Setting the Record Straight: Fire Sprinkler Myths Debunked
There are many myths surrounding fire sprinklers. Many people choose not to install them because of these myths. But if the truth was more widely known, thousands of lives could be saved. Here are some of the common misunderstandings people have about fire sprinklers--and the truth behind them.
If one sprinkler head goes off, they all do. In the movies, a fire in one room sets off the sprinkler system throughout the building. But today's fire sprinkler heads operate independently. Only one or two sprinkler heads are needed to extinguish most fires.
The system can misfire. In television, all you have to do is hold a lighter under a sprinkler head to set the system off. But modern fire sprinklers are much more difficult to activate. Only the heat of an actual fire is enough to set it off. As for manufacturing defects, only about one in sixteen million systems is sold with them.
They're not affordable. It costs about as much to install fire sprinklers as it does to install new carpets.
The system uses too much water. Fire sprinkler systems use about a hundredth of the water firefighters need to extinguish a fire.
Smoke alarms provide adequate protection. A fire can flare out of control in just two minutes. It takes most people at least five to wake up, realize what's going on, and get out of the house.
Sprinkler heads are unsightly. Today's residential fire sprinkler systems come with sprinkler heads designed to blend in. You can't tell they're in the room, unless a fire starts.