You’ve seen them in restaurants, in office buildings, and businesses of all sorts, but why are fire sprinkler systems to infrequently seen installed? Most business owners are concerned about the reliability of a fire sprinkler system – the concerns of cost, effectiveness, and faulty water release can scare off any property owner.
Now that nowadays installing a fire sprinkler system in any commercial building is a must, it’s time to look into the reliability of a fire sprinkler system, and whether the fears of building owners across the country have any validity.
They Act Independently
Many landlords are nervous to install fire sprinklers in their office areas, as they believe that, should a small fire occur, a fire sprinkler system would activate all sprinklers around their building simultaneously. This would lead to all areas of the whole building getting drenched in water, and possibly ruining appliances, equipment and precious work documents, all for once small fire.
Of course, this couldn’t be further from the truth – fire sprinklers act independently from each other. This means that each individual sprinkler will activate only when it is in proximity to a fire, releasing water and extinguishing the fire in that area only.
Minimal Water Usage And Damage
A fire sprinkler uses many hundreds of gallons less water than a fire crew would use. The use of less water means that there is less likely to be any sort of water damage to furniture, walls, floors, ceilings, and personal items.
A sprinkler system can use less water to battle a fire because it can begin to extinguish the blaze right from the start – this means that a fire won’t grow in size, won’t engulf an office, and will do only minimal damage. Installing a sprinkler at your workplace ensures that almost any fire will be taken care of before it becomes a sizable blaze.
More Reliable Than a Smoke Detector Alone
All commercial buildings must have a smoke detectors, and, in Canada it’s required by law. Smoke detectors ensure that, when you and your co-workers are busy with work, you can be alerted to the presence of a fire in your office. This early alert system has saved the lives of quite a few people!
Unfortunately, a smoke detector is rarely as reliable and useful as a fire sprinkler system. A smoke detector can warn you of a fire, but smoke detectors are well-known for going off when there is smoke from cooking or cigarette smoke. A fire sprinkler will not trigger unless there is a significant source of heat in the vicinity, ensuring it will only go off when a fire is actually present.
They Are Quick and Safe
Fire sprinklers trigger in under a minute, usually within 30 seconds, of detecting a heat source. This means that the sprinklers will quickly handle a budding flame before it becomes a raging inferno. Additionally, fire sprinklers provide an added level of protection from fire, as they are the only reliable commercial installation that can quickly put out a fire without any intervention.
