Fire sprinklers are one of the most effective methods to fighting a fire in the early stages and are widely accepted across residential homes and businesses. Fire sprinklers are put in place to save your property from the devastating effects of a spreading fire as quickly as possible, but first and foremost, to protect lives. In this article, we expand on the importance of fire sprinklers and how they work to detect heat within your home or workplace. 

Protecting Lives

First and foremost, the importance of installing fire sprinklers is to protect lives. In fact, according to the NFPA, the chances of dying in a fire and the average property loss per fire are both cut by one-half to two-thirds when fire sprinklers have been properly installed.

Fireprotectionblog.com expands on the most important reason that fire sprinklers are used:

“Without a doubt, the most important role that fire sprinklers play is in protecting the lives of those who occupy the building. The NFPA reports, “the civilian death rate was 81% lower in homes with fire sprinklers than in homes without them.” During a fire, sprinkler systems are activated early on to fight a fire and increase the likelihood of surviving a fire. Fire sprinkler systems slow the spread of a fire and allow people to safely evacuate a building and reduce the amount of toxic fumes released by a fire.”

Detecting Heat

You may be surprised to know that fire sprinklers work by detecting heat in the building and not smoke. While this may seem as though fire sprinklers are not as sensitive as smoke detectors, they are designed not to be for good reason.

Guardian Fire Protection Services tells us more about what triggers fire sprinklers:

“Contrary to popular belief, fire sprinklers are not triggered by smoke. It’s an easy mistake to make, since heat is carried upward with smoke from a fire. But if smoke was the trigger, simply burning your toast in the office kitchen could be enough to drench the kitchen with water from a fire sprinkler head.”

Efficiency and Function

With a life saving tool as valuable as fire sprinklers, it’s incredibly important to make sure that they are regularly maintained and inspected to ensure that they’re in perfect working order. This will ensure that in the event of an emergency, the fire is put out as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Judd Fire Protection talks about the many benefits of fire sprinklers that have been well maintained and annually inspected:

“Fire Sprinklers that are well maintained and inspected annually have been responsible for saving many lives. Because they are so efficient at stopping fires before they spread and cause extensive damage and injuries, the fires are stopped before they grow. In addition, not only are they used in commercial office spaces, but they are also used in restaurant eating areas, commercial kitchens, warehouses and industrial settings, multi-family homes, and single-family residences.”  

Fire-Alert takes pride in equipping homeowners with all necessary fire safety devices to ensure the well-being of families across the nation. Reach out to us using our contact form to find out more.