Residential Fire Sprinklers

A Non-Profit Corporation

Ph: 1-800-962-4540

Fire Sprinklers for Your Home

Your live-in-always-on-duty fire fighter

Every year eight out of ten fire deaths in the United States is the result of a fire in someone’s home, and one-half of all fire losses occur in these fires. Irreplaceable heirlooms, momentos, keepsakes, pictures, and other valuables are often lost forever. The economic impact could be severe, and the emotional scars deep. From which full recovery may not be possible. The loss of a parent can be very disrupting and disabling to a family. The loss of a child can haunt parents for a lifetime.

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) statistics show that in a home equipped with an automatic residential fire sprinkler system and smoke detectors, survivability of a fire is elevated to 95%. These statistics also show that such a sprinkler system will extinguish or control a fire at or near its point of origin 91% on the time. Most residential fire deaths are due to carbon monoxide affixation, a combustible gaseous byproduct of fire. The activation of a fire sprinkler system greatly limits the production of carbon monoxide and keeps the fire temperature tolerable by extinguishing or keeping the fire small.

An automatic residential fire sprinkler system is a series of interconnected piping, much like a domestic water pipe system, usually installed above the ceiling, with sprinkler heads at the ceiling. Depending on the type of sprinkler head and the shape of the room, each sprinkler head can protect an area up to 400 square feet.

An accepted rule-of-thumb in the fire service is that for every 18⁰ a fire increases in temperature it doubles its consumption rate. In an unsprinklered residence the upper half of the room of fire origin can reach temperatures above 1,000⁰within 3 to 5 minutes. A human being an only tolerate 300⁰ for a very short time. When the temperature reaches about 1200⁰ the accumulated combustible fire gases will ignite, engulfing the room and quickly spread into the rest of the dwelling. In a residence equipped with an automatic fire sprinkler system, the heat from the fire will activate the sprinkler system usually within 2 to 3 minutes. Only the heads directly above the fire, 91% of the time limited to one or two heads, will activate, each discharging between 10 to 26 gallons of water per minute. Hose lines used by the fire service for interior fire fighting will each discharge 125 to 200 gallons of water per minute and by the time of fire department arrival on scene, the fire most often has grown to a size requiring multiple hose lines. It is readily apparent that a sprinkler system not only can save lives, it also will limit fire and water damage.

Over the years the cost of installing a fire sprinkler system has drastically declined where today many jurisdictions report the cost as low as $0.50 per square foot for new construction. Retrofitting, installing a fire sprinkler system in an existing home, depending on structural obstructions, can vary from as little as $1.00 per square foot. At $1.00 per square foot, that is still very reasonable. That amounts to $9.00 a square yard, which is much less than the cost of installing new carpets.

The evolution of residential fire sprinkler systems have produced a variety of quick response sprinkler head designs, many can be installed inconspicuously and flush with the ceiling or wall. Plastic pipe has been developed that is UL approved and has proven itself very cost-effective. These developments along with demand and competition has driven system prices down.

SPRINKLER MYTHS

They are too expensive: Installing a sprinkler system is expensive than recarpeting your home, as little as $0.50 for new construction and as little as $1.00 for existing construction per square foot.
They are ugly: Residential sprinkler heads come in many attractive designs, some can be installed flush with the ceiling or wall.
The water damage is worse than the fire damage: Sprinkler heads are only activated by heat, not smoke. Only the head(s) directly above the fire activates, each discharging about 1/10 the water of a fire department hose line. NFPA statistics show that in 98% of reported fires, only 2 sprinkler heads activated controlling or extinguishing the fire. As a result the fire is kept from spreading with a minimal amount of water.
Failure results in major water damage: Homes already have a network of water piping for domestic use. These pipes are typically only tested at city water main pressure levels, usually between 60 and 100 pounds per square inch (psi) . Automatic residential fire sprinkler systems have to pass a 24 hour pressure test at 150 psi. The plastic pipe (CPVC) used in these systems have a rated burst pressure of 650 psi, and the sprinkler heads are tested at 500 psi. These systems are designed to flow 10 to 26 gallons of water per minute (gpm) at 7 to 25 psi from the activated sprinkler heads and they have an outstanding performance record.

Most jurisdictions have adopted NFPA Standard 13D and 13R as the installation requirements for automatic residential fire sprinkler systems. Many jurisdictions require their installation on new construction when it is located beyond a predetermined distance from a fire station or if there are fire department access issues. Some insurance companies offer anywhere from a 2- to 20% insurance premium discount on dwellings equipped with an automatic fire sprinkler system. Having an automatic residential fire sprinkler system is like having an "invisible" live-in-fire fighter who is ready to spring into action 24 hours a day, day after day, whether you are home or not. For further information contact your local fire department, the National Fire Protection Association at (800) 344-3555, or Operation Life Safety at (913) 268-1311.

DISCLAIMER: The Committee for Firesafe dwellings assumes no liability for the use or misuse of the information, which is intended to provide guidelines for homeowners in their efforts to protect their families and property.