What is required for air compressors to function properly in a dry sprinkler system?

In a dry sprinkler system, the air compressor plays a crucial role in maintaining the system’s functionality. The answer refers to minimal fill times, which is significant because a dry sprinkler system relies on pressurized air to keep the sprinkler pipes dry until a fire occurs. The system contains water in a storage tank that is only released into the piping upon activation of the sprinkler heads.

Having minimal fill times is essential to ensure that any time the system is activated, the transition from air pressure to water flow occurs quickly and efficiently. If the fill time is too long, it could delay the response to a fire, potentially allowing the fire to grow unchecked during those critical moments.

Thus, ensuring that the air compressor can maintain a minimal fill time allows for rapid deployment of water in case of a fire event, making it a critical requirement for the proper functioning of dry sprinkler systems.

In the context of the other options, while high capacity storage, minimum pressure settings, and automatic monitoring systems are important features in maintaining air compressors, they do not directly address the immediate operational efficiency and response time required when a fire occurs in a dry sprinkler system.