HI-FOG^® Awarded Waterwise Marque

Marioff’s innovative HI-FOG^® Water Mist Fire Protection System has been recognized for its water-saving potential by Waterwise, a leading authority on water efficiency in the U.K. HI-FOG^® uses up to 90 percent less water than traditional fire protection systems. Marioff is part of UTC Fire & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corporation (NYSE: UTX).

"Waterwise is very pleased to award Marioff’s HI-FOG^® Water Mist Fire Protection System with the Waterwise Marque," said Jacob Tompkins, Waterwise Managing Director. "The Marque is awarded to a limited number of unique products that not only demonstrate water efficiency but are also of high quality design, excellent performance and widely available on the UK market."

"UTC Fire & Security is committed to developing environmentally sound products," said Ellen Quinn, Vice President for Environment, Health & Safety at UTC Fire & Security. "The HI-FOG^® technology is a great example of this."

Products receiving the Marque in previous years have focused on conserving water in residential plumbing and personal water use applications.

"HI-FOG^® is the only fire suppression product to be awarded the Waterwise Marque, which is recognition of the environmental benefits of the system," said Eric Gregoire, Marioff Managing Director.

The HI-FOG^® system uses high pressure to push clean water through stainless steel tubes that are much narrower in diameter than the pipes used in traditional sprinkler systems. Special nozzles produce a vast number of water micro-droplets.

"Not only does HI-FOG^® use nothing but water to extinguish the fire, but it uses very small amounts of it, delivered through tubing made of reclaimable stainless steel," said Gregoire.

The resulting fine mist has a large total surface area that absorbs heat efficiently through vaporization. HI-FOG^® suppresses fire with three main mechanisms: cooling the fire itself and the air surrounding it, blocking the radiant heat and starving the fire of oxygen.

The technology is ideally suited for data centers and cultural heritage buildings where large amounts of water can damage critical or irreplaceable items and in retro-fits where space is often limited. In hotels, putting out fires with less water results in shorter clean-up time and less down-time for the owner. HI-FOG^® is a respected brand in the marine market: it protects more than 1,000 passenger cruise ships, where the system’s excellent performance and low total system weight have made it very popular.    

"Put simply, HI-FOG^® does more with less," concluded Gregoire.

Marioff is part of UTC Fire & Security, a company that provides fire safety and security solutions to more than one million customers worldwide. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, UTC Fire & Security is a business unit of United Technologies Corp., which provides high technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries worldwide. More information about UTC Fire & Security and Marioff can be found on their web sites at www.utcfireandsecurity.com and www.marioff.com.

Waterwise is an independent, not for profit, non-governmental organization focused on decreasing water consumption in the UK by 2010 and building the evidence base for large scale water efficiency. Waterwise aims to reverse the upward trend in how much water is used at home and at work. More information can be found at www.waterwise.org.uk.