Installing fire sprinklers in your home is one of most effective ways to protect your family from fire.
Installing a fire sprinkler system in your home is one of most effective ways to protect your family from fire. Still, a lot of people think sprinkler systems are best suited for commercial buildings. This notion is common due to a couple of misconceptions about sprinklers. We would like to do our part at Fireline to dispel a couple of misconceptions about residential sprinklers.
Home Fire Sprinklers Need Frequent Maintenance
Fire sprinklers in commercial buildings are more complicated than residential sprinklers, potentially requiring maintenance, but this is not true of residential sprinklers. This is because they have a much simpler design. All that is needed is a flow test once each year, and regular visual inspections (monthly is recommended) to make sure the control valve is open. Also, make sure that none of the sprinklers have been painted. This is easy enough to do all by yourself.
They Will Be Activated By Your Smoke Alarm
This is not true. Your smoke alarm may go off in your home on occasion, but they do not activate the sprinklers (like you see on TV). Heat is what activates them, not smoke from a fire. You still need smoke detectors, though, to provide early warning of a fire.
Home Fire Sprinklers Will Soak All of Your Possessions
This ties in with our last point: heat activates sprinkler systems. When a sprinkler in an area with fire, the intense heat will activate the sprinkler. In areas where there is no fire, sprinklers will not activate. In most cases, only one fire sprinkler will activate during a house fire. Typically, one sprinkler can control a fire. This means that damage can be contained to one area of the house.
They Are Unsightly
This is one of the top complaints. Commercial sprinklers can be obtrusive and not so attractive. But residential sprinklers are different. Residential sprinklers can be recessed or semi-recessed. The covers can march the color of the ceiling and are barely noticeable. When the sprinkler senses heat, the cover plate will pop off, and the sprinkler will discharge. The bottom line is that sprinklers save lives and are a necessity for your home.
Fire Protection Services from Fireline
Whether you need smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, or an automatic sprinkler system installed at your commercial property, Fireline has you covered. We have been protecting people and property from fire damage since 1947—and our experience shows in our excellent work! We are known for our superb customer service, our expertise, and our reliability. For more information on how we can help your residential or commercial property, visit us online or give us a call at (800) 553-3405. We are in Baltimore, MD, with a second office in Leesburg, VA. For more fire safety tips, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.