Plumis have launched Automist, an innovative fire protection system designed to integrate seamlessly into residential properties. Intended as a lower-cost alternative to sprinklers, Automist can even be retrofitted without major disruption. Triggered by a heat alarm, the device uses a high-pressure pump to provide whole-room water mist suppression in any fire-prone location or exit route.

Automist installs almost invisibly in kitchens and kitchen/diners but can easily be installed in a wide range of locations. Extensively tested by BRE, Automist protects life in rooms of up to 8m by 4m.

Recently named one of the top 15 inventions of the last decade in an exhibition at the British library as well as scooping the prize for top invention for last year’s James Dyson award, Automist was inspired by insight work at the Royal College of Art with London’s Fire and Rescue Services. The design team highlighted the lack of appropriate fire suppression products for residential use and that few existing solutions focused on key risk areas – for example around 65% of fires start in the kitchen. Fire alarm and suppression products are traditionally seen as “industrial grade” solutions that cost thousands of pounds per dwelling, impose severe aesthetic constraints, and do not target the highest risk areas of the home. Plumis was founded to create targeted, elegant, but effective alternatives.

Automist can be installed in around 2 hours, requiring only mains water and electrical connection and has been specified as a cost effective solution to a series of issues with regulations:

• Flash-over avoidance on ground floors of loft conversions or open plan kitchen refurbishment.
• Elective safety improvement for the vulnerable or high risk tenants.
• Compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order and/or the Disability Discrimination Act.