Hi and welcome back – I hope you have had a fantastic Christmas and I would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year,

Tragically, the instances of home fires in Australia continues to grow, my last blog dealt with the different types of Fires sprinkler systems, moving onward but in the same vein, I would like to talk about how residential fire sprinkler systems may become more of a factor in your homes.

Currently in Victoria the Metropolitan Fire Brigade responds to approximately 29,000 calls a year. Some of these calls end in human tragedy with most deaths occurring in the home. With this in mind the level of fire safety needs to be further improved. The first major step was the ongoing success of smoke alarm installation, but the next step is the recommendation that Residential and Domestic Sprinklers be installed. The presence of smoke alarms and sprinklers increases the chance of survival by between 74% and 90%. In fact some states in the USA have a mandatory installation of sprinkler systems in all new houses.  Even so, it’s hard to believe that less than 2 percent of homes in the United States have fire sprinkler systems. So why are homeowners hesitant to install a system that could save their lives and property?

While aesthetics shouldn’t outweigh life safety, one reason many single-family homeowners don’t want to install sprinkler systems is that they believe sprinkler heads are an eye sore. Fortunately, new designs for residential systems are actually quite undetectable, and many can be installed flush to the ceiling. Flush sprinkler heads are hidden behind a metal panel that hides the sprinkler head, but still allows it to spray normally.

Residential sprinklers are smaller than commercial ones and require less water. They’re typically dry pipe systems, providing added protection against potential water damage that could occur during home improvements or other home accidents. Additionally, since the development of residential systems is a newer concept, their designs include many new innovations (like improved sensitivity), making them faster than commercial sprinklers.

Perhaps the most common myth about home sprinkler systems is that they’re expensive. Not only is the installation of a home fire sprinkler system affordable, it can drastically decrease your homeowner’s insurance premium. Considering installation costs, reduced insurance rates and potential property destruction costs, a 2007 National Institute of Standards and Technology found the addition of a home sprinkler system could produce up to $4,800 in savings. Home systems will only continue to become more cost-effective as they become more common. Don’t be surprised if you’re required to install sprinkler systems in your home at some point in the future.

There are two separate Australian Standards for Residential and Domestic sprinkler systems.

  1. Residential Sprinkler Systems AS 2118.4, are generally suitable for Class 2 and 3 buildings up to four stories in height; e.g.. special residential service buildings, hostels, hotels, etc.
  2. Domestic Sprinkler Systems AS 2118.5, are generally suitable for Class 1 dwellings; e.g.. Single dwelling house or unit (average suburban home).

The two systems are similar in hardware but have some differences in performance requirements under the standards.

I hope the above has been useful and I look foreword to the next discussion…. All the best for the New Year

……….. ‘Til the next time Greg