site or drawing review, risk and water supply assessment), design (system layout and coordination with the fire strategy), installation by trained Quenchfire engineers, commissioning (testing, certification and handover documentation) and planned maintenance with records for the life of the system.

Among the projects cited are new-build housing at Queens Drive, Swindon, for Willmott Dixon across 46 properties; a social housing retrofit at Conway Court, Brighton, for Brighton Council, described as ongoing; and a private home in Wimbledon with an open-plan ground floor and loft conversion.

Technical library and CPD

Quenchfire maintains a technical library for specifiers and approvers that includes the standards position statement, the FPA fire test report, the Halo2 product datasheet, a design guide with typical details on nozzle spacing, plant space and pipe routing, and an inspection and maintenance guide aimed at housing providers, facilities teams and homeowners. Some documents, including the full test report, are issued on request so that the version relevant to each project is supplied. The company also offers CPD sessions on water mist in residential buildings for practices and teams.