How can sprinklers prevent and slow the spread of fire?
Like alarms, sprinklers provide additional protection that can help control the start of a fire in a given space. Currently, the fire protection standard requires the installation of these devices in certain buildings, such as private seniors’ residences, apartment buildings or condominiums (depending on their classification and size in terms of surface area or floors), schools, daycares and performance halls.
As such, their installation is not mandatory for all residential dwellings and no date has been set for such an obligation across Quebec or Canada. That said, with the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the tragedy of L’Isle-Verte and more recently, the two fires in Old Montreal in 2023 and 2024, this may be a solution you are considering for your home.
How can sprinklers prevent and slow the spread of fire? How do they work specifically and what are their benefits? Let’s take a look at these questions.
How a sprinkler works in fire prevention
The sprinklers are installed on a piping network and will automatically activate when they come into contact with intense heat (typically around 155°F / 68°C) released by the start of a fire. It is important to note that not all of the sprinklers in a network come into operation at the same time, but only those that are in contact with this heat in the area where the fire starts.
These fire prevention systems therefore make it possible to detect a fire, control it using rapidly discharged water, and alert the competent authorities by means of an alarm.
The figures speak for themselves: in fire situations, according to the National Fire Protection Association, sprinklers reduce the number of deaths by 80% and collateral damage by 71%. And in 97% of cases, the fire does not spread beyond the room where it started.
Specific systems can be used depending on specific needs:
- Wet, for heated buildings where there is no problem of pipes freezing
- Dry air, for locations exposed to frost
- Pre-action, with double protection against triggering, for places where you absolutely want to avoid having water (example server room)
- Deluge type, designed for high-risk areas
- There are also systems with foam mixer, for higher risk areas such as hangars or tire warehouses.
Overall, it is therefore the wet systems that are to be favored for a residential building. If you are still reluctant to use this system, it is perhaps because of the preconceived ideas that circulate on this subject
Reliable and effective: residential sprinklers against the spread of fire
We all have in mind these images of movies in which the sprinklers go off, ruining everything in their path. Fortunately, the reality is quite different! As mentioned previously, modern sprinkler systems are designed to minimize the risks of accidental triggering. Their triggering is limited to the place where the heat is detected, which limits collateral damage.
Automatic, responsive, fast response: that’s what you can expect with sprinklers! Want to move forward with sprinkler installation? Contact qualified and experienced professionals like those at Gicleurs ACME. They will be sure to inform you about all the solutions available to protect your home.
Sources:
Co-operators. Home fire sprinklers save lives and reduce damage. 2024.
Northbridge Insurance. Stop fires with a sprinkler system. 2024.