Sprinklers prevent the fast developing fires of intense heat which are capable of trapping and killing dozens of building occupants. The majority of fires in sprinklered buildings are handled by one or two sprinklers. Automatic fire sprinklers keep fires small. Sprinklers operate automatically in the area of fire origin, preventing a fire from growing undetected to a dangerous size, while simultaneously sounding an alarm. When the heat of a fire raises the sprinkler temperature to its operating point (usually 165 degrees), a solder link will melt or a liquid-filled glass bulb will shatter to open that single sprinkler, releasing water directly over the source of the heat. High-rise hotels have been required to retrofit with fire sprinklers in the states of Nevada and Florida, and in the city of Honolulu, Hawaii.Īutomatic fire sprinklers are individually heat-activated, and tied into a network of piping with water under pressure. These include New York City's landmark Local Law 5 for high-rise office buildings, and a Chicago ordinance requiring sprinklers throughout all nursing homes. In addition to requiring sprinklers throughout new buildings, some cities have encouraged sprinkler installation in existing buildings. Some communities, such as San Clemente, California, and Greenburgh, New York, require fire sprinkler protection even in new single-family homes. Oak Brook, Illinois, requires sprinklers throughout all new buildings exceeding 1,000 square feet in area except single-family dwellings. West Virginia, for example, requires sprinklers throughout all new buildings exceeding 40 feet. Where the building codes don't go far enough, many cities and states have enacted tougher sprinkler ordinances. They found that factories and other buildings equipped with automatic sprinklers had an amazingly good safety record compared to similar buildings without sprinklers.īuilding codes over the past 2 decades have called for sprinklers throughout buildings for safety. Insurance savings, which could pay back the cost of the system in a few years time, was a incentive.įollowing fires with large losses of life, such as the Coconut Grove Nightclub in Boston, LaSalle Hotel in Chicago, and the Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta, fire officials searched for a way to provide protection for the occupants of any building. Until the 40s and 50s, sprinklers were installed for the protection of commercial buildings, like warehouses and factories. Parmalee, in 1874 to protect his piano factory. Sprinklers were invented by an American, Henry S.
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