Real Estate in Barrington & The Northwest Suburbs: This Barrington Illinois House Has A Sprinkler System - Awesome Green Grass All Summer Long - No Not For The Lawn!

Not All Sprinkler Systems Are For Your Grass.

Residential fire protection systems - these typically comprise of smoke detectors and an alarm bell that may be connected to a security system and remote monitoring. For new construction the installation of an internal water based sprinkler system has become a code requirement for many of the Barrington Illinois Villages. These systems are designed to give the occupants more time to escape from the building.

The systems are very similar to those seen in offices and commercial building. Sprinkler heads are generally mounted in the ceiling and are connected through a powerful electric pump to a large tank of water.  In single family homes the tank is usually located in the basement and requires the pump to push the water through the system. In larger residential buildings, that tank may be located on the top floor and rely on gravity. Activation of the system will trigger an audible alarm both internally and externally.

The size of the tank varies depending on the type of building. The picture left shows a 200 gallon tank being used for a 3 level (total 4,000 sq.ft) single family home in Lake Barrington, Illinois.  

Different Barrington Village codes may vary slightly but generally sprinkler heads are required in every room, including; bathrooms (full and half), hallways, basements, walk-in closets, stair ways, mud rooms and laundry. Several types of sprinkler head are available and each room will have at least one head. The type and quantity are determined by the size and shape of the room and where the sprinkler head(s) are installed during construction.

Each sprinkler head has a simple heat sensitive valve that permanently opens when activated. Once open, water begins to spray out of the head that has been activated. If this is a system that uses an electric pump, the drop in pressure will cause the pump to run. Activation will also trigger the alarm.

Remember the primary purpose of a house sprinkler system is not to put the fire out - it is to give the occupants more time to get out of the house.