Did you know there are 45,000 fires each year only in residential buildings in the UK?
Historically, fire sprinkler systems have mostly been used for commercial buildings such as warehouses, factories or department stores. Today, however, there is a growing trend that sees fire sprinklers being installed in residential dwellings too.
Fire alarms may not be enough on their own
Fire detection systems save 80-100 lives every year but there are plenty of cases where they are not enough on their own, for example when it comes to children, the old, infirm or disabled people escaping a fire.
There is a much higher chance when people sharing a house, rather than single families, of dying in a fire. Not to mention buildings made with non-traditional materials, such as wood or recycled materials. In all these cases, only sprinklers can really make a difference.
That’s why residential fire sprinklers are increasingly recognised as a highly effective way of reducing fire deaths. Even when fire alarms work properly, people can still die because of a fire.
A residential fire sprinkler system can save your life
In the UK, there have been no multiple deaths because of a fire in a residential building provided with a working fire sprinkler system. Statistics show that, in the US, 98% of all fires in sprinklered dwellings are extinguished by only one sprinkler head. This is evidence that fire sprinkler systems can really increase the level of safety.
Despite what most of the people think, fire sprinkler systems are not complicated to install in an existing building and some of them (the wet pipe systems, for example) don’t require high maintenance. Sprinkler heads can be easily hidden so they don’t affect the look of your house.
The installation of sprinkler systems in residential buildings is covered by a specific regulation, BS 9251:2005 Sprinkler systems for residential and domestic occupancies. Code of practice.
In conclusion, while it’s true that smoke detectors can warn you of the start of a fire, only fire sprinklers can control and extinguish it. And this is a key point when it comes to people not able to look after themselves. In the event of a fire, they are the only devices that can save your property.
For any information on our residential fire sprinkler pumps and equipment range please don’t hesitate to contact us.