If you love the smell of scented candles or incense sticks, you may be concerned about the potential for setting off the smoke detector. Of course, there are instances where these products produce enough smoke to cause a problem. Non-smoking college dorm rooms also tend to have hyper-sensitive smoke alarms, which could be triggered by burning incense or blowing out a candle. This one is a definite yes. To prevent this, never leave food cooking unattended. Also, run the kitchen exhaust fan to draw smoke and fumes to the exterior.
If the fire alarm starts blaring, open a window and aim a fan at the smoke detector until it stops. The only exception to this statement is if you hold a lighter or candle flame directly up to a sprinkler head.
After all, contrary to popular belief, sprinkler heads are not set off by smoke—or vapor, for that matter. Instead, they are triggered by heat. The air rising to the ceiling must reach a fire-specific temperature between and degrees to burst the glass bulb inside and send water flowing out of the sprinkler head. You can also relax knowing that, unlike in the movies, sprinkler heads activate one at a time. Only those sprinkler heads in the immediate vicinity of the fire activate and discharge water.
Fire sprinkler heads, if tampered with, struck by tools or equipment, or damaged, can also go off without warning. Make sure your employees know never to hang seasonal decorations from sprinkler heads, which is a very common cause of accidental fire sprinkler activation discharge. Only use approved cages or guards, made of tough metal that surrounds fire sprinkler heads, to protect them from being damaged if lightly struck. Also, mark areas around sprinklers that could be exposed to accidental impact.
Consider investing in a few prevention tools quick-stop talon , fire sprinkler stop valve or sprinkler wedge. Recent posts. August 24, Fire Alarm Requirements in Houston During Building Construction Maintaining fire alarm safety systems during building construction in Houston is critical to keeping workers and building occupants safe. There… more.
The information on this website is for informational purposes only; it is deemed accurate but not guaranteed. It does not constitute professional advice. All information is subject to change at any time without notice. Contact us for complete details. Even if your warehouse, office building or apartment is equipped with an automatic sprinkler system, be sure you have operating smoke detectors, as well.
And have at least one on every floor. Just remember to change the batteries at least twice a year. Pre-action and deluge systems are variations of the dry pipe system. Pre-action systems must be triggered twice before water is dispensed from the sprinkler head.
The first trigger -- usually a smoke detector or a heat detector that is separate from the sprinkler head -- allows water into the pipes. Once this trigger occurs, the system acts like a wet pipe system. The second trigger, the individual sprinkler heads, releases the water, pushing it through the sprinkler head to extinguish the fire. This type of system provides added protection against false sprinkler head activation. If a sprinkler head is falsely triggered, an alarm will sound, but no water will be released, since the pipes remain dry until the second trigger has been activated.
Although sprinkler heads are not likely to accidentally activate -- sprinkler heads have a one in 16 million false activation rate -- pre-action systems are very popular when dealing with sensitive property like in a museum or library [source: USFA ]. In deluge systems, like the pre-action system, water enters the pipes when triggered by a heat or smoke detector, separate from the sprinkler heads. There may also be a manual function, where pushing a button or pulling a cord activates the system.
The sprinkler heads in a deluge system are open, meaning they don't have a trigger function and are activated simultaneously. Deluge systems are usually installed in chemical plants or other areas where the spread of fire would be exceptionally hazardous.
The widespread use of fire sprinkler systems and the resulting innovations are no doubt a result of laws, regulations and building codes that require their installation. We'll explore existing codes and the possible need for home regulations on the next few pages. Fire sprinkler systems have been in use for more than years. This is no doubt a result of codes and regulations, requiring the use of these systems in public buildings.
Codes and regulations that require the installation of fire sprinkler systems were first put into place in the s [source: Fleming ]. Before then, builders mainly installed sprinklers to reduce property loss and insurance costs. After collecting staggering statistics comparing the fire death rate in sprinkler-protected buildings versus non-protected, the fire sprinkler industry began a push for updated building codes to require the installation of these systems.
Today, building codes in many countries require the installation of fire sprinkler systems, although the United States has the highest record of systems installed. Once adopted, these generic codes are locally amended. In the United States, building codes are set by city and state governments. Code sets usually require the installation of fire sprinkler systems across the board for new construction of high rises and commercial buildings.
Retro-fit codes are becoming more popular. Some of the old, existing building types that now require sprinklers include hotels, nursing homes and dormitories. You can find out more about your area's codes for fire sprinkler systems by visiting your local government's Web site. Or visit www. The USFA Web site has many helpful resources as well, including a list of fire sprinkler protected hotels. Unfortunately, even though most fire deaths occur in homes, codes have not yet been put into effect requiring fire sprinkler system installation in single-family homes.
We'll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of installing home sprinkler systems on the next page. In , and just a year after the "unsinkable" Titanic sank, the story "absolutely fireproof" Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta was built without a fire sprinkler system, smoke detectors or fire escape ladders. Then more than 30 years later in December , a massive fire broke out in the hotel, killing guests, including 30 teenage boys, who had no means of escape.
The tragedy, which is still the deadliest hotel fire in the United States, led to immediate national fire and safety codes that are still strictly enforced [source: NFPA]. According to the American Fire Sprinkler Association, a home fire occurs every 79 seconds.
A National Fire Protection Association study reports that 3, deaths a year can be attributed to fires in homes [source: Figueroa ].
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