Sprinklers in the Home – Are they Needed?
Our homes are our sanctuaries, a place where we go after a hectic day at work, or a day meeting friends, our homes are our safe places, but are they safe?
Undoubtedly a sprinkler system can make our homes safer, yet the costs are dismissed by most builders. H
Why Do You Need Sprinklers?
In short, sprinklers save lives! They can also reduce the number of serious burns, injuries and damage caused by house fires. Statistics show that a death per fire rate has dramatically been reduced when fire sprinklers are present, when sprinklers are installed it is subsequent that fires are contained to one room, whereas homes without sprinklers the fire can spread at a 75% rate. Sprinklers work to reduce the risk of lives and property.
How Do They Work?
Sprinklers are activated when the room temperature, in which the fire is burning exceeds the pre-set temperature of 68 degrees. In hindsight sprinklers operate as individual heat sensors, meaning water is only released when there is a fire, therefore sprinklers aren’t activated by smoke. If there are two sprinklers in one room and a fire starts only one of these sprinklers will work, releasing 60lts/minute. Sprinkler systems are usually plumbed with a copper pipe of a rigid PVC pipe, fed off the rising main, however sprinkler systems do require a 32mm cold feed into the house as the systems need a good flow. A typical area covered by each sprinkler head is 15m2, so only larger rooms would require more than one outlet.
Will they be Noticeable in my Home?
Sprinklers are about as intrusive as downward lighting, meaning they are very discreet. Fire sprinklers tend to be concealed fittings, meaning all that will be visible will be a series of 10cm white discs.
Are There Any Issues with Sprinklers?
There are many objections to enforcing the uptake of sprinkler systems. Unsurprisingly the main ones relate to the costs involved. A new build house is already an expensive investment in itself and is constantly being loaded down with cost. Existing building regulations already require the use of smoke detectors and other fire protection measures which have proved effective within the number of fatalities and injuries. However, statistics have shown that your chances of surviving a domestic fire are approximately 60% if the property has smoke detectors fitted. This rises to around 95% if the property has a domestic fire sprinkler system installed.
How Much Would a Sprinkler Fitting Cost?
There are many factors affecting the outcome of a fire sprinkler quote; such as the room size, property type and water supply. Rad Sprinklers have a costing guide which is designed to give you enough understanding for calculating the costs of your installation.
Why Choose Us?
Here are RAD Fire Sprinklers we offer a range of services including; fire sprinkler installation, fire sprinkler maintenance, residential fire sprinkler systems, home fire sprinkler systems and building regulations advice. With a highly experienced and professional team, we have been exclusively installing residential fire sprinkler systems longer than virtually any other company in our field. If you’re interested in any of our services, why not give us a call today? One of our team members will be on hand to take your call, contact us here!