Fire alarm systems are essential for fire safety in residential and commercial settings. These systems are essential for early detection, enabling building occupants to evacuate and fire responders to arrive in a timely manner.
Plus, some fire alarm systems are even wired directly to fire suppression systems, like fire sprinklers, allowing them to contain and extinguish the fire before it can spread.
While both types of fire alarm systems have the same primary purpose, they almost always differ in design, scale, and capabilities. Today, we will examine the differences between residential and commercial fire alarm systems in depth so you can understand why each type is so important.
We’ll also discuss other types of fire safety systems and equipment, including fire extinguishers and sprinkler systems, and the importance of having a fire sprinkler shut-off tool, like the Shutgun, to prevent serious and costly water damage.
Residential vs. Commercial Fire Alarm Systems
To help you understand the differences between them, we will examine the different components used in each type of system. To make things easy, let’s start with residential systems.
Residential Fire Alarm Systems
1. Smoke Detectors
Smoke detectors are typically the component that most people are familiar with. As the name suggests, smoke detectors are designed to detect the presence of smoke, which is an early indicator of a fire.
Smoke detectors are distributed throughout the interior of the residential building and act as the primary means of fire detection. When they are triggered, a signal is sent to the alarm, which is then used to alert the building occupants that there could be a fire.
2. Heat Detectors
While smoke detectors are far more common than heat detectors, they can be used in higher-occupancy residential buildings, like apartment and condominium towers. Like smoke detectors, they are linked to audible alarms. They activate when interior temperatures have risen to a level indicating the possibility of an uncontrolled fire.
3. Alarm Mechanism
Whether the residential system uses separate sirens and bells or just relies on a small speaker built directly into the smoke and heat detectors, the alarm serves the critical purpose of alerting building occupants of the presence of the fire. The alarm is designed to be both loud and piercing, so it will wake occupants up if they happen to be sleeping when the fire is detected.
4. Manual Pull Stations
While they are uncommon in single-family dwellings, some residential alarm systems for larger buildings will have manual pull stations, where building occupants can manually activate the alarms if they discover a fire or other emergency.
Commercial Fire Alarm Systems
1. Smoke and Heat Detectors
Like residential systems, commercial fire alarm systems use smoke and heat detectors to automatically detect the presence of a fire. However, they tend to be far more sensitive and can feature multiple sensors in one detector, providing more reliable fire detection capabilities.
Commercial and industrial buildings tend to be much larger than typical residential buildings. They can also house far more flammable materials and heat-generating equipment. The increased sensitivity of these detectors also means that they are much larger.
2. Manual Pull Stations
Manual pull stations are essential in commercial buildings. They tend to be positioned in high-traffic areas and positions where there is an increased fire risk.
These pull stations also tend to be where you will find fire extinguishers and fire blankets. It is also recommended that this is where a business positions Wall Mounted Shutgun tools and Laminated Shutgun Instruction Cards.
3. Voice Evacuation Speakers
Unlike residential buildings, commercial buildings tend to have voice-enabled speakers connected to their fire alarm systems. These speakers can play high-volume, pre-recorded messages or live messages. They are used to explain to building occupants what is happening and how they can safely evacuate.
4. Fire Alarm Control Panel
In residential systems, the alarms are typically switched off with a button on the surface of the alarm itself. However, due to the scale of a commercial alarm system, a centralized control panel is used to switch the system off.
This panel can also receive signals from the smoke and heat detectors and then use that signal to activate the building’s entire fire sprinkler system and contact emergency services.
While sprinkler heads have their own detection device, automating activation throughout the entire sprinkler system can be incredibly beneficial in buildings that house highly flammable materials, like chemical plants and lumber stores.
While this can be incredibly helpful for preventing fires, it also makes the sprinkler system more susceptible to false activations and misfires.
This is why it is so vital to distribute Shutgun tools in easy-to-access locations throughout the building. Consider investing in a Custom Shutgun Case to ensure you have the correct number and type of sprinkler shut-off tools for your exact needs.
So, What Are the Differences Between the Two Systems?
Basically, residential fire alarm systems are smaller and less sophisticated. They focus on smoke and heat detection with basic alarms used to alert building occupants and help them evacuate in a timely manner.
On the other hand, commercial systems tend to be far more complex, especially when installed in larger commercial and industrial buildings. These systems can involve computer systems that can locate where the fire has been detected, activate fire sprinkler heads in that area, and even contact emergency services.
In this sense, they offer more comprehensive coverage. Their multi-sensor detectors also provide more sensitive heat and smoke detection than what is typically used for a residential property.
While it may sound like commercial buildings have more complex systems, so they are safer, the differences in the two types of systems only relate to the differences in fire safety demands. Single-family residential buildings are much smaller, so the focus is almost entirely on getting the occupants out of the house in time.
On the other hand, commercial buildings can house thousands of people at any given time, plus they can contain highly flammable materials and equipment that poses a high fire risk.
Other Essential Fire Safety Equipment
In addition to having a fire alarm system that can be heard throughout the building, it’s vital to ensure that your residential or commercial property is outfitted with other essential fire safety equipment and systems.
A fire sprinkler system can be incredibly effective in suppressing and controlling fires. By releasing water or other extinguishing agents, they smother the fire and prevent it from spreading. While they are not typically used in single-family homes, they are essential for commercial, industrial, and multi-unit residential buildings.
Fire extinguishers are also essential for both types of buildings. Different types of fire extinguishers are designed to combat various classes of fires, and outfitting a home or commercial property with fire extinguishers can be the difference between a small accident with minimal damage and a deadly disaster.
In addition to ensuring your home or business has well-maintained and properly installed fire systems and equipment, it is also important to conduct regular fire safety inspections. When it comes to fire safety, prevention, and preparation are always preferable to suppression and evacuation.