Where Do Concealed Sprinkler Heads Work Best?
When it comes to installing automatic fire sprinkler systems in properties, different sprinkler heads are recommended to suit the property. Pendant heads are a popular choice in spaces such as offices, whereas sidewall sprinklers are great in buildings where access to ceiling voids is limited. Concealed sprinkler heads are a great choice for homes and residential properties, as they can blend into your interior decor. When considering a water sprinkler system with concealed sprinkler heads, you might want to think about whether they’re the best for your property.
Sprinklers are the very best fire protection system for homes and commercial spaces, but are concealed sprinklers the most popular?
Domestic Properties
Sprinklers are 99% effective and can help save lives and properties in any building they’re installed into. If you ever get the opportunity to install a fire sprinkler system into your home, never pass it up. They will dispense enough water to extinguish a fire, and are triggered by the heat of it rather than the smoke. When installed into domestic properties like homes and flats, concealed sprinkler heads are the most popular choice. Their cover plates blend well into the decor, and don’t stand out as pendant sprinkler heads do. However, there are steps you must take to ensure that they work effectively.
You need to ensure that your sprinkler heads are not hindered from activating efficiently and that no decorative elements in your home are obscuring the spray pattern getting in the way. If you choose to decorate after the sprinklers have been installed, make sure that no paint crosses over from the ceiling to the cover plate. This can stop them from falling away, and the effectiveness of the sprinklers will be severely affected.
Care Homes
As discussed in our previous article, sprinklers are a practical, life-saving choice for care homes. Residents are usually vulnerable, and extra time will be needed to evacuate them. Therefore, sprinklers can extinguish a fire and ensure that as many people as possible evacuate the premises safely. By opting for concealed sprinkler heads, you can blend the sprinklers into all corners of the home, keeping them out of sight of residents. This could also make more vulnerable residents feel safer without having the sprinkler heads on display.
Automatic sprinkler systems that are concealed into the structure of a property are out of the way, but this doesn’t mean that they won’t be able to do their job. Once the temperature of a room reaches a certain level, the cover plate will fall away, and the sprinkler will activate quickly. They can stop the spread of a fire before they get out of hand, keeping property damage to a minimum and saving lives.
Offices and Hotels
Sprinklers are required in buildings over 11m tall, which applies to some office buildings and hotels. Fires can spread quickly in any property, but those on higher floors of high-rise buildings are more vulnerable to fires that break out on lower floors. Hotels especially like to present a certain homely feel in their rooms, halls and lobby’s, and visible sprinkler heads could ruin this aesthetic. Concealed sprinkler heads can keep the hotel looking its best without compromising the safety of guests.
There are various fire hazards in offices; from too many computes plugged into one source to overheating appliances in the kitchen areas, it is highly recommended that office spaces have a fire escape plan in place. You may see fire suppression systems scattered around, such as fire extinguishers and fire blankets, but sprinklers are by far the most effective. Concealed sprinkler heads can protect the overall look of the office, as well as keep all employees safe from the devastating effects of a fire.
Here at RAD Fire Sprinklers, we can design and install your sprinkler system based upon your building’s dimensions. To find out more, or to receive a bespoke quote, please give us a call on 01892 680 090. Alternatively, you can fill out our online form here to get in touch.
