At a hotel in China, a guest hung a coat on a fire-suppression sprinkler, triggering the system and dumping as much as 10 tons of water, flooding two floors.
According to China Huanqiu.com on the 22nd, on the 1st at a hotel in Shanghai, a guest hung a hanger on a sprinkler, and the heat-sensitive element inside was damaged due to the weight. About 10 tons (t) of water then poured out, flooding that guest room floor and the floor below, and damaging ceiling wallpaper, furniture, and electronic devices.
A sprinkler releases water when heat is applied and the temperature exceeds a set point, breaking the glass heat-sensitive element in the nozzle (head).
Video of the scene shows that as water poured into the room, a woman entered the room holding an umbrella. A man believed to be a hotel employee used a dustpan and other tools to scoop out the water.
The hotel sought total compensation of 160,000 yuan (about 32 million won), including restoration and cleaning costs, but the guest refused, saying it was "nonsense and an outrageous amount." In the end, they failed to reach a settlement and the case escalated to a lawsuit.
Local fire experts said, "Automatic sprinklers are designed to respond very sensitively to high heat or impact," and explained, "Even if a fire does not occur and the temperature does not reach 68–74 degrees, water can discharge if a heavy object is hung or an impact is applied."
This is not the first accident of its kind. On Jul. in Guizhou province, a hotel guest hung clothes on a sprinkler, causing water to pour out and paying 2,000 yuan (about 400,000 won) in compensation, and on May in Dalian, Liaoning province, a university student made the same mistake, flooding a room and paying 10,000 yuan (about 2 million won).