No, it is a very common misconception that almost everyone new to fire suppression asks! In fact each sprinkler head has its own heat detector and will only activate when the set temperature (normally 68°C) is reached. The heat causes a temperature-sensitive bulb to break or a metal link to melt so in the event of a fire only the head(s) that reach the desired temperature area will operate, not those of the entire building! Because of this, sprinklers use much less water to put a fire out than fire service hoses - and lead to much less water damage.

Absolutely. Retrofitting a fire sprinkler system involves installing or upgrading fire sprinklers in existing  buildings. For older buildings, or for a change of use system to an existing operational building, a retrofit is often recommended. It can be more complicated to retrofit, especially in complex operational environments, however with careful planning it can be done without any problem and is an advisable investment in order to protect lives and property. This is something we at Richmond Fire Engineers specialise in, please see our recent retrofit projects for examples of our retrofit work.

No, unlike smoke detectors (burnt toast scenarios!) sprinklers cannot false alarm. Sprinkler heads will only operate at their preset temperature. Because of this, operating a key-switch or lever cannot accidently or otherwise turn on sprinklers.

If a sprinkler head is accidentally knocked (for example by a ladder) it could break the glass head and cause accidental discharge, however sprinkler systems are well designed and in cases where this might happen sprinkler heads with protective cages are used. It is EXTREMELY rare for a sprinkler to activate by accident.

Freezing temperatures can cause sprinkler pipework and even sprinkler heads to break, but again good design will prevent this from happening. If the building is likely to drop below 4 degrees, the use of lagging and trace heating can be added to overcome this issue.

For any advice on sprinkler systems our team of experts are here to help. Get in touch or call us 016748 825612.

It depends, for an automatic sprinkler system to work effectively it needs to have an effective and reliable water supply.

Automatic fire sprinkler systems protecting domestic and residential occupancies can be directly supplied by mains water, designed in accordance with BS 9251. However it must be understood that a continuous, uninterrupted water supply cannot always be guaranteed.

Large automatic fire sprinkler systems such as those protecting warehouses, recycling plants, and industrial sites cannot be supplied directly from the local mains as they generally require a much higher pressure and flow when they activate, which is more than can be supplied via the mains supply. For this reason the simplest solution is to install a water storage tank and the necessary pump/s. The cost of supplying water can significantly increase the cost of installation and should be factored into your budgeting.

BASFSA Information File #13 provides further information on Water Supplies, which you might find useful.

UK legislation surrounding fire sprinkler requirements for any building can be difficult to understand and legislation around fire sprinkler installations differs between England, Scotland and Wales.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is the main piece of legislation governing fire safety in buildings in England and Wales. Under this reform The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 were introduced which include new duties for building owners or managers (responsible persons).

In 2018 an ‘Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety’ led by Dame Judith Hackett found that the UK regulatory system was ‘not fit for purpose’ and lagged behind its European and overseas counterparts. Following on from Dame Judith Hackett’s review the ‘Building Safety Act 2022’ came into force from 1st April 2023 and introduces new duties for the management of fire and building safety in high-rise residential buildings. Today all UK businesses employing more than 5 people or that are open to the public are required by law to complete a fire risk assessment for their premises.

Current legislation states:

Residential Buildings: All buildings over 11m (or 5 storeys) which contain at least two domestic premises are  required to have a fire protection sprinkler system installed throughout the premises.

Commercial Buildings: Under UK Building Regulations Part B, businesses spanning 20,000 square metres or more (which are uncompartmented) are legally obligated to install a fire sprinkler system

Schools: Currently in Scotland sprinklers are mandatory in newly built school buildings, whereas in Wales they are a condition of government grant funding in, but to date there is no such requirement in place in England or Northern Ireland.

• The Fire Protection Association (FPA) is the UK's national fire safety organisation.
• The British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association (BAFSA) is the UK’s leading professional trade association for the fire sprinkler industry.

Absolutely, one of the most significant benefits of having an automatic sprinkler system installed, apart from saving lives and property protection, is a reduction in your insurance premium.

Having adequate fire suppression equipment installed and maintained by a competent company will reduce the risk of fire causing damage to the business and reduce your premiums. It goes without saying that it is very important they are designed, installed, and maintained correctly.

As well as reducing your insurance premiums, other benefits include reduced downtime as fires are extinguished quickly and reduced rebuild cost.

No! Please don’t paint your sprinkler heads. Painting sprinkler heads cause variability in their thermal performance, meaning they no longer operate in the way that they were intended. This can be very risky, especially since the main change is a later response rate, or no response at all!If you require matching sprinkler heads this should be specified at the design stage – these days sprinkler manufacturers can offer most sprinkler heads in bespoke RAL colours if required.  

The best way to prove ‘competency’ in the industry is by third party certification of the company by a UKAS accredited Certification Body.

Checking your chosen designers/installers competence by verifying their third-party certification is important step to help reduce risk. You should make every reasonable effort to check the credentials of the contractor you chose to employ. This will not only help ensure you’re doing your best to comply with the law, but it will lead to an easier process to becoming fully insured.

In the UK there are presently three United Kingdom Accreditation Services (UKAS) organisations which undertake the third-party certification of sprinkler installers – BRE/LPCB (LPS 1048), Warrington Certification (FIRAS) and IFC Certification Ltd.

The British Fire Safety Association (BAFSA) provide an excellent summary of how the UK accreditation system currently works, including a schematic which compares the three schemes – link here.

The simplest way to check if a company is competent or not is to look at the company’s website to check if they have the certification required and that it is in-date. In addition, you can check the third party accreditors database directly:

• BRE/LPCB RedBookLive
• Warrington Certification (FIRAS)
• IFC Certification Ltd

You’ll be pleased to know that Richmond Fire Engineers Ltd have both BRE/LPCB and FIRAS certification. All our certifications and accreditations can be viewed here and checked directly:

• BRE/LPCB LPS 1048 Design, installation, commissioning and servicing of industrial & commercial and residential & domestic fire sprinkler systems  (expires 11/06/27)
• FIRAS Residential & domestic sprinkler systems (expires 9/12/25)