Sprinkler System FAQs

Will sprinklers leak?
Sprinklers and their piping are pressure tested at two to three times higher than your plumbing system, even though they use the same pressure as your plumbing. Therefore, the chance of a leaking sprinkler is practically nil. Like your plumbing pipes, sprinkler pipes are not exposed to cold areas to protect them from freezing and unlike taps and other fixtures that are operated often throughout their lives, fire sprinklers remain closed until needed and thus do not receive the wear and tear of daily use.

Won’t all the sprinklers in the room go off at the same time?
The heat from a fire will only open the nearest sprinkler. It’s water cools the hot fire gases, so in nearly all cases there is not enough heat to open the next nearest sprinkler. In the rare case that the heat is too much for the nearest sprinkler, it will open the next nearest sprinkler. Thus, only the sprinklers necessary to stop the fire will operate.

Won’t the water create more damage than the fire?
One of the myths about sprinklers is that they will cause water damage. However, fire records show that the reverse is actually true. Here is why. A residential fire sprinkler sprays only 10-18 gallons of water per minute and operates early in a fire to stop the burning. A hose used by fire fighters flows 10 times that amount. If sprinklers are not present, fires typically burn for an additional 10-15 minutes until fire fighters arrive and begin spraying it with their hoses.

Do I have to do anything if there is a fire?
Just get yourself and anyone else out of the house! Fire sprinklers will do the rest. They are fully automatic and will work even if there is a power failure. Leave the system running until the Fire Brigade deems it safe to switch off. Although it may look like the fire is out, turning off the system too soon may allow the fire to catch hold again.

REMEMBER!!
Whatever fire systems are present in your home, please remember the golden rule if a fire should start:

• Get Out
• Stay Out
• Call the Fire Brigade Out

Do not turn off the sprinkler system – leave this to the Fire Brigade