The other end of it.

[Mooseherder]

Just in case you were wondering. ;)



  

 

[pigman]

I am guessing that is a fire sprinkler. I did say I was guessing.

[Mooseherder]

I have often wondered what the other side of it looked like.
There was one on a desk today at a store being remodeled so now I know. :D

[giant splinter]

I agree with Pigman it's a fire sprinkler head

[Sonofman]

No guess, it is a sprinkler head. The little red capsule has a fluid in it that is calibrated to expand at a certain temperature, break open and allow the flapper to open, thus allowing water out. The fan shape spreads the water around in a circular spray to keep it from just dumping in one place. NOTE: There has never been a building fire in the US in a building that had a properly designed and working sprinkler system in it. Food for thought.

[clww]

Fire supression system sprinkler head for sure. I worked installing these systems for almost two whole weeks many years ago.

[beenthere]

I have a couple different styles. Any info as to what the spray pattern might be from this one shown, and if it is one for being mounted in the up or the down position? 
I have plans for mounting a couple around my wood boiler stove.

[clww]

Looks to me that it would produce a full-circle pattern, and mounted up high.

[pigman]

Sonofman, surely you mean the building was not lost, not that there was no fire in a building with a sprinkler system. I thought sprinklers put out small fires before they spread, not prevent fires.

[Sonofman]

That is what I mean, Pigman, the sprinkler system has kept it from becoming a big fire, usually putting it out before the fire department arrives.

I lived for a while in Charlotte, actually in Pineville, or lower Charlotte for those unfamiliar with the area. There was a big new mall just a few blocks from my apartment building. I was out walking one evening and heard a siren, which I ignored. Then I heard several more. Soon there were 30 or 40 sirens all going at once. As I walked, I got up a little higher where I could see one end of this mall. There were 80 or 90 fire trucks in the parking lot of the mall all at the one end I could see. I watched the news that night, there had been a fire in the mall. A transformer above the ceiling of a little mattress shop on the main concourse of the mall had exploded and caught fire. It was out before the fire department could get in the building.

I went to the mall that next weekend just to see what I could see, there were several ceiling tiles out of the ceiling, with scorch and water marks on more of them, but other than that, all the damage was water damage. Sprinkler systems are quite valuable when properly installed and maintained.