Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems

If you think your home is safe without a fire sprinkler system installed, think again. Fires in all types of buildings, whether residential or commercial, are extremely common.

Here are some facts you might not know about the frequency of fire in domestic buildings without fire sprinkler systems:

	Fire Sprinklers are proven to control / extinguish over 99 percent of all fires.
	One in five people experiences a serious home fire in their lifetime.
	Across the U.K., two people die in a fire every day.
	Every thirty seconds, one person in the U.K. is seriously injured in a fire.
	Fire Sprinklers are proven to reduce damage in buildings in which they are installed by 90%.
	In 2010, fire damage in buildings throughout the U.K. exceeded £1.5 billion.

If you have anything worth protecting from fire, you need a fire sprinkler system in your home in order to be sure you are protected.

In buildings with fire sprinkler systems, over 99% of fires are stopped before they do more than minimal damage.

Not one fire fatality has ever been recorded in a U.K. home with a fire sprinkler system installed.

When you look at the fire safety record of buildings with fire sprinkler systems installed vs. those that don't have a residential fire sprinkler installed, it's easy to see there's no comparison.

Most of us would be devastated by a serious fire. There's so much to lose-our homes, our belongings, our life's work, a business we've spent years or decades building-even our lives and the lives of those we love.

If you don't have a fire sprinkler system installed in your home, you're playing with fire. Home is where you're most likely to experience a serious fire-over 80% of fire-related injuries and deaths happen in the home.

Most people don't realize how easy it is for a home fire to start. And in a home without a fire sprinkler system, these fires can take over a house before you have time to do anything about it. Here are eight of the quickest and easiest ways you can reduce your house to a pile of ash-without even being aware of it.

• Walk away from something cooking in the kitchen

The kitchen is often the most fire-prone room in the house. During down time in cooking, it's common to leave food unattended on the stove, in the oven, or in the microwave. If you use a dish that isn't oven or microwave safe, you could easily start a fire. A gas leak or a wooden spoon or open cookbook near a lit burner could also cause a serious flare-up.

• Let your electrical cords get worn out

Frayed or chewed electrical cords start many house fires. If you have an electrical cord stretched across a floor or under a rug, the foot traffic could quickly wear the cord out. Exposed electrical wires will light your floor or rug on fire in no time. Pets often chew on electrical cords as well, causing serious fire hazards.

• Overload your power strips

Overloaded power strips can also cause fire. When overloaded, they can spark. If they're anywhere near anything flammable-and in most homes they are-a fire is very likely.

• Buy a malfunctioning electrical appliance

Malfunctioning electrical appliances are a big source of fire. Most of us own more than a few electrical gadgets, all of which can malfunction at any time. Sparks from faulty toasters, coffee makers, televisions, computer monitors, or any electrical appliance you could name can cause serious fires.

• Put something flammable near something hot

Getting anything flammable near a source of heat is a quick way to start a fire. Some dangerous examples include lamp shades that rest too close to the bulb, clothes or curtains too close to a radiator, or any flammable material close to a space heater.

• Leave a candle unattended-just for a minute

Candles cause hundreds of fires every year. Some candle holders aren't suitable for fire-they get too hot when the candle melts too far, causing a fire risk. Even with a safe holder, candles should never be left unattended. It only takes a minute for a pet or child to knock a candle over-or just nudge it too close to flammable material.

• Use a fireplace or wood stove incorrectly

Fireplaces and wood stoves can be fire hazards when not properly used. Make sure your chimney is clear and clean before burning anything. Never throw away ashes that aren't 100% cool-even the tiniest smoldering coal could easily start a fire in your trash bin.

• Leave burning cigarettes unattended

Cigarettes are a huge fire hazard. Smoking in bed, leaving a pipe or cigarette unattended, and emptying ashtray contents before they are cold cause hundreds of fires each year.

Once started, a fire can rage out of control in minutes. Many people don't realize how quickly a fire can spread, because most of us are used to seeing only controlled fires in fireplaces and on candlewicks. But a small fire can become a large one in the time it takes you to read this sentence. A fire sprinkler is activated the moment a fire starts-taking the fire out before it gets out of control.

Not everybody has a fire sprinkler system installed at home. In fact, it may be safe to say that most people don't have fire sprinkler systems. Why, if fires are so common and so dangerous, don't more people have fire sprinkler systems installed? Why isn't it a law?

In fact, many cities and regions throughout the U.K. have made it mandatory to install fire sprinkler systems-and fire chiefs in many more areas are calling for just such laws. But there are also many misconceptions that keep people from installing fire sprinkler systems. Here are five of the more common ones:

• A fire sprinkler causes more water damage than it's worth

Not true. Each fire sprinkler in the system is designed to go off individually. The heat from a fire activates only the fire sprinkler directly above it. Water damage is minimal. In the case of more severe fires, where more than one fire sprinkler is activated, the water damage is much less than the fire damage would have been without the fire sprinkler system.

• I've got smoke alarms-so I'm safe

This is one of the most dangerous misconceptions out there. A smoke alarm does not provide full protection against fire. Because inattention is a frequent cause of fire, many start at night. Even though smoke alarms are loud, it can take several minutes for a person to wake, realize what's going on, and get out of the house when a fire starts. Those few minutes can be all a fire needs to block escape routes.

• A fire sprinkler installation is too expensive

Installing a fire sprinkler system costs about as much as installing new carpets. Not as cheap as a set of new fire alarms, true. But the protection they provide to your family is worth any price.

• A fire sprinkler system isn't effective at controlling fires

Again, not true. Fire sprinkler systems are more effective than the fire brigade-and they use a tiny fraction of the water. The reason they are so effective is that they stop fires almost immediately, before they have a chance to get out of control. By the time the fire brigade arrives at a burning house, the fire has almost always grown much larger and is much more difficult to control.

• A fire sprinkler in every room will look unsightly

Actually, most fire sprinkler manufacturers make specially-designed fire sprinkler heads that blend in with your walls and ceiling. Residential fire sprinklers can be installed in a recess and covered with a special cap that drops off in case of fire, covering the fire sprinkler head in the meantime so that it blends completely with the ceiling. These caps come in many colors to match your paint, or they can be custom-ordered.

Commercial fires are just as common as residential fires-if not more so. Fire-related deaths in commercial buildings are less common than they are in residential buildings. However, commercial buildings have one big fire risk that isn't as common in residential fires: arson.

Arson is a big risk for commercial buildings. In the year of 2002 alone, approximately 117,800 fires were set deliberately. Billions of pounds of damage were caused in that year. Other fires start in commercial buildings for the same reasons they do in residential ones: faulty wiring or electrical equipment, kitchen mishaps, smoking accidents, and other simple mistakes coupled with a few minutes of inattention. Here are just a few recent instances in which businesses were devastated by fire:

	A fire in a Paris hotel killed six people. The fire was reportedly started by the girlfriend of an employee after an argument.
	A four-storey commercial building in China killed over 300 people Christmas night. Christmas lights and decorations can be dangerous fire hazards in both commercial and residential buildings.
	Schools are huge targets for arson, particularly among delinquent youths. In 2002 alone, nearly £5 million worth of fire damage was done to Hampshire schools, with a great deal more across the U.K. that year.
	Australia's Palace Backpackers Hostel caught fire after midnight. Panicked travelers tried to escape down the stairs and out the windows of the burning building. Fifteen guests died in the fire.
	A paper storage warehouse in East London caught fire in the early morning. The fire grew so big that it could be seen for miles. The building, its stored records, and several delivery lorries were destroyed in the fire.

So you own a commercial building, a block of residential flats, an HMO, or a new development. Why should you consider installing a fire sprinkler system?

There are several excellent reasons to put in fire sprinkler systems-and all will help your bottom line. Here are just a few of many:

	Decades of records on property damage show that if you experience a fire in your building, you'll save 90% more on property damage costs with fire sprinkler systems than you would without fire sprinkler systems. The data is clear: just one fire, and a fire sprinkler system will pay for itself many times over.
	Insurance costs are less for businesses with fire sprinkler systems installed. You can expect, on average, a 15% decrease in premiums.
	A building with a fire sprinkler system installed is more valuable than one without a fire sprinkler system installed. If you plan on selling your building, you can leverage the extra fire safety provided by a fire sprinkler system to gain a bigger profit.

Just one fire can destroy your livelihood, your home, and your family. A fire sprinkler system provides priceless protection to the things you value most. Stop putting your life and loved ones at needless risk-look into installing a fire sprinkler system today. Fires are common in both homes and businesses. Without a fire sprinkler system, the odds are one to five that you'll see at least one serious fire in your lifetime. With a fire sprinkler system installed, the odds are much better-a hundred to one that you won't.

With odds like that, the choice is clear: installing a fire sprinkler system is the best decision you can make to protect your family or business from a serious fire.