Extended coverage sprinklers were developed to provide quicker cheaper installation, so why haven’t these sprinklers overtaken standard coverage sprinklers?

I have worked in fire protection in many countries and I’ve noticed a lot of resistance to using extended coverage automatic sprinklers, particularly outside the US.  This didn’t seem to make sense.  They are clearly cheaper and money talks right? In the article below, I explode a few myths and discuss some legitimate reasons why extended coverage sprinklers could be avoided.

Do extended coverage sprinklers really save money?

There’s no doubt that extended coverage sprinklers can reduce installation costs – that’s why they were invented and it’s why manufacturers spend large amounts of money bringing them onto the market and obtaining approvals.  That’s also why many contractors want to use them.  Extended coverage sprinklers reduce the number of sprinklers required in a building because each sprinkler covers more area.  In practice extended coverage sprinklers cover up to 36 square metres if you compare this to standard coverage sprinklers which cover up to 12sq metres for ordinary hazard and 21 square metres for light hazard, there are substantial reductions in the number of sprinklers required.

Not all jobs are suited to extended coverage sprinklers.  I discuss this in another article, Extended Coverage Sprinklers – Special Rules Regarding Obstructions.  If a building has too much slope, or too many obstructions at ceiling level, extended coverage sprinklers may not be cost effective.  

Are extended coverage sprinklers as good as standard coverage?

There is no reason to doubt they are as good as standard coverage sprinklers at suppressing fires and protecting life.  Extended coverage sprinklers have a larger orifice and wider spray patterns than standard coverage sprinklers and they flow a lot more water.  They may take slightly longer to activate in a fire because they could be slightly further from the seat of the fire than standard coverage sprinklers, but this is offset by dumping a lot more water on the fire when they activate.  There’s every reason to expect they are as good as standard coverage sprinklers in suppressing fires and saving lives.    

Are standard coverage sprinklers preferred by the authorities?

This is a common objection people raise, but the answer has to be authorities have no preference.  Standard coverage and extended coverage sprinklers have exactly the same approval status.  The same testing laboratories that approve standard spray sprinklers also approve extended coverage sprinklers and there is no difference in the certification. 

Does it make a difference if the authority is really strict?  

I’ve heard this objection over the years – “don’t use extended coverage sprinklers because a person who needs to approve the installation is really strict” (or words to that effect).  Standard coverage sprinklers and extended coverage sprinklers comply with the regulations equally well.  No matter how strict the authorities are, if you follow the rules, it won’t make any difference what type of sprinklers you select.

Surely all the stakeholders want to save money right?  

Not every stakeholder on the project wants to save money for all kinds of reasons. Nobody wants to be perceived as “cheap” especially when it comes to safety.  

Economists have a theory that people and organisations are “rational actors”.  This theory says that people and organisations will use money to obtain maximum utility for minimum cost.  Given 2 options, a “rational actor” will choose the more expensive option if and only if the additional utility obtained is more valuable than the additional cost incurred.  Real people of course are nothing like this.  Real people believe you get what you pay for and besides expensive things are more prestigious. 

How difficult is it to renovate a building with extended coverage sprinklers?

If a building with extended coverage sprinklers needs a renovation, this could be very complicated. The contractor may have to strip the sprinkler system out and start from scratch or otherwise try to match existing sprinkler heads. This could be a deal breaker for a commercial building owner as each tenant is going to want to fit out the building to suit their own needs and they won’t want the hassle of dealing with extended coverage sprinklers.

How difficult is it to get replacement sprinklers

There are literally hundreds of types of sprinklers. If a designer uses some type other than standard coverage, then these could be difficult to obtain if you need to get spare parts or if the supplier doesn’t have stock on hand for your project. This is a particular concern for contractors outside the USA where sprinkles have to be imported. You can get replacement standard coverage sprinklers from any sprinkler supplier, but extended coverage sprinklers are a different matter.  

If you’re looking for replacements for an older installation, it’s possible the particular type of extended coverage sprinklers aren’t even manufactured any more.