Unfortunately, several myths have sprung up about fire sprinklers. Let’s look at what they could be.
Protecting your building against a fire involves fire suppression systems. One of the most common is a fire sprinkler. You’re not going to see these in residential buildings all that often, but even so, they are more commonly used in commercial buildings. Unfortunately, several myths have sprung up about fire sprinklers. Let’s look at what they could be.
They’re Too Expensive
When you own a commercial building or are responsible for managing it, you want to keep costs down. This is a reasonable expectation, no matter what type of business you run. While it’s easy to think that installing or maintaining reliable fire sprinkler systems is too expensive, this is just a myth. It ultimately depends on how tall your building is, and whether or not you are retrofitting existing systems or putting in brand new systems in a new construction building. Again, it is possible to install sprinklers in a residential building, but it is not as common. Either way, consider installing them, as they will help reduce your insurance payments.
They Activate Too Soon
Another myth is that fire sprinklers are too sensitive. This means that they are prone to going off too early. Cooking, smoke from burned food, and lit candles are all believed to set off fire sprinklers. That just isn’t true. The sprinklers are designed to activate only when there is too much heat, the concentration of heat that would indicate the presence of a fire in the building. Also, only the sprinklers that are closest to the source of the fire will go off; the other sprinklers will only activate if and when the fire starts to spread into other rooms.
You Only Need Smoke Alarms
Smoke alarms alone aren’t enough to protect your building from a fire. While these can alert building occupants that there is smoke (and in some cases, carbon monoxide, although those are often separate devices) that isn’t enough. Fire extinguishers and other suppression systems will attempt to contain the fire; smoke alarms are only warning systems.
They Need to Be Maintained Too Often
One last myth surrounding fire sprinklers is that they need repairs or maintenance far too often to be worth it. However, the systems in residential buildings are much different than the ones in commercial buildings. For residential systems, it mainly involves an inspection and tests to ensure everything is running smoothly.
Commercial and Residential Fire Prevention from Judd Fire Protection
If you want to ensure your home and business are safe throughout the year, trust Judd Fire Protection, LLC. We have over two decades of experience in designing, installing, inspecting, and repairing residential and commercial fire protection systems. We serve clients throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and West Virginia. If you are interested in finding out more about our services and protecting your home and business, give us a call at 410-871-3480 or contact us online. For more fire safety tips, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.