Home fire sprinklers

are growing in popularity
By Melanie Davis
melanie@mountaintimes.com

Smoke alarms in homes are very important, but a growing trend is adding to home fire protection. Home fire sprinkler systems are quickly becoming a popular feature of new home construction.

Seth Norris, fire prevention officer for the Boone Fire Department, explained there are several myths about home sprinkler systems, such as smoke from cooking or a cigar would set it off and soak the living room.

Another myth are the ever-popular movie scenes depicting sprinklers all spraying water at the same time.

“In fact, home sprinklers are designed to respond to high heat from flames and only the sprinkler head nearest the fire will activate,” Norris said.

The Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, a non-profit organization which provides information to builders, firefighters and home owners, said accidental discharge is less likely and less damaging than a plumbing accident.

Sprinklers are common in commercial buildings and are designed to contain a fire until firefighters arrive on scene. Such was the case in a fire at the Boone Big Lots at New Market Center on Feb. 6. The fire started in the storage area at the rear of the building.

The sprinklers in that section of the store held the fire to that small area, preventing a major blaze and reducing damage, making it easier for members of the Boone Fire Department to fully extinguish the flames.

Norris said commercial and residential sprinklers are different. A commercial system is designed only to contain the fire and set off an alarm. A residential system is designed to extinguish, and the alarm feature is optional.

Research by the National Institute of Standards and Technology suggests modern homes burn more quickly and can become deadly within three minutes.

This is attributed not to construction, but to the contents of the home which are made or treated with chemicals. The chemicals burn faster and produce more smoke.

A major concern for many homeowners is the potential water damage. The HFSO said the average water use to control a home fire is 341 gallons from a sprinkler compared to 2,935 gallons used by firefighters.

Clean-up from a fire contained by a sprinkler is much faster.

Residential models are small and can be recessed into the ceiling for an aesthetically pleasing addition to the home. The average cost of a system is estimated to be one to one and one half percent of the total building costs of new construction.

Most insurance companies offer a reduced rate of the fire section of a homeowners policy for homes with sprinkler systems. The discount amount varies company to company.

For more on home fire safety, contact Norris at the Boone Fire Department by calling (828) 262-4516.

Information on home sprinklers is available at the HFSO Website at www.homefiresprinkler.org.