Residential fire sprinkler systems

[Okie4570]

The sprinkler heads are activated by heat. Only the ones that get hot enough will flow water. The water will flow until the water is shut off from outside.

Thanks, assumed they were the same as commercial................but didn't want to assume

 

[LightningCrash]

Guys I have been involved in this one since the push began nationally to try and require such systems in new residential construction. Truth is, those above stories are what people use to try and justify requring them. The reality is that there is not one single case nationally of lives saved due to residential sprinklers. Its like the anti gun crowd saying "if it only saves one life..." In actually it will add $6000 to the cost of your home, and if ever activated, greatly enhance the water damage done to your home. In Texas, we have to put these some homes of a certain size, thankfully OK does not require it yet. I have never had a client actually want a system after really researching it.

I would recomend upgrading your fire alarms, heat sensors, etc first.

Now I've only googled for a good 30 seconds, but I found lots of cases of sprinklers saving lives at apartments and townhomes. Does that not count?

 

[tyromeo55]

last week or so I spoke with a fitter guy we deal with and he was telling me you could install a system in a 2000 sg ft home for like $3500. To me that is darn cheap for what it does. Your likelihood of burning to death in a fire is so very small but with a sprinkler system it goes to almost nothing. if only people looked at investing in one along the same line as getting a tornado shelter

 

[LightningCrash]

Guys I have been involved in this one since the push began nationally to try and require such systems in new residential construction. Truth is, those above stories are what people use to try and justify requring them. The reality is that there is not one single case nationally of lives saved due to residential sprinklers. Its like the anti gun crowd saying "if it only saves one life..." In actually it will add $6000 to the cost of your home, and if ever activated, greatly enhance the water damage done to your home. In Texas, we have to put these some homes of a certain size, thankfully OK does not require it yet. I have never had a client actually want a system after really researching it.

I would recomend upgrading your fire alarms, heat sensors, etc first.

Found this information on a cost-benefit analysis of residential sprinklers:

"In Scottsdale, 49 fires were reported in single-family homes that were equipped with sprinklers in the 15 years after legislation was implemented. In addition, over an eight-year period in Prince George's County, there were 117 fire incidents in households that resulted in sprinkler activation. In both jurisdictions, no fire deaths were experienced in homes protected with automatic sprinklers.
[...]
Moreover, in Scottsdale, it was estimated that fires in homes protected with sprinklers had an average property loss equal to $2,166. In residences without sprinkler protection, the average property loss was equal to $45,019.3 Similarly in Prince George's County, when compared to a random sample of structural fires that occurred in unsprinklered single-family homes over a two-year period before the sprinkler ordinance was adopted, the average estimated property loss was $31,667. Conversely, the estimated fire loss was $3,673 for sprinklered homes after the sprinkler ordinance was adopted."

Now I think this was from a pro-fire sprinkler site, so I am curious what the other side of the aisle is on this? What are they missing here?

 

[mr ed]

might be tough to keep the kids from breaking those little glass vials.
don't forget to put the system in the attic too.
your always hearing how a fire started up there .

 

[tRidiot]

How can you quantify sprinklers NOT saving lives? I mean.... you say there is not one instance of a documented life saved... but... how do you know how many homes would have been total losses and/or how many lives would have been lost without sprinklers?

Isn't it like seatbelts? How do you know for sure how many people would have been ejected and/or killed without a seatbelt?

Kind of a difficult thing to prove, honestly. I think an additional safety feature, if you're willing to pay for it, isn't necessarily a bad thing.

 

[SoonerBorn]

Found this information on a cost-benefit analysis of residential sprinklers: "In Scottsdale, 49 fires were reported in single-family homes that were equipped with sprinklers in the 15 years after legislation was implemented. In addition, over an eight-year period in Prince George's County, there were 117 fire incidents in households that resulted in sprinkler activation. In both jurisdictions, no fire deaths were experienced in homes protected with automatic sprinklers. [...] Moreover, in Scottsdale, it was estimated that fires in homes protected with sprinklers had an average property loss equal to $2,166. In residences without sprinkler protection, the average property loss was equal to $45,019.3 Similarly in Prince George's County, when compared to a random sample of structural fires that occurred in unsprinklered single-family homes over a two-year period before the sprinkler ordinance was adopted, the average estimated property loss was $31,667. Conversely, the estimated fire loss was $3,673 for sprinklered homes after the sprinkler ordinance was adopted." Now I think this was from a pro-fire sprinkler site, so I am curious what the other side of the aisle is on this? What are they missing here?

I hope someone from the other side responds. I'd really like to hear the pros and cons of each side. I have my own thoughts but they are completely uninformed and unsubstantiated. Maybe an insurance pro could weigh in on the subject as well? Good topic.

 

[SMS]

Like you said Sooner, I'd like to read/learn more. My uneducated perspective is that it is not cost effective.. Seems that current fire code and material construction standards have seriously impacted structure fires. I have a couple of close friends who work for the Stillwater FD and they tell me that they hardly have any residential structure fires to respond to anymore because standards have improved so much that houses (new) rarely don't burn anymore.

Comparing the damage for new construction homes with sprinklers to the damage in older homes without sprinklers doesn't tell the whole story either...the reduced damage might not exclusively be due to the sprinklers. How much did new construction materials and codes impact/lessen the severity of the fire? What is the comparison between new construction/code homes without sprinklers compared to old construction homes without them? How about new w/sprinklers compared to new w/o?

Seems that most fires (again, uneducated impression here) are caused by people willingly/knowingly violating code and creating a hazardous situation, many times in older homes. Will those types of folks keep up the maintenance that I'm sure is required for a sprinkler system?

As for the personal tragedies...they do pull at the heart strings. I educate my kids, even the 7 year old, and we have fire drills....including crazy dad advancing down the hallway shaking an unfurled bed sheet saying "I am a fire. What do you do?". Warms the heart to watch all three of them team up, open a bedroom, window, help each other out, and head to the mailbox.

I'd like to learn more...I'm not completely opposed to the idea. I just don't want another mandate.

 

[LightningCrash]

SMS on the new construction vs old I believe it was someone here who posted this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDNPhq5ggoE

 

[SMS]

Holy crap! That's an eye opener.

But how about a 40 year old house with modern, walmart quality furnishings?....not many people rocking 40 year old pillows on their couch these days LOL.