Fire Sprinklers And Why Do You Need Them?

9/29/2021 (Permalink)

To minimize the damage, fire sprinkler services are the best way to protect your people and your assets from a fire.

Unfortunately, despite all the advancements in commercial fire protection, fires still happen all the time. Despite our best efforts to prevent them, they happen. And when they do, they can be devastating, especially if they are allowed to spread uncontrolled. To minimize the damage, fire sprinkler services are the best way to protect your people and your assets from a fire.

Yet even though these devices are ubiquitous in commercial buildings, most people have absolutely no idea how these devices really work. To answer questions you didn’t even know you had, keep reading for a beginner’s guide to commercial fire protection and modern fire sprinklers.

What Are Fire Sprinklers?
We’ve all seen them at schools, hospitals, hotels, etc. These sprinklers are an essential part of a fire protection service. Obviously they are designed to dispense water when a fire is detected; however, they are carefully designed to only dispense water when a fire is actually present. The fire sprinkler system design typically places the sprinklers in the ceiling of a building so that the water can reach every area of the room in order to put out a fire.

How Do Fire Sprinklers Prevent False Alarms?
When you consider the amount of electronic equipment in the average building and home, it’s clear that the effects of a false fire sprinkler activation would be extremely expensive. To prevent this, fire sprinklers are designed so that they can only be activated when a fire is actually present. To prevent false alarms, modern fire sprinklers contain some sort of obstruction, usually made from glass or wax, that prevents water flow. Only under extreme heat are these obstructions released, allowing water to flow only when it’s supposed to. While fire sprinklers can be easily set off in movies and TV shows, usually for comedic effect, this just doesn’t happen in real life. Of course, to ensure they work when you need them to, most cities require regular fire sprinkler inspections. 

Why Do You Need Them?
The first major reason that sprinklers are critical to install in any building is for safety. Sprinklers can literally save lives. Just as importantly, sprinklers prevent a fire from spreading. The sprinkler system not only controls the flames of a fire, it also helps control the smoke. The toxic fumes that can be inhaled from a fire’s smoke are the deadliest part of a fire; the smoke can harm or kill someone before the fire even gets to them. Sprinklers can help reduce this risk greatly.

Protecting your business is the second major function of sprinkler systems.  Structural damage is greatly reduced in a fire when sprinklers are present, saving a lot of potential money in repairs. Sprinkler systems only dispense the smallest amount of water necessary to turn potentially deadly flames into smaller ones, which means that you don’t have to worry about excessive water damage either.

Keep Your System Up and Running
Now that you know how important sprinklers are, you need to understand the equal importance of fire sprinkler repairs. If you have a system that is no longer functioning, then it is of zero use to you. Lives will not be saved and damages will not be prevented. Having regular fire sprinkler inspections can save you from some serious consequences in case of a fire. Plus, it will keep you compliant with local fire safety codes.

If you own a business or commercial property of any kind, remember the importance of having a working sprinkler system in your building. You can save lives and money down the road. Don’t forget the need for fire sprinkler repairs, either. Your system can not protect you if it does not work.