Fire sprinklers are part of any essential fire protection system in a building. According to research, fire sprinklers have been shown to reduce fire-related property loss and death rates by more than 65%. While the regulations for a fire protection system vary from state to state, all commercial buildings must incorporate one as part of their facilities.

Additionally, as a business owner, the safety and welfare of your employees should be your first priority. Therefore, you should have a fire safety system that protects them from any injuries and provide them with ample time to take the appropriate course of action, such as calling the fire department and evacuating the building. This article shares why fire sprinklers are useful and why you should have them.

Heat Detection

Do you know that fire sprinklers are triggered by heat and not smoke? Unfortunately, many people wrongly believe that fire sprinklers are activated when smoke is present. While it makes sense in theory, practically speaking, burning your food in the microwave at the office’s pantry would be enough to set off the fire sprinklers.

However, fire sprinklers are usually only activated when the system detects heat. When a fire breaks out, hot air rises and spreads across the ceiling and triggers the sprinkler to react and dispense water. Fire sprinklers usually comprise a glass bulb filled with glycerin-based liquid, which expands when the temperature reaches up to 165°F. As the liquid expands, this causes the glass to break and the sprinkler to activate, allowing water from the connected pipe to flow out.

Fire Control

Each sprinkler is connected to a pipe with a water source outside the building. The heat from the fire causes the glycerin liquid to break the glass and activates the valve, dispensing pressurized water to extinguish and control the fire. The water from the fire sprinklers should be pressurized as this helps the water flow out at an arc angle to douse a larger fire and prevent it from reigniting. This is critical as it prevents the fire from spreading to other areas and confine it to a single place.

Reducing Water Damage

One common misconception that many people have about the fire sprinkler system is that it operates as a whole. You may have seen this in movies where the fire sprinkler system activates simultaneously and drenches the whole area completely. In reality, each fire sprinkler head will only trigger when activated by heat and work individually.

This limits the extent of water damage to the specific site where the fire started instead of triggering multiple sprinklers in unaffected areas. In most cases, a few fire sprinklers should be sufficient to control the spread of the fire. If you aren’t convinced, fire sprinklers can extinguish fires with 60% less water than a fire hose nozzle by the fire department, meaning less water damage for your property.

Your Fire Protection System Expert in New Jersey

At ASCO Fire, we are highly qualified and experienced in providing all types of fire protection services for many commercial and residential properties. We can help you install a wide range of fire systems, including fire sprinkler and detection systems. In addition, we also offer preventive services such as testing, maintenance, repair services, and inspection. Our professional team of experts is also highly experienced in providing engineering services such as hydraulic calculations, hazard analysis, and plan review that adhere to the fire code standards to help you avert fire-related incidents.