You may think that overhead sprinkler systems are only for commercial and municipal buildings. In fact, residential sprinkler systems can be an effective tool when it comes to fire detection and containment. Choosing to protect your home with this type of system will produce several key benefits. Here are some examples to consider.
Faster Detection of Activity
Home fire sprinkler systems are equipped with sensors that detect the presence of smoke, flames, and sudden increases in temperature. Thanks to these features, the sprinklers will deploy and begin to contain the fire sooner rather than later. Even as your alarms are activating and warning everyone in the house of the danger, the sprinklers are already working to keep the flames from spreading.
Minimizing the Damage
The fast response of a properly designed sprinkler system means the fire never has the chance to spread beyond a limited area. Even within that particular room or section of the house, the amount of damage done will be kept to a minimum. Along with having fewer belongings that must be replaced, the sprinklers also prevent more damage to the home itself. That makes recovering from the event a little easier.
Putting the Fire Out Before the Fire Department Arrives
Depending on the severity of the fire, the sprinkler system may be all it takes to put out the fire. In this scenario, the job will be done before the fire department can get to the site. While you still want professionals to enter the home and make sure there are no signs of more activity taking place, the quick containment is good for you and also for your neighbors who live in homes close to the property line.
More Time to Get Out
With the sprinkler system containing the fire, you and your loved ones have better chances of getting out of the home and avoiding injury. There are studies indicating that people living in homes with these types of systems have anywhere from a 50% to an 80% better chance of being alerted to the fire and escaping the home without injury than people who have nothing more than smoke alarms and fire extinguishers on hand.
The Impact on Your Home Insurance Rates
While the main focus of installing residential fire sprinkler systems is on safety and preventing damage to the home, there is another benefit that is worth considering. Choosing to install this type of system will meet with favor on the part of your home insurance provider. That’s because the sprinklers reduce the risk that the provider takes on by agreeing to issue the policy. The result could be a slight reduction in the premiums associated with your home insurance. Talk with your insurance agent and find out what sort of price break the sprinklers would provide. You may be pleasantly surprised at how much you save each year.
Take a look around your area and identify companies that offer solutions for residential fire safety. Find out more about what it takes to install the sprinkler system, how it deploys only in areas where there is evidence of a fire, and how the system can be inspected and maintained from year to year. Once you have a better idea of how it works and what it can do to keep you and your family safe, the idea of moving forward with the installation will make a lot of sense.
Charlie Teschner started MESA Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling in 1982. Charlie has a journeyman and master plumber’s license. He was raised with a strong work ethic and he now applies those values to tasks such as Longmont, CO heating repair.
March 23, 2017