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Foam pouring systems actively suppress fires and vapours in areas where flammable liquids are stored. These units play a crucial role in fire prevention by protecting high-risk areas and preventing situations from becoming difficult to control or manage.

What Are Foam Pouring Systems?

Foam pourers, also known as top pourers or foam top pourers, are essential components of fixed foam firefighting systems. Specifically, they protect flammable liquid storage tanks by combining a foam maker, vapor seal box, and pourer in one unit.

In many cases, people refer to foam pourers as bund pourers or tank pourers because they safeguard chemical bund tanks from fire risks. Similarly, foam generators protect bunded areas surrounding storage tanks and often fall under the category of foam pourers.

At sites with loading gantries, warehouses, or aircraft hangars, systems that mix a water or foam solution with air are typically known as foam generators.

Moreover, highly flammable liquids such as hydrocarbon and polar solvent fuels are frequently stored in fixed roof tanks. Other bund tank storage areas may contain multiple high-volume containers. For these locations, high-expansion foam pourers provide large amounts of free-flowing foam concentrate, making them indispensable in fixed foam firefighting systems at aircraft hangars, waste production sites, and warehouses.

Ultimately, foam pourers serve as a first line of defense in case of a hazardous leak or ignition of flammable materials.

How Do Foam Pouring Systems Work?

A fire in a flammable liquid storage area can escalate rapidly, making immediate control essential.

As soon as a fire detection system senses danger—whether from a spark, flame, or unusual temperature change—it activates the fixed firefighting system.

Once activated, the foam pouring system immediately releases large quantities of foam, blanketing the at-risk zone within seconds. By combining rapid, high-power foam generation with vapor sealing, the system extinguishes the fire and cuts off its fuel source. At the same time, it suppresses toxic vapours, further reducing the risk of escalation.

Where Are Foam Pouring Systems Used?

Because flammable liquids present significant fire hazards, industries and facilities that manufacture, store, dispense, process, or transport these materials rely on foam pouring systems as part of their fire protection strategy. The following industries and locations commonly use these systems:

Industries:

  • Refineries
  • Tank farms
  • Jetties
  • Loading facilities
  • Warehouses
  • Production plants
  • Chemical plants
  • Aircraft hangars
  • Helidecks
  • Power plants
  • Waste treatment plants
  • Fire brigades, civil defense, armed forces, etc.

Offshore:

  • Generator rooms
  • Platform structures
  • Helidecks, process decks

Marine:

  • Tank decks
  • Machinery spaces
  • Cargo spaces
  • Firefighting vessels, tugs, supply ships

How Do Foam Pourers Differ from Dry Risers and Wet Risers?

While foam pourers, dry risers, and wet risers all contribute to firefighting efforts, they serve different purposes and address distinct fire risks.

  • Foam Pourers: These systems are specifically designed to combat fires involving flammable liquids. By producing high-expansion foam, they suppress vapors and smother fires by cutting off oxygen. As a result, they are most commonly used in chemical plants, aircraft hangars, and storage tank facilities.
  • Dry Risers: Unlike foam pourers, dry risers do not actively dispense water or foam. Instead, they consist of vertical pipes installed in buildings, allowing firefighters to connect to an external water source, such as a fire engine, for rapid water access. Consequently, dry risers are essential in high-rise buildings and large structures where quick access to water is necessary.
  • Wet Risers: Similar to dry risers, wet risers provide a reliable water supply; however, they contain water at all times, making them ready for immediate use. Unlike foam pourers, which use foam concentrate to suppress liquid fires, wet risers deliver only water. Therefore, they are more suitable for structural fires rather than chemical or fuel-based fires.

Conclusion

In summary, foam pourers play a specialized role in extinguishing fires involving flammable liquids, whereas dry and wet risers ensure water supply access for structural firefighting. Because each system is tailored to different fire risks, it is essential to use the appropriate solution for maximum fire suppression effectiveness.