Comments on Granite Viewpoint: Residential Sprinklers - What's a life worth these...

Perhaps the reason you can't find the numbers ...

2010-01-19T08:53:19.623-05:00

Perhaps the reason you can't find the numbers inside the US is that Canada and New Zealand don't have multi-million dollar lobbying organizations dedicated to ramming residential sprinklers down our throats.

Look up the Form 990 filings for the various home-sprinkler lobbying groups, it's interesting reading. The president of one was paid around $400,000 in 2008. One reports no paid officers or directors, but paid over a million dollars in salaries and benefits.

In response to anonymous on the property damage re...

2010-01-13T09:56:39.763-05:00

In response to anonymous on the property damage reductions, that's a good point.

Based on my read of it, I think the New Zealand study that I referenced incorporated the economic value of reduced property damage and even reduced injury (rather than death) when they did their computations.

This analysis can get complicated fast and I'm sure some will argue that the error signal is greater than the valid data. Personally, I'm not quite so skeptical. IMO, this type of analysis should at least be part of the decision-making process.

Marc, Thanks for the comment. My understanding i...

2010-01-10T13:14:33.904-05:00

Marc,

Thanks for the comment.

My understanding is that the systems are designed now so that the water damage is very limited. The heads are only activated by high heat, so water only flows if flames are hitting the head directly. Also, unlike smoke alarms, activation of one head doesn't cause the others to activate.

I'm sure there could be cases where water damage occurs and is greater than the fire would have been, but I think that's exceedingly rare with modern systems.

In cold climates like New Hampshire, one concern is the potential cost of damage from frozen pipes. Most other plumbing in the house can be run on inside walls and is more protected from freezing, but plumbing for sprinklers has to run in the ceiling and although it's on the inside of the insulation, it's probably slightly more vulnerable to freezing than other plumbing.

Jim - You stated that there is no doubt that sprin...

2010-01-10T08:38:31.389-05:00

Jim - You stated that there is no doubt that sprinkler systems reduce property damage, but what additional property damage comes from drenching the property in water? The overall frame of the structure may be saved, but surely everything that got wet would have to be replaced as well.

Maybe the PA HBA should rethink it's position....

2009-12-22T20:34:17.098-05:00

Maybe the PA HBA should rethink it's position. In doing so they should consider the death as being their child instead of mine. The truth is there is $7 Billion in fire damage each year in single-family homes - the PA HBA does not want to lose the rebuild market. Factoring just fire deaths distorts the true economic picture.