Fact Versus Fiction

The United States has one of the highest incidences of fire, and the worst fire death record, per capita, in the industrialized world. We are fortunate to have the best fire departments in the world extinguishing fires. In order to save most lives, five minutes is the crucial time period, and most alarms are received too late for the fire fighters to have a chance to save the lives of the occupants making fire sprinkler crucial for your home and business.

Home fires are often controlled with just one of the sprinkler heads
One study, covering a span of many years, pointed out that over 80% of the fires were controlled by one or two sprinklers
Sprinkler systems offer a high degree of life safety
There is no record of deaths occurring in a residential or public building that offered complete sprinkler protection
Many insurance companies offer discounts for automatic sprinklers
Sprinkler are not meant to replace fire fighters but they can enhance their arsenal of defense

Fiction: Every sprinkler head will automatically spray water…

Fact: Each sprinkler discharges individually, all sprinklers do not diffuse at once. Usually, only those sprinkler heads activated by heat during a fire will discharge water to extinguish or limit the fire to its source.

Fiction: Sprinkler systems are unattractive…

Fact: Fire sprinklers are the most reliable fire protection system known. They report a 99.76% success rate in communities where all fires are reported. Both industrial sprinklers and residential sprinkler systems are designed to blend into virtually any décor. Sprinklers, cover plates, and escutcheons can be custom painted by the manufacturer to match any decor.

Fiction: Water damage from sprinklers will be worse than the fire damage itself…

Fact: Quick response sprinklers release 13 to 24 gallons of water per minute compared to a fire hose releasing 150-200 gallons per minute. Therefore, an uncontrolled fire will encounter significantly greater smoke and water damage by a fire hose.

Fiction: Smoke detectors offer enough protection from fires…

Fact: All too often, battery operated smoke detectors fail to function because of dead or missing batteries. Smoke detectors will save lives by providing a much needed warning system. However, smoke detectors do nothing to extinguish a fire and protect those people who are unable to escape on their own. Infants, young children, the elderly and the disabled are most often the fatalities in a fire.

Fiction: Sprinklers might go off by accident…

Fact: Sprinkler heads are heat-activated. Smoke does not activate the sprinkler head. The odds of accidental discharge due to a manufacturing defect are 1 in 16 million per year.

Fact vs. Fiction

Fiction: Sprinkler systems are unattractive…

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