Upgrade to Residential Fire Sprinklers
05/03/2023
Make Resilient Upgrades | Strengthen Your Home • Wildfires
Why do they matter?
You can prevent damage to your home and help protect your neighborhood by combining exterior fire sprinklers with proven wildfire mitigation steps such as fuel management. Exterior fire sprinklers help protect your home outside by wetting the potential ignition zones like your roof and deck. Interior residential fire sprinklers protect you from fires that start when flying wildfire embers enter an unprotected chimney. Exterior fire sprinklers help protect your home outside by wetting the potential ignition zones like your roof and deck.
What do I need to know?
Interior fire sprinklers
- Interior sprinkler systems can detect a developing fire quickly. They activate automatically, extinguishing the fire before substantial damage occurs.
- Interior systems include an automatic warning system to alert residents and emergency response services.
- Today’s systems are zoned to limit water damage. If sprinklers deploy, they may cause some water damage, but the damage will likely be less severe than water damage from fire, fire suppression hoses, and smoke.
- Interior fire sprinklers for single-family homes are smaller than traditional commercial or industrial fire sprinklers. You can purchase various styles and colors, which can be mounted flush with the ceiling or concealed behind covers. Consider installing sprinklers in unoccupied, enclosed spaces like attics for additional protection.
- You can install interior sprinklers when building a new or existing home. Installing sprinklers during new construction adds approximately $1 to $2 per square foot. Retrofitting interior sprinklers in an existing home may cost $2 to $7 per square foot. You may save money by installing interior sprinklers when replacing or upgrading your roof.
- Most homeowners insurance companies provide a significant annual discount for homes with interior sprinkler systems, so they may pay for themselves depending on how long you own your home.
Exterior Fire Sprinklers
- Exterior fire sprinkler systems saturate a home's exterior and can be installed during new construction or retrofitting.
- Exterior sprinklers are typically installed on the roof along the ridge line, underneath the eaves, and along the soffits.
- Exterior sprinklers can be activated automatically by heat sensors or manually before a wildfire evacuation. The systems include an automatic warning system to alert residents and emergency response services like interior fire sprinklers.
- Exterior sprinklers can use water piping through the attic or roof or on the home's exterior. You can install exterior sprinklers in combination with interior sprinklers; however, a standalone system with a pressurized holding tank may ensure an adequate water supply.
- For exterior sprinklers in areas where freezing temperatures occur, use special provisions such as dry sprinklers to prevent water from freezing and rupturing the piping.
- Polymer gels, Class A foam products, and other fire retardants provide thermal protection in addition to water. You can apply many of these products using an exterior sprinkler system. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to determine options such as the amount of time needed for the application.
- High winds common during major wildfires can impair the effectiveness of an exterior sprinkler system.
Discover technical details:
More Resources:
- FEMA P-737, Home Builders’ Guide to Construction in Wildfire Zones.