Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. A 2017 report from the National Fire Protection Association says the death rate is 87 percent lower in properties with sprinklers than in properties with no automatic extinguishing systems.

Furthermore, the report found that when activated, sprinklers were effective in controlling the fire 96 percent of the time. When the sprinkler system wasn’t effective, the majority of the time it was because the system had been turned off.

That depends on the type of system and the size of it, which is determined by the square footage of your building, the industry you’re in, if the building is heated and if there are any hazardous materials within the building.

As a general rule, expect to pay between $1 and $2 per square foot for a new system. For retrofits, the going rate is around $2.50 per square foot.

Upon installation, the entire system, including alarms and detectors, will be tested. Furthermore, frequent inspections and maintenance will provide the assurance you need that your system will work in the event of a fire.

Most systems are designed so water damage is very minimal. Since they are designed to catch a fire before it becomes fully involved, less water is needed, which can decrease the amount of water damage.

Where residential structures are concerned, local fire departments using large hoses will use an average of nearly 3,000 gallons of water to douse a flame, whereas a residential sprinkler system uses only 340 gallons.

It depends on your type of system, but with conventional sprinklers, they are made with a bulb filled with liquid that will burst when activated by heat.

Once burst, the water in the lines is allowed to flow freely through the sprinkler. The bulbs are custom built to burst at varying temperatures, from 135 degrees up to 440 degrees.

Sprinkler systems are required for most commercial structures, particularly those that have a “fire area” exceeding 5,000 square feet. Buildings 55 feet or higher must also have sprinkler systems through the entire building.

However, local ordinances will determine what type of structure will require a sprinkler system. These often cover residential buildings, such as nursing homes and apartment buildings, as well as high-rise office buildings

The NFPA has established the standard for how a fire sprinkler system will be installed. However, licensed fire protection contractors are tasked with designing and building the system, which will also meet NFPA guidelines.

Your contractor should be experienced in all types of systems and match the right kind with your property / industry.

NFPA stands for National Fire Protection Association, which is the governmental body that establishes how fire sprinkler systems are installed.

The national standard, which is established with NFPA 13: Standard for Installation of Sprinkler Systems, offers a consistent guide for how fire safety requirements are to be met.

All commercial buildings that exceed a fire area of 5,000 square feet must have a fire sprinkler system. However, state and regional ordinances will determine exactly which buildings are required to have them.

For example, all new one and two-family dwellings in California, Maryland and Washington D.C. are required to have a sprinkler system.

In Illinois, local jurisdictions can adopt a building code requirement for sprinklers in new homes, and around 100 communities have adopted such ordinances.

Refer to the NFPA for a list of ordinances in your state, or contact your local government representative.

Restaurants and commercial kitchens have a variety of fire hazards due to ovens and burners seeing heavy use. There are also flammable cooking fuels in the kitchen, which is a hectic, frenzied work environment that also adds to the risk.

Most of these operations are equipped with a Class K extinguisher system, which utilizes a process called saponification that is safe to use in grease, fat and oil fires that are common in kitchens.