As a company
that installs fire sprinkler systems in Duluth, we often hear myths and half-truths
about fire sprinkler systems. For example, a lot of people think that fire
sprinklers are triggered by smoke and that when one sprinkler head goes off,
the entire system will go off. We want to put some of these myths to rest, so
here are a few of the myths we hear the most.
Is water damage from fire sprinkler
systems worse than fire damage?
No. We
understand that it seems to make more sense that a flood of water would cause
as much, if not more, damage than a fire, but this is simply not true. Most of
the fire sprinkler systems on the market today release about 8 to 24 gallons of
water a minute, depending on the system. This is enough to put out most fires
pretty quickly. Think about it: if a fire rages on unabated, this could
definitely cause a lot of damage. But if there is some water coming down from
the sprinklers and can put the fire out quickly, that will mitigate a lot of
the damage overall.
Are fire sprinkler systems triggered by
smoke?
No. Fire
sprinkler systems are triggered by heat, not smoke. Burning toast in the kitchen
will not trigger your fire sprinkler system. These systems need a set amount of
heat to go off. This is what is known as the “sprinkler trigger point.” These
trigger points vary depending on the system.
Will every sprinkler head go off at the
same time when a fire breaks out?
Sprinkler heads
are individually activated by the heat from a fire. And most fires can be
controlled by only one or two sprinkler heads. So just because a fire breaks
out in the kitchen, that will not trigger the sprinkler heads on the other side
of the building (unless the sprinkler trigger point is also hit for those
sprinkler heads).
