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Post by philunderwood on Feb 25, 2011 17:34:22 GMT -5
Todd, what are your thoughts on the law requiring sprinkler systems in new homes?
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Post by twinder on Feb 25, 2011 20:30:55 GMT -5
It's hard to put into writing my position about this.
I am "for" having residential fire sprinklers. I am "against" having them mandated by the government.
A god friend of mine is a retired Battalion Chief from Prince George County Maryland. They are basically the ones that started the residential fire sprinkler movement. At first, they had a lot of problems. Burst lines and such causing a lot of water damage. Five years later, and that problem is more or less, gone.
There are some situations where the sprinklers can cause a significant amount of damage beyond the fire extinguishment. There are so many variables.
For me, working smoke detectors, a good fire safety plan, and a 10 lb. ABC fire extinguisher with the training to use it, are much more effective and much less costly than sprinklers.
If you want sprinklers, by all means, put them in. Just don't force me to do it.
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Post by Ritty77 on Feb 26, 2011 0:55:27 GMT -5
I think you put it into words just fine.
You offered up the potential problems with sprinklers and suggested adequate alternatives. Should the time come when residential sprinklers become an obviously better option, people can decide for themselves. The government really need not get involved.
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Post by philunderwood on Feb 26, 2011 12:17:24 GMT -5
I’m in agreement with both of you and I’ll add that cost effectiveness is also a factor. You have to look at the probability of a new house catching fire. To me it seems slim at best. Most of the fires we hear and read about are in older homes that aren’t included in the law.
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Post by twinder on Feb 26, 2011 16:56:17 GMT -5
Actually Phil, most fires are caused by shear stupidity. Poor maintenance and dumb habits cause more fires than anything else. For example, I can't tell you how many times I've fought fires because of the following;
Dryers - People fail to clean the lint screens between use, or do they clean the vent piping of lint.
Kitchen Fires - People still cook in an open pan full of oil instead of a deep fryer. And then, they leave the burner on under the pan. Recipe for disaster - pun intended.
Chimney Fires - People either don't maintain their chimney and stove or they just burn "green" wood. Over time, a chimney (No matter what it's made of) needs repair or replacing. If it isn't, cracks form and embers from the fire get into the void spaces of the wall and a partition fire starts. Most times, taking the whole home with it or at the least, significant structural damage.
Candles - Idiots who burn candles on a nightstand with a window open deserve what happens. The wind is calm when they lite the candle. Then a breeze blows a curtain near the candle and the room is off.
Cigarette smoking - Don't know how many fires come from careless smoking in bed or on a piece of furniture and the smoker falls asleep with a lit cigarrette.
Electrical overload - People just don't understand basic electricity. Ohm's Law, Amps + Watts = Heat. A 15 or 20 amp electrical circuit won't last long if you continually try to draw 30 or 40 amps across it. The wiring breaks down and you have a fire. I've found people who have a 40 amp breaker on their panel because the original 20 amp kept tripping. The breaker protects the wire, not the appliance. Put in a bigger breaker and the wire WILL overheat and fail, which will cause a fire. People also don't realize that electrical wiring should be replaced after 40-50 years. It will not last forever. I still see people with old Knob and Tube wiring in their homes and screw in Buss fuses. I've even found these fuses with pennies or washers under them because they keep tripping. Just stop overloading circuits and the problem goes away.
Take away any of these "faults" or causes of fire and your chances of having one are nearly non-existent. As the one comedian says; "You can't fix stupid." Having working smoke alarms, a good extinguisher, and the training to use it are your best defense.
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Post by twinder on Feb 26, 2011 17:11:54 GMT -5
When I teach fire safety in school or at business, I have a very simple prop that I use to drive home what fire is. Besides a video I have that shows a single room with a fire in an armchair that goes from ignition to flashover in 4 minutes, I show people a basic demonstration of what we call the "Fire Triangle."
It looks like this:
.................Combustible Material............................
...............................Fire.........................................
...........Ignition Source..........Oxygen.....................
You MUST have all three present to have a fire. Take away any single one of the three, and you cannot have a fire. Our atmosphere has about 21% Oxygen in it at all times. It is difficult to take Oxygen out of the equation. But, if you keep the ignition source (heat) away from a combustible material, you will eliminate the possibility of a fire.
Everything on the planet is combustible. I ask people if the asphalt or concrete in the parking lot will burn and everyone will say "No". Then, I show them a video of molten Lava from a volcano. That is burning rock. Everything will burn or combust. Some things just are very difficult to get hot enough to support combustion. It's surprising how many people think that their wooden kitchen table won't burn!
The way we fight fires is by either removing the Oxygen (smothering the fire with an extinguisher) or by cooling the ignition source or heat. Obviously by applying water to the combustible material.
To display the theory, I use a small votive candle in a crystal bowl with a lid. It represents the combustible material. I take a lighter, which represents the ignition source or heat and lite the candle. I tell the people that Oxygen is present or I wouldn't be talking.
I lite the candle and show them again the three elements needed for fire to occur. Then I put the lid on the crystal bowl and wait about 30 seconds. The candle flame dims and eventually extinguishes itself.
I tell them that I took away one of the three items in the fire triangle, Oxygen. I also then, hold the lighter with it lit and the candle. I tell people that all three items are in existence at the same time and each one is perfectly safe, as long as they are kept away from each other.
Every time I do this, I see people having an A-ha! moment. I know then that I've reached this person and their chances of having a fire in their home may have been greatly reduced.
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Post by twinder on Feb 26, 2011 17:21:18 GMT -5
A sprinkler system will not eliminate fires. They may, or may not reduce the damage a fire can cause. Again, too many variables.
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