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Smart Safety Systems Fire in the house! Since their introduction in the early ‘80s automatic fire sprinklers have increased in sophistication and exposure. A 2008 report published by Fire Smarts shows that homes using a sprinkler system are 82% safer as a result of residential fire sprinklers. Then why don’t more people use them?  

Low Cost, High Return The typical cost for a residential sprinkler system is minimal (about as much as a whirlpool bathtub, or approx. $1.50 per sq. ft. for a 2400 sq. ft. house). Despite this low entry point, only 3% of the total US residential market currently uses an overhead automatic sprinkler system. The majority of new construction doesn’t utilize this proven safety feature. But this is about to change….  

Stop, Drop and Roll Less Frequently  Beginning Jan. 1, 2011 the International Residential Code (IRC) has mandated that fire sprinklers be installed in all residential dwellings. This is a wonderful thing because of these sobering fire statistics from 2006. 

• 412,500 house fires
• 2,580 lives lost
• 12,925 injuries
• $7 billion in property costs

Since the sprinkler industry is far from saturated at $100 million per year, this could easily amount to a $3 billion per year industry. Another way to stimulate the housing and construction markets. If many more people understood the obvious cost/benefit (ROI) equation it could change the entire structure of the home insurance industry (bringing costs down), not to mention give a lot of full-time fireman more time off. But more importantly – it would stop houses from burning and lives from being lost!    

A Dramatic Difference The reason these unique devices really work and have such an impact in preventing fires from starting and spreading is their design. The automatic sprinkler head is simple and effective. Residential sprinkler heads are usually connected by a half inch pipe system that runs throughout the home concealed in the ceiling. The sprinkler heads are designed to activate at specific temperatures, between 135-165° F. When activation temperature is reached, a link inside the sprinkler head senses the heat and releases the water held under pressure in the pipes.  Once the water is released, it showers down on the heat source, thus controlling or extinguishing the fire. Because sprinkler activation requires each head to be heated, only the area above the fire is activated. Maximum distance between sprinklers is about 12 ft. and maximum water pressure is approximately 130 psi. The fire is still in its very early stages when recognized and activation only requires minimal water, allowing a regular home system to suffice in providing adequate pressure.  

Overhead Sprinkler Assembly The sprinkler assembly requires deflector carrier/guide pins to hold the fixture and the deflector plate together. These pins are critical to the operation of the device and are secured by orbital riveting to retain the deflector under pressure.    

Preferred Process  All residential sprinkler head manufacturers use Orbitform riveting equipment to attach the sprinklers. The orbital process keeps the rivet heads from cracking, allows quick assembly, provides process monitoring and control, and high quality joints. For further information on orbital forming please visit www.orbitform.com or call 1-800-957-4838.