HOME FIRE SPRINKLERS
MYTHS & FACTS
FIRE SPRINKLERS TODAY
Today’s homes are built with lightweight building material and flooring which burn faster and fail quicker (often collapsing in a fire). Common synthetic furnishings and belongings burn hot and fast and produce toxic smoke. A fast, spreading fire can take lives in only seconds. The answer to this modern home fire problem is a century-old solution: fire sprinkler technology. Installing homefire sprinklers is the best protectionavailable. The proven, lifesaving technology is the same - just updated for home designs.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions about Home Fire Sprinklers. Below you will find some of these myths and the facts that debunk them provided by your expert fire prevention team, Red Hawk Fire Protection.
MYTHS & FACTS
Myth:
A smoke detector provides enough protection.
Smoke detectors save lives by providing a warning system but can do nothing to extinguish a growing fire or protect those physically unable to escape on their own, such as the elderly or small children.
Fact:
Home fire sprinklers can malfunction and cause severe water damage to my home. They're more of a liability than help.
Myth:
It is extremely rare for home fire sprinklers to accidentally operate. In a typical home, water damage will be considerably less from unwanted sprinkler discharges than from other plumbing mishaps. National installation standards provide guidance for proper installation in cold regions to prevent frozen pipes. Research has demonstrated that only 1 in 16 million heads ever activates by accident.
Human error causes some of the most common fire sprinkler system issues, which can easily be avoided with a little care and common sense. Anyone who lives in your home needs to be aware that they cannot touch the sprinkler heads for any reason, let alone paint over them, hang objects from them, etc.
Fact:
Myth:
Smoke from things like cigars or burned toast will activate the sprinkler system.
While smoke alarms can be activated by these things, smoke from cigarettes, cigars, or burning food cannot cause a sprinkler to operate. Only the high temperature of a fire will activate the sprinkler.
Fact:
Home sprinklers waste a tremendous amount of water. It's better to have the fire department put out the fire.
Myth:
The high heat, flames and smoke require a tremendous amount of water from fire department hoses - more than 10 times the water flow per minute of sprinklers. Sprinklers not only save people, property and valuables, they better serve the environment.
Fact:
A small fire will activate all the sprinklers in the home, with the water causing more damage than the flames.
Myth:
All sprinklers do not activate at once. This scenario may be common in movies and TV shows, but it just isn't true for standard sprinkler systems. Only the sprinkler closest to the fire activates. ninety percent of the time one sprinkler contains the fire. An uncontrolled fire will cause far greater destruction and smoke/heat damage than water damage from an activated sprinkler.
Fact:
Myth:
Sprinklers steal water from the fire department hose lines.
A properly designed sprinkler system takes into account both the water supply for the system and fire department hose streams.
Fact:
Myth:
Fire sprinklers in my home are just plain ugly.
There are several types of fire sprinklers made for home. Some are for installation on walls and others in ceilings; some are concealed by plate. All residential fire sprinklers are much smaller and lower-profile than the types of sprinklers used in commercial and industrial properties.
Fact:
Myth:
Fire sprinkler systems are not reliable.
Laboratory testing and a 50-year installation/activation history clearly shows that fire sprinklers systems exceed a 95 percent "fail-safe" status.
Fact:
Myth:
Newer homes are safer.
Today’s home fires become deadly in as little as 2 minutes. In a fire, unprotected lightweight construction materials, used in many modern homes, burn quicker and fail faster. New homes often contain modern furnishings made of synthetic materials that, in a fire, can create a highly toxic environment, greater fuel load, and faster fire propagation.
Fact:
HOME FIRE TIMELINE
Fires in new homes are deadlier today. Common unprotected lightweight building material and flooring burns faster and fails quicker. Our furniture and belongings are made of synthetics that create deadly smoke when they burn. An uncontrolled house fire grows quickly. The hot, deadly smoke travels room to room. It can take lives in just seconds.
Please take a moment to watch the video below to see how a fire progresses in a home without a sprinkler system and home with a sprinkler system.
Home fire sprinklers serve as an indispensable fire protection system, automatically detecting and controlling fires in their early stages. By dousing small fires with water, they prevent the rapid spread of heat, flames, and toxic smoke. This critical safety feature ensures that you, your family, and your beloved pets have ample time to evacuate the premises unharmed.
When considering building or purchasing a new home, make fire sprinklers a non-negotiable requirement. They provide unparalleled protection for the people and possessions you cherish most. In essence, having a home fire sprinkler system is akin to having a dedicated firefighter on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, safeguarding your home and loved ones.
For more information, please visit the NFPA Home Fire Sprinklers or the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition website.