According to the American Red Cross, the most home fires take place during the fall and winter months. As we begin baking sweets for holiday guests and lighting candles to create a cozy atmosphere in our homes, fire safety is exceedingly important. All homes have smoke alarms, but there is another precaution you can take to keep your family and property safe from potential fires: A sprinkler system. There are many myths surrounding home sprinkler systems, and W & M Fire Protection is here to shed light on some common misconceptions.
“The water damage caused by a sprinkler system will be worse than damage from a fire.”
While many individuals worry about the water damage caused by a sprinkler system, they don’t realize how much more water will be pumped in your home by a fire hose if the fire is allowed to spread. A fire hose pumps up to 125 gallons of water per minute, a great deal more than the 8 to 24 gallons pumped by a sprinkler system. While a sprinkler system may cause water damage in the area of your home that catches fire, fire spreads quickly and will cause a greater amount of damage if allowed to spread. Property loss is actually 85 percent less in homes with sprinkler systems than in those without them.
“Smoke detectors provide enough protection for a home.”
Smoke detectors are a great way to alert families of danger, but they do nothing to keep fires from spreading and injuring elderly individuals, children and pets who may not be able to get out of a burning building. Smoke detectors also have many flaws. Whether you have taken yours off the wall after a kitchen mishap or the batteries have died, there is always the chance that your smoke alarm won’t perform properly. Take the extra step to keep your family safe by installing a sprinkler system.
With locations in the Bronx and Hawthorne, New York, W & M Fire Protection provides installation and maintenance services for businesses and homes throughout the area. Contact us online or by phone at 888-437-1487 to learn more today!
Sources: http://publicsafety.tufts.edu/firesafety/myths-and-facts-about-sprinkler-systems/
