Interesting, but check with your building department first

Plumis Automist Targeted Water Mist

Plumis (Automist) United States $$$ · Installer-quoted; no price published

A wall- or under-cabinet-mounted unit that detects a fire and aims a high-pressure water mist at it from a rotating head, using mains water and a small pump. It is marketed as a lighter alternative to home sprinklers; Canadian availability is not confirmed.

Why we like it

Uses a fraction of the water of a sprinkler
Installs on a standard plumbing connection and electrical supply, without piping every ceiling
Certified under UL 2167A (announced November 11, 2024), with components tested to UL 268

Watch out for

UL 2167A is an outline of investigation, not a full standard; it substitutes for NFPA 13D only if your local authority accepts it
Protects the targeted rooms only, not the whole house
No published price and no confirmed Canadian availability

Best for

US open-plan kitchens and living areas where a full sprinkler retrofit is impractical and the local building authority will accept it.

Read the full market guide — costs, install effort and alternatives ↓

Market guide

The whole commitment, end to end

What this actually is, what the market looks like, what it really costs, and how much of your time it wants — before you spend anything.

Buying it Hard

Installing it Moderate

Living with it Easy

Up front

No reliable public figure; Automist does not publish a price.

Lead time

Installer quote and, ideally, written AHJ acceptance before purchase

Time to install

No reliable public figure

How it works

Heat and smoke sensors detect and locate the fire. A small pump then drives water from the home's supply through a nozzle on a rotating head that aims at the fire and discharges a fine, high-pressure mist. Fine droplets absorb heat quickly, so it uses a fraction of a sprinkler's water. The unit connects to a standard plumbing point and electrical supply, typically in an open-plan kitchen or living room.

Who needs it

Mainly used in the UK to satisfy fire-safety requirements for open-plan layouts. In the US its acceptance in place of an NFPA 13D sprinkler depends on the local AHJ, and the US site does not claim AHJ approval.

Codes, standards and listings

Canada: No ULC certification mentioned; Canadian availability not confirmed.
United States: Certified under UL 2167A, an outline of investigation for targeted water mist units in one- and two-family homes, not a full standard (announced November 11, 2024); components tested to UL 268. Not a code-recognised equivalent to NFPA 13D unless the AHJ accepts it.

What the market looks like

Made by Plumis in the UK, where it is mainly used to satisfy fire-safety requirements for open-plan layouts. The US site says it is now available across the US through installers and showrooms; a 2024 announcement named Ferguson Fire & Fabrication as exclusive North American distributor. Canada is not mentioned and we could not confirm it is sold there. No price is published; expect an installer quote.

Features that actually matter

Targeted discharge: The head aims at the fire rather than wetting the whole room. That is the core of the water-saving claim.
Mains water plus pump: Runs off the domestic supply with an electric pump, so it needs a power supply as well as plumbing.
UL 2167A certification: Announced November 11, 2024 under UL 2167A, the outline of investigation for targeted water mist units in one- and two-family homes, with components tested to UL 268.
Room-level coverage: Each unit protects the space it covers. It is not a whole-house system.

What it really costs

Up front: No reliable public figure; Automist does not publish a price.
Consumables: No reliable public figure.
What else you'll need: A plumbing connection and an electrical supply at the mounting point, by the installer.
Over five years: No reliable public figure. Maintenance is per manufacturer; ask the installer.

Retail prices from public listings, October 2026; CAD where Canadian listings exist, otherwise converted at ~1.38.

How it differs from the alternatives

Versus an NFPA 13D sprinkler system: 13D is the established, code-recognised residential standard covering the living space. Automist covers targeted rooms and is accepted in place of 13D only where the local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) agrees; the US site does not claim AHJ approval.
Versus doing nothing in an open-plan room: In the UK it is used to make open-plan layouts acceptable. In North America that argument depends entirely on your building department.
The listing caveat: Being certified to UL 2167A is real, but an outline of investigation is not a full consensus standard. Do not read it as equivalent to a listed sprinkler system.

Buying it

Effort Hard

Where: US only, through authorised installers and showrooms ('Locate an Installer or Showroom' on automist.us); Ferguson Fire & Fabrication was named exclusive North American distributor in 2024. Not confirmed for sale in Canada.

Lead time: Installer quote and, ideally, written AHJ acceptance before purchase

If you want it to count toward a code requirement, get your building department's acceptance in writing before you buy.

Installing it

Effort Moderate

Time: No reliable public figure

You'll need: Installer

Needs a standard plumbing connection and an electrical supply at the unit, installed by an authorised installer.

Living with it

Effort Easy

Maintenance is per manufacturer; we could not verify the schedule. Ask the installer what servicing is required and at what cost.

If not this, then what

NFPA 13D residential sprinkler systemThe code-recognised standard with the strongest evidence; best done during new construction or a gut renovation.
Interconnected smoke and heat alarmsFar cheaper, and the first thing to get right regardless.

Caveats

UL 2167A is an outline of investigation, not a full ANSI standard.
Not a code-recognised equivalent to NFPA 13D unless the AHJ accepts it.
Protects targeted rooms only, not the whole house.
No published price; Canadian availability not confirmed.

Our verdict

A plausible option for a US open-plan room where a sprinkler retrofit is impractical, but it covers targeted rooms only and stands in for a 13D system only if your building department says so. Canadians should treat it as unavailable until Plumis says otherwise.

We don't take payment for placement and we don't sell these products. If you think we've got something wrong here, tell us — we'll correct it.

Sources

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