Q: How do sprinklers work?
A: Sprinklers are attached to pipes installed in a building's walls (like plumbing) that keep water ready in case of fire. Sprinklers have a fusible link that melts from heat given off by a fire. This opens the sprinkler, and water flows out in a spray pattern, putting water directly on the flames. Only the sprinkler(s) closest to a fire will open. For most home fires, the sprinkler will extinguish the fire before the fire department arrives.

Q: Will all the fire sprinklers go off simultaneously and flood my home?
A: Sprinklers that flood homes exist only in movies and on television. In reality, each sprinkler head has its own heat sensor and each sprinkler will operate only when the temperature reaches between 155 and 165 °F. A fire in the garage for example, will activate only the sprinkler(s) in the garage.

Q: Can water damage from a sprinkler be more extensive and expensive than fire damage?
A: Water damage from a sprinkler system is much less severe than damage from smoke and flames if a fire goes unabated. Sprinkler-related damage is also considerably less than that caused by fire hoses. Quick-response sprinklers release 8 to 24 gallons of water per minute, compared to 50 to 125 gallons per minute released by a fire hose. Moreover, sprinkler systems can be connected to an alarm company or to an external alarm that will notify neighbors or passersby of a water flow. Either scenario will result in faster notification and arrival of the local fire department, which helps minimize the severity of water damage.

Q: Can't I just rely on smoke alarms?
A: Smoke alarms provide a warning system in the event of fire, but do nothing to extinguish a fire or protect those who are physically unable to escape on their own, like children, the infirm or elderly, or the hard of hearing. Unfortunately, battery-powered smoke alarms often fail because the batteries are dead or have been removed. Even when their home use increased from zero to more than 70 percent, the number of fire deaths in homes did not significantly decrease.

Q: Will smoke alarms set off fire sprinklers?
A: Home smoke alarms emit only an audible warning sound; they do not trigger fire sprinklers to flow water. Sprinkler heads are individually heat activated, usually at 165°F. Only in commercial applications are preaction and deluge sprinkler systems sometimes designed to use smoke detection for early notification and operation.

Q: Can a sprinkler system go off by accident?
A: The odds are 1 in 16 million that a sprinkler will accidentally discharge because of a manufacturing defect. Despite film and television scenarios, burnt toast or cigar smoke will not set off a fire sprinkler.

Q: Are older homes more prone to fire than newer houses?
A: While modern construction techniques and materials make newer homes more vulnerable to severe fire damage, the fact is that fires occur more often in older buildings simply because the latter outnumber newer buildings. Fire-related deaths and injuries are also more common in older buildings due to the fact that those most susceptible to fire (the elderly, and persons of low socioeconomic status) tend to reside in older houses.

Q: Isn't my home more vulnerable to other natural disasters?
A: Fire is by the leading cause of damaged and destroyed buildings, far outpacing natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes and floods.

Q: Aren't sprinkler systems ugly?
A: Thanks to design innovations, modern residential sprinklers are inconspicuous and can be mounted flush with walls or ceilings. They can blend into any home or office décor while providing effective fire protection.

Q: Are sprinkler systems expensive?
A: When building a new home, a sprinkler system costs 1 or 2 percent of the total construction costs. (Put another way, the cost of a sprinkler system is comparable to a carpet upgrade, a paving stone driveway, or whirlpool bath.) Many insurance companies now provide significant discounts for homes with fire sprinkler systems.

Q: Do sprinklers save lives as well as property?
A: According to reliable statistics, there has never been multiple loss of life in a building with a comprehensive sprinkler system. Property losses are 85 percent less in residences with fire sprinklers compared to those without sprinklers. The combination of automatic sprinklers and early warning systems in all buildings and residences could reduce overall injuries, loss of life, and property damage by at least 50 percent.