Whenever you move into a new home or simply take a closer look at your current home, you probably don't give much thought to fire prevention. Most homeowners feel that having a fire extinguisher and regularly changing the batteries in their smoke alarms is enough. While these are important steps, there are a few other things that you can do to reduce your home's fire risk. One of those things is having a fire sprinkler system installed. Here are three things that you should know about fire sprinkler systems.

Sprinkler Systems Are Effective

You may be asking yourself, how effective are sprinkler systems? The answer is very effective. A fire sprinkler system in your home can prevent a fire from spreading throughout the rest of your home by containing it. These systems also help protect your property. Residences that have fire sprinkler systems installed have property losses that are 85 percent less than residences that do not have sprinkler systems. Sprinkler systems can even be lifesaving. They can contain the fire long enough to give you enough time to exit the home and in many cases can even put out the fire entirely.

They Can Save You Money

One reason why many are reluctant to install fire sprinkler systems is that they worry that the system will cause water damage throughout the home that ends up being more expensive than the fire damage. However, this is not the case. Sprinklers are designed to go off only in the areas affected by the fire. A small fire will not set off the sprinklers throughout the entire home as many fear. Around 80 to 90 percent of fires are put out with just one sprinkler head. On average water damage from a fire being suppressed by a sprinkler costs $2,200. Contrast that with water damage from a fire being put out by the fire department which averages out to $45,000. 

The Cost Of The System

Another thing to consider when it comes to fire sprinkler systems is the cost. In a home that's being built, fire sprinkler systems cost between $0.38 and $3.66 per square foot. In existing properties sprinkler systems tend to be a little more expensive. In existing properties, the cost of a sprinkler system ranges between $2,000 and $16,000 depending on your home's square footage. 

Fire sprinkler systems are very effective when it comes to putting out fires and preventing the spread of fires throughout your home. Not only can they save your life, they can also prevent property damage. These systems can also save you money if a fire happens inside your home. Costs can vary, however, most systems cost a few thousand dollars.  To learn more, contact a company like Allied  Fire & Safety Equipment Co Inc.