Television lies to us yet again

I done made me another entry in the TV Tropes wiki. Feel free to add examples and/or improve my deathless prose.

(Previously.)

3 Responses to “Television lies to us yet again”

  1. Mohonri Says:

    FYI, The low-melting-point material is known as a fusible plug. Often, the system is pressurized not with water, but with air or nitrogen, because if the sprinkler above your cubicle develops a small leak, you don't want water dripping all over your desk. There's a pressure sensor monitoring the air pressure in the pipe, and when it senses a drop in pressure (due to a plug melting), it lets the water fill the pipes. That's when it sets off the alarm as well. So the trope is half correct--even though only the one sprinkler will start spraying water, setting off a sprinkler will indeed set the alarm bells ringing.

    I seem to remember seeing a movie a long time ago that subverted this trope, although I can't remember the name of the film. In the scene, the bad guy is chasing the good guy through a museum, and they end up climbing a giant hanging mobile. The hero uses his lighter to set off the (only one) sprinkler, which soaks everyone in the area and leaves the villain sufficiently discombobulated that the hero makes his escape.

  2. Changes Says:

    Dammit, now you've gotten me to open TVT and I'll lose hours of sleep again. By the way, I added the House example to your trope.


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