• "...the service I received from RAD from the initial enquiry through to design and installation was excellent .......I would therefore recommend RAD and would have no hesitation in using them again in the future"
    Grant Beadle, Appledore Developments Limited

  • "...RAD ticked all the boxes and most importantly to include reliability, quality assurance, communication and of course common sense"
    Jamie, Swilland Mill Luxury Hotel Accommodation

  • "...They are conscientious in all aspects of their work, from initial design through to final commissioning, and we will continue to recommend them in the future as we have done in the past".
    Cranford Construction & Development Ltd. Worthing

  • "...service was excellent, efficient and prompt and the cost of the full sprinkler system was not significantly greater than installing fire doors. I would recommend RAD highly to anyone"
    C.Peters - Clapham

  • "...I would without hesitation give you the opportunity to price any future sprinkler installs that form part of our mechanical services installations"
    Pipeworks Mechanical Services (South East) Ltd

  • "...We have found RAD to be a highly competent and professional firm and will certainly be using them on our future projects."
          Tulip Care. Woodford Green

  • "...you provided clear and reliable advice at design stage and throughout the building process....your installers were friendly and knowledgeable .....and would be pleased to work with you again in the future"
    G.Selby FCIOB AssocRICS, Benning Brothers

Technical FAQ’s

Some of the more common technical questions:

1.Does the property require a full or partial domestic fire sprinkler suppression system?


BS 9251 states that (other than some small exceptions) sprinkler protection should be provided in all parts of the building except bathrooms below 5m² and cupboards with a floor area less than 2m².
 However, relaxations to this are frequently granted by the BCO. Because these relaxations to BS 9251 are at the discretion of the BCO it is difficult for us to offer anything more than general advise based on empirical evidence. It is therefore very important to find out what level of protection is required from the BCO as early as possible.

2. What type of water supply will be required?

Water company’s policies on domestic and residential fire sprinkler supplies vary considerably and our  experience in this matter enables us to provide advice based on current trends. As a rule of thumb however, it is unusual to be able to incorporate an existing water supply into a retro-fit domestic fire sprinkler system because of the high flow rates that these systems require. Generally, the choice is between a new water supply and a storage system. The cost of a fire sprinkler storage system often compares favorably with the cost and disruption involved in providing a new supply for a retrofit installation. Most domestic fire sprinkler systems for new build properties can be run direct from the town mains supply providing that provision has been made sufficiently early in the build process.

3. Why can’t the sprinkler system be fed from our existing mains water supply?

A fire sprinkler system requires a large quantity of water with a certain amount of pressure behind it referred to as  dynamic pressure. A normal mains stop cock is designed to restrict the flow of water when there is a sudden demand like a burst water pipe. When this  feature of a normal domestic supply is combined with a domestic meter which also restricts large flows of water it follows that a normal domestic water supply will most likely be unsuitable for a fire sprinkler system unless it had been designed for this purpose when the supply was installed

4. At what point do I instruct a Fire Sprinkler contractor?

The sprinkler system design will need to be submitted to the Building Control Officer prior to the installation and we advise our customers to obtain confirmation in writing to any deviations to the British Standard BS9251 that have been granted by the BCO. Generally, the fire sprinkler installation company prefers to commence their 1st fix before any other trades.

5. At what point in the build does the Fire Sprinkler Installation start?

The installation follows the same process as any plumbing or electrical work. There is a first fix, a second fix and a commissioning stage. Because of the high flow rates associated with domestic fire sprinkler systems, the pipe work can be marginally larger than normal plumbing pipe sizes and an American ‘fire proof plastic’ system is widely used throughout the UK in preference to copper.

6. For a storage system: how much water do I need to store and what do the water tanks weigh?

concealed sprinkler headMost domestic systems require around 1000 litres weighing around 1 tonne. If tanks are placed in the loft, coffin water tanks can be utilised which spread the load over a number of joists. These tanks often fit quite comfortably in the space created between  rafters and ashlar walls.

7. Is the pipework flexible?

The pipe work used in Domestic and Residential fire sprinkler systems is normally a flame proof cpvc system. Although this is marginally more flexible than copper, straight runs are

8. How big is the pipework and can it be concealed?

Most flame proof cpvc pipe work in domestic premises has an external diameter of  either 28mm or 35mm. Often the route up through a house is similar to the route of the soil stack. When the pipe work runs at right angles to joists the joists themselves  will be drilled on the centre line  in a position between 0.25 and 0.4 of the joist span.