In apartments and condos, it isn’t enough to have a fire alarm system in place. When a house fire occurs, firefighters can often act fairly quickly. A house is after all a fairly small, enclosed space compared to an apartment or condo complex. An apartment or condo complex is multi-level, and therefore a fire can get out of hand before all of the residents are even aware that it’s happening. For firefighters, locating a fire in a multi-level structure can be rather difficult, and therefore apartments and condos need more than typical fire alarm systems. They also need fire protection systems. Fire protection systems, often referred to as fire suppressants, handle fires once they’ve happened. This isn’t to say that fire protection service should exist on their own; it’s important that they work in tandem with fire alarms. Property managers often turn to fire protection companies to install the right systems, and for that matter to inspect, maintain, and repair them in the years to come. Using a fire protection system isn’t just about having it installed; it’s also about ensuring that it works as it should, and is well-maintained. Below, we’ll look into the different fire protection systems on the market, and how they’re cared for.
What Are Some Of The Different Fire Protection Systems Available?
Two of the most common types of fire protection services are fire extinguishers and fire sprinklers. Fire extinguishers, we’re probably all familiar with. However, they’re far from perfect. Fire extinguishers are heavy and sometimes difficult to use. Nor do they always work correctly. For that matter, by the time a person acts to use a fire extinguisher, the fire may already have gotten out of control. Therefore, fire sprinkler systems are often preferred. Fire sprinkler systems release a large amount of water to stop a fire after it’s started — though sometimes, water is released upon the detection of mere smoke. While this is a great way to stop fires before they get out of hand, it’s important for people to rely on fire sprinkler inspections to ensure that their fire sprinklers are working correctly.
Why Are Fire Sprinkler Inspections So Important?
Fire sprinkler inspections can’t be carried out by an amateur — you don’t want a fire sprinkler to soak an apartment every time it’s being inspected. A fire sprinkler inspection is crucial to ensuring that a fire sprinkler is working as it should, and can properly stop a fire in its tracks. However, it’s also important in that it keeps the fire sprinkler from “going off” when it shouldn’t. Some versions of fire sprinklers deploy less water than others, and therefore cut down on water damage. Either way, if a fire sprinkler releases water when it shouldn’t, then everything from your floors to your computers can be ruined. While this isn’t so regrettable when a fire sprinkler is stopping a fire, it can be problematic when a fire isn’t even an issue.
Should Fire Sprinklers Be Used Alone?
In a sense, fire sprinklers do act as alarms. It’s difficult to miss the threat of a fire when gallons of water are pouring down to alert you. With that being said, it’s ideal for a fire alarm and a sprinkler to be used together. This keeps tenants as safe as possible, while at the same time employing both alarm and protect strategies.
