For a good while fire sprinklers have only been required in commercial buildings such as office spaces, restaurants, retail stores or hotels. A new debate has arisen about fire sprinklers being required in residential spaces. Many states are starting to try to pass legislation on this issue, and many states already have passed legislation on the issue. Some individuals are for the requirement, while others are strongly against it. There are both pros and cons to government regulation on requiring fire sprinklers in residential properties.

Pros Of Requiring Fire Sprinklers In Residential Spaces

Even though many people are against the requirement of placing fire sprinklers in residential properties, there are some pros to consider. Legislation has started being passed to require the fire sprinklers in hopes of saving lives if a house fire was to occur. Residential fire sprinklers are much along the same lines as residential smoke detectors, installed with plans of saving lives. Professionals are working passionately to develop cost effective residential fire sprinklers that can easily be installed and not cost a fortune.

Cons Of Requiring Fire Sprinklers In Residential Spaces

Although the pros of installing fire sprinklers in residential spaces are mainly about saving lives, there are some cons that go along with the new mandate. Many people believe that the cost of merely installing the sprinklers is not worth the effort. In a age where money is scarce, this could be a big concern for some families. Another con is that fire sprinklers in residential areas might discharge when they are not supposed to. The fire sprinklers are only activated when the heat in a home reaches a certain level, and are designed to only activate with extremely high levels of heat so that the sprinklers near actual fire activate.

The odds of a fire sprinkler malfunctioning and discharging are not good, but the possibility is still there and the damage as a result would be significant. Another con of requiring fire sprinklers in residential spaces is the concern of burst pipes in the fire sprinkler system due to still water freezing. The water in the pipes is stagnant and has a higher possibility of freezing than water that is moving through pipes, however efforts are made when installing the fire sprinklers to insulate the pipes to prevent freezing in such a manner.

Cost Of Installing Residential Fire Sprinklers

The cost of actually installing fire sprinklers into residential spaces is a concern to many. In reality, the cost is not as high as one might expect. The average cost of installation runs around $1.50 per square foot. This typically works out to be less than 1% of actual total construction costs.

Are The Sprinklers Meant To Save Lives Or Property?

Many individuals are against residential fire sprinklers because they believe the sprinklers are designed to save properties instead of lives. The sprinklers are actually designed with the purpose of saving both lives and property.

Although the issue of requiring fire sprinklers in residential spaces is a heated debate, there are both important pros and cons to consider.