Home Fire Sprinkler Systems: Nothing Protects Better

Every home needs working smoke alarms on each level. The sound of the smoke alarm warns you there is fire. The sound gives you extra time to follow your escape plan. That helps you get out safely.

If there is a fire, a fire sprinkler system turns on automatically. It sprays water on the flames. It keeps the fire small or puts it out.

Having working smoke alarms, a fire escape plan, and a fire sprinkler system is the best way to stay safe from a fire.

Fire sprinklers save lives and prevent injuries. They also keep the fire and smoke from ruining your things.

Many people have seen fire sprinklers at work. They’ve seen them in hotels and hospitals and schools. But many people don’t realize that they can have fire sprinklers installed in their homes too.

Having fire sprinklers at home is very important. More than 80 percent of fire deaths happen at home.

Learn more about fire safety by visiting MySafeHome.org, where you can explore a virtual home to identify dangers and the ways you can prevent injury.

Home Safety Council Supports Sprinkler Education

The Home Safety Council is a member of the Board of the HFSC. To learn more about this powerful fire protection technology and to watch animated clips of how home fire sprinklers work, visit the HFSC's Web site: www.homefiresprinkler.org.

HFSC offers a free educational web site for children in grades K-5. Sprinkler Smarts teaches basic fire safety and helps children become familiar with home fire sprinkler systems.

SEE SPRINKLERS IN ACTION

The United States Fire Administration Recommends Fire Sprinklers

Gregory B. Cade, administrator of the United States Fire Administration (USFA) has announced an official USFA position advocating residential fire sprinkler systems. Noted Administrator Cade in the announcement, “All homes should be equipped with smoke alarms and automatic fire sprinklers, and families should prepare and practice emergency escape plans.”

Fire Team USA

View a real-time fire demonstration and watch sprinklers extinguish the blaze in seconds.

Fire Sprinklers vs. Flashover

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides online still photos and video clips depicting a fire with and without fire sprinklers present. Watch flashover occur in the non-sprinklered demonstration.

With and Without Sprinklers – a Visual Comparison

The Tualatin Valley Fire Department (Ore.) Web site offers a photographic comparison of two home fires; with and without a fire sprinkler system.

Fire Sprinklers in Your Home

If you are making changes to your home, or planning to build a new home, talk to someone at your fire department about having a fire sprinkler system installed. Ask for help finding a qualified sprinkler installer.

If you are moving, ask your real estate or rental agent to show you homes that have fire sprinkler systems already installed.

Fresno Fire Department PSA

Watch this amusing video about the value of home fire sprinkler systems.

How Fire Sprinklers Work

Piping is installed behind the walls, just like regular plumbing. This piping keeps water ready in case of fire. Sprinklers are attached to the pipes. The sprinklers are in the ceiling or on the side walls. Sometimes they have special covers on them. That helps them blend into the ceiling.

Fire sprinklers are made so they turn on when a fire raises the temperature near the sprinkler. Most home fire sprinklers turn on at about 135°F. If there is a special cover, it falls off at about 130°F.

Fire sprinklers are not like smoke alarms. They do not turn on when there is smoke in the room. Fire sprinklers can only turn on when a fire raises the temperature. And each fire sprinkler works on its own. They do not spray water all together.

When fire sprinklers turn on, they put water right on the flames. Only the sprinkler(s) closest to the fire will open. Usually only one sprinkler is needed in home fires.

The sprinkler turns on very quickly. It turns on while the fire is still small. This controls or puts out the blaze. It limits the amount of heat and poison smoke made by the fire. That saves lives.

In most home fires, the sprinkler will put out the fire before the fire department arrives. Then firefighters turn off the water supply.

Know the Facts

There are many myths about home fire sprinkler systems. Here are the facts:

Sprinklers stop or slow down a fire. They keep it from growing and spreading. That gives you and your family the time you need to get out and call the fire department.

The main job of fire sprinklers is to save lives. But fire sprinklers also protect your home and your things. Sprinklers turn on while the fire is still small. That holds down the fire and smoke damage to a home. Fire sprinklers put far less water on the fire. They usually spray about 25 gallons of water per minute.

In a home that doesn’t have sprinklers, a fire will keep growing and spreading. When firefighters arrive several minutes after they get an emergency call, they will have to put about 250 gallons of water per minute on the fire. And they will use powerful fire hoses. When a home doesn’t have fire sprinklers there is far greater damage from a fire and from water.

Even though you may have seen it in movies, fire sprinklers do not spray water all at once. In most home fires only one sprinkler is needed to put out the fire. Cigar smoke or smoke from burned food cannot turn on a sprinkler.

The nonprofit Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) estimates that fire sprinklers add about 1-1.5 percent to the overall cost to build a new home. The cost is part of the new home mortgage, just like plumbing is.