Frequently Asked Questions

Residential

Residential there are no codes involved. Technically they do not ever have to be inspected. I would recommend that the maintenance be done every 6 years to ensure that they will work when needed.

Commercial

Commercial they need to be inspected annually by a certified technician and serviced every 6 years for an ABC extinguisher, and every 5 years for a K- Class Wet Extinguisher for restaurants.

The most common fire suppression system is an automatic extinguishing system. This system is activated automatically when it detects a fire. Some common types of water-based sprinkler systems include:

• Traditional wet pipe sprinkler systems
• Dry pipe sprinklers
• Pre-action fire sprinkler systems
• Deluge sprinklers

A fire suppression system is a system or device that is used to extinguish or control a fire, often in a building. Fire suppression systems are employed in order to reduce property damage, maintain the safety of occupants, and minimize the spread of fire.

A system uses either passive methods or active methods to extinguish a fire. An active system uses water or gas to extinguish the fire (known as “extinguishing systems”), whereas passive systems use one or more of the following:

• Minimising the oxygen supply to the fire.
• Isolating combustibles from a potential source of ignition.
• Cooling or removing heat from a fire adjacent compartment or object to prevent ignition

An automatic extinguishing system automatically detects a fire, then triggers an action such as activating an alarm signal, sounding a local alarm, or activating a fire suppression system.

Fire sprinklers are highly effective in controlling and extinguishing fires. A study by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) found that fire sprinklers extinguished almost 80 percent of fires in less than five minutes and nearly all fires (99 percent) within 10 minutes. Sprinklers are also effective in reducing property damage. The NFPA study found that when fire sprinklers were present, the average property loss was $2,915 per fire versus $17,732 per fire when they were not present. Plus, it can help you reduce your homeowner’s insurance premium. Experts estimate that property losses are about 85% less in homes with sprinkler systems than those without them

There are two main types of fire sprinkler systems: wet pipe systems and dry pipe systems. Wet pipe systems are the most common type and use water to extinguish fires. Dry pipe systems use air instead of water to extinguish fires, which makes them ideal for areas where the temperature is below freezing.

An expert technician will go through your whole system, from water flow and fire pump tests to alarm checks and dry pipe, deluge, and pre-action valve trip testing.

Commercial buildings are required to have fire sprinklers when the building exceeds a certain amount of square footage. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has set this requirement at 12,500 square feet for commercial buildings. If the building is larger than this amount, the NFPA requires that the owner install a fire sprinkler system.

The sprinklers are set off at different temperatures, depending on the model of the sprinkler. The activation temperature can be anywhere from 135 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fire sprinkler systems use a small jet of water to control and extinguish a fire. First, the sprinklers sense heat from smoldering fires below their set activation temperature. When the system detects this heat, it discharges a pre-determined volume of water to cool and eventually put out the fire. If there is no decrease in temperature or change in the situation, the sprinklers continue to operate for up to 30 minutes before shutting off automatically.

Fire alarm testing should be conducted on a regular basis, typically at least once a year. However, depending on the type of fire alarm system and the environment it is used in, more frequent testing may be necessary. It is important to consult with the manufacturer or installer of the fire alarm system to determine the appropriate testing schedule.