It seems crazy but the truth is, houses are almost purpose built to burn.  They’re built, lined, then furnished with fuel and, with increasing technological advances in building composites derived from synthetics – aka petroleum – that fuel is becoming more and more volatile.  Most things in a house will burn, but as they are becoming increasingly synthetic in nature they burn much faster. 

The following is an extract from the Fire Protection Association of New Zealand website:

NFPA statistics show that, in a home with both an automatic sprinkler system and smoke detectors 95 percent of fires are survivable and that the sprinklers will control the fire at or near its point of origin 91 percent of the time.  Quick extinguishing of the blaze also reduces the production of carbon monoxide and other gases which cause far more deaths than actual burns.

The Committee for Firesafe Dwellings provides the following technical information:

"...for every 18° a fire increases in temperature it doubles its consumption rate.  In an unsprinklered residence the upper half of the room of origin can reach temperatures above 1,000° within 3 to 5 minutes....When the temperature reaches about 1,200° the accumulated combustible fire gases will ignite, engulfing the room and quickly spread into the rest of the dwelling.  In a residence equipped with an automatic fire sprinkler system the heat from the fire will activate the sprinkler system usually within 2 to 3 minutes."

The LEAP Blazestop system is an ideal residential solution with fire sprinklers that are flush with ceilings and concealed behind a smart white cover providing a discreet, streamlined finish.  

All systems operate on a two stage process.  Firstly, once the cover plate reaches a temperature of about 60°C it falls off.  The sprinkler then drops down into position, ready to deliver 56 litres per minute of high pressure water. 

For stage two to commence the temperature must increase to 72°C, the sprinkler then opens, coating with water every surface within a twenty five square metre area, including the walls to about one foot from the ceiling.

If the fire is somehow still able to spread, the second sprinkler will activate.  Two sprinklers is usually sufficient to quell any fire though the second sprinkler won’t open unless its in the vicinity of the fire - this way water only goes where it needs to.

While the purpose of sprinklers is to save lives, they also do a good job of saving a house and will continue to deliver water until the fire service turns off the supply or the supply is drained.

LEAP engineers customise every job to suit the particular needs of that house, ensuring the design provides enough water flow and pressure to run the two most hydraulically disadvantaged sprinklers (the two furthest away from the water supply) at full performance simultaneously, which in most cases exceeds the minimum requirements of NZS4517.  

LEAP works backward to a minimum required water pressure at the inlet to its system.  If these stringent requirements can not be met by the water supply a variable speed drive (VSD) powered high-pressure pump ensures that regardless of street or tank pressure, there will always enough water to effectively combat any fire.

The pipework system is plumbed out in a proprietary Hep pipe with Hep20 push-fit fittings.  This is a reliable and time-tested product (25 years in the New Zealand market and a 50-year warranty) that allows simple and quick installation.  

LEAP can retro-fit sprinkler installations in existing homes, or assist with incorporating the Blazestop system with domestic plumbing in new builds.