How Environmentally Friendly are Fire Sprinklers?
According to regulations in England, fire sprinkler systems must be installed in certain properties. Residential blocks over 30m high must have a water sprinkler system fitted to not only protect the property but the lives within it too. Non-compartmented areas in buildings over 2,000ft must also have a sprinkler system fitted, and they’re also recommended for factories and warehouses. They’re one of the most effective forms of fire suppression, but do we really need a residential sprinkler system?
A residential property is any building that is being used as or is suitable to be used as a dwelling. This applies to homes, flats and care facilities such as nursing homes. Although most of these properties are now fitted with a smoke alarm to alert inhabitants of a fire, sprinklers work to extinguish the blaze and eliminate it at the source. All properties could benefit from having a reliable sprinkler system installed, in order to save lives.
Domestic Housing
Detached, semi-detached and terraced housing are three of the most common domestic dwellings in the UK. 77% of fire fatalities in the UK happened in domestic dwellings in the 2018-19 period, highlighting the desperate need for more light to be shone upon the benefits of installing sprinklers into homes. They can protect your home for years to come with regular maintenance, and will keep fire and water damage to a minimum. Residential sprinkler systems also work to help firefighters who come to your home to help tackle the blaze, keeping them safer too.
Qualified fire sprinkler companies can design and install your sprinkler system based upon your water supply and pressure, plus the dimensions of your house. They work to detect the heat of a fire, isolating the blaze and working with your smoke alarm to ensure everyone is evacuated efficiently. To find out more about our domestic fire sprinkler systems, please visit us on our website here.
High-Rise Flats and Apartments
There has never been a more important time to install a residential fire sprinkler system into high rise flats than now. Following the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower disaster, the Government changed the requirement for sprinkler systems in high-rise buildings. The threshold was lowered from 30m above ground level to 11m, protecting more lives and preventing catastrophes like Grenfell from happening again. More sprinkler systems have yet to be installed into all high-rise buildings in the UK, but changes are being made.
Fires in high-rise buildings are meant to be contained within the individual fire compartmentation throughout the building. Each fire compartment has sprinkler heads installed within them and these will quickly operate to extinguish the quickly developing fire.
Care Homes
Care facilities are home to numerous vulnerable people who must be protected at all costs from the tragic potential consequences of a fire. In Scotland, new legislation highlights that all new-build care homes must have a residential sprinkler system installed, but this poses a problem for existing care homes. Responsibility for effective fire safety falls upon the ‘responsible person,’ but this does not mean that water sprinkler systems are always a requirement.
With the presence of vulnerable people comes a much slower reaction to the signs of a fire. A smoke alarm may sound, but staff must react quickly to ensure all residents evacuate as soon as possible. Some people may have a disability or mobility issues, so getting out of the building quickly could be an issue. Therefore, sprinklers can provide extra time to evacuate, working to extinguish the fire rapidly.
How We Can Help
Here at RAD Fire Sprinklers, we have years of experience in designing and installing residential sprinkler systems, as well as effective fire mist systems in commercial properties, warehouses and other buildings. To find out more, or to receive a quote, please get in touch today by giving us a call on 01892 680 090. Alternatively, you can fill out our contact form.
