Nothing is more reliable than automatic fire sprinklers when it comes to accidents related to house fires. They reduce property damage, but they can also prevent the loss of precious lives.
According to NFPA (Nation Fire Protection Agency), automatic fire sprinklers have reduced fire-related casualties by about 80% and property damage by about 70%.
Even though fire sprinklers are affordable and easy to maintain, few houses have installed them. Today we will go on about everything you should know about fire sprinklers.
How Effective Are Fire Sprinklers?
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Before investing in a fire sprinkler, you might wonder, are they even effective? In that case, we have compiled some points based on research done by NFPA to prove how effective are fire sprinklers.
1. Reduce Casualties:
If a house is equipped with a fire sprinkler, it reduces the casualties by over 80%. Even in manufacturing facilities, fire sprinklers have reduced casualties by over 88%. As long as the system is properly maintained, it works as intended.
2. Reduce Property Damage:
Fire sprinklers also help in reducing property damage. According to NFPA, the property damage has been reduced by 65% in a house equipped with a fire sprinkler.
3. Fire sprinklers might fail to operate:
Most of the time, the fire sprinkler works as it is intended to. They have a success rate of 87 %. One of the reasons the fire sprinkler might not work is that they were never turned on after an inspection.
Other reasons are that the fire sprinklers weren’t properly maintained, insufficient water pressure, manual intervention, and damaged parts. If a fire sprinkler is properly maintained, it should work as it is intended to.
Why Is Fire Sprinkler Important?
Having a fire-related accident is pretty devastating. Having a proper fire sprinkler system installed reduces the amount of damage. We believe that every house and building should be equipped with fire sprinklers.
Even though fire sprinklers are common knowledge, most people don’t know how they work and how they are so essential in reducing damage.
Here are our 7 reasons listing why we believe that fire sprinklers are very important:
1. They Save Lives
The biggest advantage of having a properly installed fire sprinkler is that it can save lives. NFPA has proved it that a house with a well-equipped fire sprinkler system suffers fewer casualties compared to a house with no fire sprinkler installed.
There hasn’t been a record of more than two casualties happening in a well-equipped fire sprinkler building. Unlike a fire alarm that does nothing but alerts us in case of a fire.
At the same time, fire sprinklers help in containing major fires and provide the fire departments with the crucial time they need to arrive on time.
2. Reduces Damage
Another significant advantage of fire sprinklers is that they reduce property damage by 65%. Fire sprinklers also help businesses in reducing the damage to their assets.
For a small business, installing fire sprinklers could save it from being shut down after a fatal fire-related incident.
3. They suppress the problem before it goes out of control
Unlike a normal fire alarm that does nothing but alerts the people of the fire. Fire sprinklers help in suppressing the problem itself.
Fire sprinklers either contain the fire entirely or reduce it significantly. Thus giving the fire department the valuable time they need.
4. They save water, time, and money
Fire sprinklers use significantly less water compared to the fire department. Fire sprinklers are only triggered when exposed to high temperate caused by an actual fire. Only the sprinkler exposed to such a high temperate will activate. Usually, that is enough to contain the fire.
They save time by containing the fire before the fire department even arrives. Fire spreads very fast, and it takes time for the fire department to arrive, so fire sprinklers give us precious time to escape. They are also cost-effective. Installing fire sprinklers only costs $1.35 per square foot.
5. They save Small Businesses
If you are an owner of a small business, fire sprinklers could potentially save your business from shutting down after an unfortunate fire.
They also help businesses reduce their liabilities in the event of a fire. You might also be offered tax benefits depending on your state.
6. Fire sprinkler doesn’t go off unnecessarily
You won’t have to worry about fire sprinklers going off unnecessarily. Fire sprinkler only activates when they are exposed to high temperate.
Such high temperate is only produced by actual fires. So you don’t have to worry about it going off randomly.
7. Peace of Mind
Another big advantage fire sprinklers provide is peace of mind. In today’s hectic world, having peace of mind is very important. Having peace of mind helps you in focusing on your task.
How Many Lives Do Fire Sprinklers Save?
It has been a proven fact that fire sprinklers do save lives. According to the statistics, fire sprinklers have reduced the casualties caused by fatal fires by a whopping 82%.
Not only in residential homes, but they have also saved lives in various businesses, manufacturing buildings, and warehouses.
According to NFPA, fire sprinklers have reduced fire-related casualties by 88% in manufacturing buildings and 60% in warehouses.
There hasn’t been a single case of multiple deaths occurring in a well-sprinkled building. This stat alone signifies how effective fire sprinklers are in saving lives.
Is Fire Sprinkler Water Safe?
If you wonder if the water in a fire sprinkler system is safe to drink, then the answer is no. The reason for that is the water stored inside black steel pipes sits there for years or even decades.
During that period, the water that sits there gets contaminated by corrosion and rust. The first splash of water from the fire sprinkler is disgusting, but after a few minutes, the water that flows should be clear. But it still isn’t a good idea to drink that water.
Final Talk
Based on statistics, not only do fire sprinklers save lives, but they also significantly reduce damage. We believe that fire sprinklers should be essential in every building. Installing them shouldn’t cost you a fortune either, as they are pretty cost-effective too. Ultimately, you should have a well-equipped fire sprinkler if you value the lives of your dear ones.
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