Selling the idea of preventive safety to the public remains a challenge the world over. Most people maintain the attitude ‘it won’t happen to me’ – be that a vehicle accident, electric shock or a fire in the home.

Those building a new home or remodelling will generally give more consideration to the kitchen bench-top material or the growing passion for media rooms than to installing a fire protection system.

On the flip side there is an enormous opportunity for the plumbing industry globally if it can expand the market for residential fire service installations.

Although fire sprinkler systems have been in extensive use for many years in commercial applications, it is only in more recent times that the technology has been used to any extent in homes.

According to the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC), more than 4,000 people die from fire in the US on average each year, and 80% of fire deaths occur in residential properties.

“Although residences have by far the highest fire risk, sprinkler installations in homes lag far behind other applications such as hotels, hospitals and high-rise offices,” HFSC chairman Gary Keith says.

“HFSC is working to debunk common myths about sprinklers, including their likelihood of accidental discharge and high costs. Recent technology developments have made sprinklers more affordable and easier to install in homes. Nationally, on average, they add between 1% and 1.5% to the total building cost in new construction, and they can help to cut the cost of homeowner insurance premiums.”

Keith says about 90% of fires are contained by the operation of just one sprinkler, and they use only a fraction of the water used by fire department hoses. Modern residential sprinklers are also inconspicuous and can be mounted flush with walls and ceilings.

“As yet there are no State-wide mandatory requirements for the installation of residential sprinklers. But some municipalities, fire protection districts and counties have passed ordinances. Scottsdale in Arizona passed an ordinance about 20 years ago and more than half the homes (about 50,000) are protected with sprinklers. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) national model codes such as NFPA 101 Life Safety Code include sprinklers in the 2006 edition. Eventually, as States adopt this and future editions of this code, it is anticipated that sprinklers will be required in new homes at the State level.”

Julius Ballanco, president of JB Engineering and Code Consulting, and also president of the American Society of Plumbing Engineers, says there is a growing movement in the US to mandate residential sprinklers, and the main driving force is life safety.

“The fire service in the US is supporting efforts to require residential sprinklers, partly because there have been cutbacks in the service, and there are fewer volunteer firefighters,” Ballanco says.

“Fire insurance in the US remains relatively inexpensive for a home, but there is still a payback on the lower insurance costs when you sprinkler a home. It is estimated a sprinkler system will pay for itself in seven to 15 years, depending on the size of the home.”

He says the industry has been able to reduce the cost of a residential sprinkler system using NFPA 13D. This Standard has options for the design of a residential sprinkler system that is permitted to be part of water distribution system plumbing. The cold water piping is sized slightly larger to accommodate the sprinkler system, and when a connection to a plumbing fixture is required, the pipe branches off to serve the sprinkler.

“The other option is to install a two-pipe system, where there is a plumbing water distribution system and a sprinkler piping system.

“Sprinkler manufacturers have been helpful in providing new sprinkler designs, new hangers and new fittings to accommodate residential sprinklers.