Residential sprinklers

If you want to reduce the risk of death in a fire as much as possible, you should consider installing sprinklers in your home. They provide a high level of protection from the risk of fire and are particularly suitable for older people and for those who have difficulty moving around or have some other impairment.

If you are considering getting a sprinkler system fitted, here are some further points to bear in mind:

• Sprinklers may be fitted in each room; the pipes are small and run off mains water.
• They are individually heat-activated, so the whole system doesn't go off at once.
• They are rarely set off accidentally as they need high temperatures to trigger them.
• They operate automatically, whether you are at home or not.
• If you have a sprinkler system you should also have a smoke alarm, as this will alert you to slow-burning, smoke-generating fires which may not generate enough heat to trigger the sprinkler.
• Sprinklers also sound an alarm when they go off, so they alert you as well as tackling the fire.

The sprinkler system should be designed in accordance with BS 9251:2005-Sprinkler systems for residential and domestic occupancies code of practice. You should use an experienced specialist company with accreditation from an appropriate body such as:

• British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association
• Residential Sprinkler Association

We would advise using a contractor who is subject to independent third-party certification of installers. Currently there are two schemes for residential sprinkler installations available:

• BRE LPS1301 Scheme: The Loss Prevention Certification Board operates their LPS1301 scheme through BRE Certification.
• FIRAS Scheme: The Fire Sprinkler Association operates this scheme with Warrington Fire Research (part of the Bodycote Group).