Low cost sprinkler systems can be great when you’re on a budget, but if they aren’t installed correctly, they can cost you more money in the long run.
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How much do fire sprinkler systems cost?
Tankless sprinkler systems cost less than carpet. We have a breakdown of tankless sprinkler system costs which goes into more detail. If you need a pump and tank, these can increase the costs of the installation itself. Unfortunately, pump and tank costs affect smaller installations on a greater scale than larger developments. Sprinkler costs are effectively linear (y = mx + c).
- If y represents your installation costs, and
- x represents the number of sprinklers, then
- m represents the cost per sprinkler, and
- c represents the cost of your pump and tank.
When fewer heads are installed on a development, then the water supplies take up a greater proportion of the installation costs. A large block of flats will see a lower cost per apartment than a smaller development. Partly due to economy of scale (it’s always cheaper to buy in bulk) but also due to the impact of the cost of the pump and tank. You can get an idea on tank size by using our tank size calculator or reading our detailed guide on tank sizing.
For this reason, sprinkler installations can’t be costed without considering the installation on a case by case basis. Please get in touch if you would like an accurate cost for your development.
What kind of sprinkler systems are the cheapest?
Tankless sprinkler systems are the lowest cost option for any development. However, these can be installed under a number of different standards and schemes. Typically, systems will be installed under BS 9251: 2021. However, some developments may be better suited to BS EN 16925 (also a residential sprinkler standard), BS EN 12845 (mostly used for commercial sprinklers, but includes residential options), or BS 8458 (residential mist).
Which options would provide you with the most viable low cost sprinkler system depends upon your requirements. If you would like us to consider your and explain your options, please get in touch. You might also like to take a look at the information we ask for.
Are there alternatives to sprinkler systems?
Whether or not you have any alternative options available to you depends on why you’re considering sprinklers in the first place. It may be that you are required to install them as part of building control regulations. It may be personal preference. If you are required to install sprinklers, then you may not have any other option (please note that we’re considering mist a kind of sprinkler system in this sense). However, if this is personal preference, then alternatives could include passive fire protection, or de-risking the property.
That being said: some developments have wider rangers of options for the sprinkler systems themselves. For example, commercial developments may benefit from dry or pre-action sprinkler systems, or deluge. The most low cost sprinkler system for your development will again depend upon your use case. Please contact us if you would like to know more.
Are low cost sprinkler systems any less safe?
Low cost sprinkler systems can be perfectly safe if they are installed correctly and maintain compliance. Trying to cut corners, on the other hand, can leave your property vulnerable to leaks and fire damage. Authorities, including building control, can even refuse to certify your development if they believe that the system is not fit for purpose.
The best solution is to contact certified installers, such as LifeSaver Engineering, to ensure that any steps taken to value engineer the installation of a low cost sprinkler system doesn’t affect the integrity of your system.
How you can install a low cost sprinkler system without affecting compliance
Use low flow heads
As explained above, the most effective way to ensure a low flow sprinkler system is to install a tankless system. The size of the tank depends upon a few factors, incuding:
- The category of the system;
- How long the sprinkler system needs to run for when triggered;
- How much water needs to be discharged at each head.
The first two points can’t usually be changed without altering the use case of your development. The last point can easily be changed by swapping the choice of heads.
We live in a world of compromise though and unfortunately this isn’t a silver bullet. Lower flow heads can’t cover the same size of area as higher flow heads. This can mean that your low cost sprinkler system needs more heads installed. In some cases, this increase in head count can actually increase the cost of the system overall.
A competent installer should consider each option available with you and explain the differences.
Provide accurate information
When heads are moved, this can lead to additional works, non-compliances, and the need to change elements of the design. This can be even more costly if the changes are made on site. While minor variations in the as builts are unavoidable, many costs are costs which can often easily be avoided by simply coordinating effectively at an early stage.
The more accurate the information, the more effective the co-ordination.
This step is even more crucial with low flow heads. While these heads can be effective when used to cover smaller areas, they can be inefficient over larger spaces. If a pump and tank have been sized based on low flow heads, and one those heads is applied to a less efficient floor area due to poor coordination, it can often be the case that the water supplies need to be altered to accommodate the impact.
Agree installation dates early
To secure a low cost sprinkler system installation, a big win can be achieved by agreeing dates early. If fitters can attend site and complete the works within a day, their costs can be much more efficient. If they find that they have to space visits out across several weeks or months, this can have a negative impact on cost.
Naturally, there will be a need to break installations into first and second fixes, but it can become expensive if those stages need to be further divided.
Use certified installers
Certification is a sign of an experienced installer. An installer with experience may cost more at the early stages, but this experience is going to highlight potential savings and avoid delays.
Consider exposed pipe and sprinklers
If you’re looking for a low cost sprinkler system for a retrofit project, then this item will be particularly useful to you. Walls, ceilings, and sometimes floors need to be removed to conceal the sprinkler pipe underneath them.
Installing a system which uses exposed components can substantially save on cost and time.
Use taller tanks
We’ve considered this in some detail across several articles. Some installers will suggest coffin tanks for installations, while these can seem attractive on the face of it, coffin tanks can cost more overall.
Taller tanks are more effective at providing usable water. For a full explanation on this, please refer to our article on coffin tanks as well as our detailed guide on tank sizing.
Prioritise cost savings over aesthetic components
Some parts of sprinkler systems are there purely for aesthetic purposes. For example, pump sets may include a cover which can be excluded to minimise cost.
Place pumps in purpose built compartments
For category 2 systems and higher, pumps need to either be in an area protected by the sprinklers themselves, or in a compartment which is dedicated to the sprinkler system and fire rated for the duration of the system itself.
If you choose to use a shared area for the pump, it could be a needless expense. You could see yourself protecting a large area which could otherwise have been left unprotected.
Consider future expansions
Are you planning on adding an extra floor or room onto your development at a future date? This might seem like it should be cheaper than the initial installation but if this hasn’t been planned for, you could find yourself needing to buy a new pump and tank. Given that these are the biggest cost, a truly low cost sprinkler system should have been future proofed for these developments. Make sure your installer knows about them.
How not to not to install a low cost sprinkler system
Undersize or forgo the tank
It’s not unknown for sprinkler installers to offer low cost sprinkler systems with tanks which aren’t fit for purpose. These can often lead to risks from freezing or a failure to provide enough water to run the system until the fire brigade arrive.
If authorities such as building control spot this issue, they can make you replace the tank with the appropriate size. If you haven’t planned for this, you may find yourself short on space and knocking down walls…
Use unapproved parts
It can be tempting to ship in a bunch of unapproved parts, but if they break during the installation, or don’t quite match with other components: it can cause costly delays. Using after market parts to install a low cost sprinkler system can be a sure fire way of actually increasing the costs.
SAB have an excellent guide on How to decrease installation costs of fittings on site.
Install it yourself or use uncertified installers
Uncertified installers can inadvertently mix components which shouldn’t be mixed. CPVC which is bonded using the wrong adhesive can actually corrode quickly at the point at which it has been sealed. Not quick enough for you to notice on site, but quick enough to cause serious water damage after commissioning.
It might seem tempting to secure a low cost sprinkler system by using cheap labour but, given that the labour costs are actually only a small portion of the works, the risk involved really isn’t worth it.
Space the heads too far apart
Using fewer heads might seem like a simple way to guarantee a low cost sprinkler system, but if the heads aren’t spaced properly it can lead them to not work. Alternatively, it might mean that they can work but you need a larger pump, adding further cost.
Undersize the pipe
Choosing smaller pipe can lower pipe costs but increase the size of your pump and tank. Smaller pipe diameters force the pump to provide more pressure to the system, which can lead to excess flow from the Most Favourable sprinklers. This increases the tank size.
Skip components altogether
Pennies make pounds. All those isolation valves and drain off cocks might seem like a needless expense, but how do you plan to drain your system if you want to swap something out?
May components are actually required under the sprinkler regulations. Leaving them out altogether can leave your system non-compliant and the authorities can force you to remove it.
How to save money over the lifetime of your system
Sprinkler systems need to be serviced at least annually to maintain compliance. It isn’t unknown for installers to provide low cost sprinkler systems which are cheaper to install but cost you more over the life of the system through servicing costs.
When considering the longevity of your sprinkler system, consider:
- How easy it will be to access, drain, and service each components;
- How electrical components are powered;
- How valves are monitored;
- Whether the system has been zoned to ease maintenance and minimise downtime.
Under BS 9251: 2021, any valve which controls the flow of water should be monitored. If this monitoring fails, and a valve isn’t open or shut as it was designed to be: how will you know which valve it is? Identifying the valve to address can be a complicated and expensive process which can wipe out the benefits of your low cost sprinkler system at the installation stage.
How long do sprinkler systems last?
BS 9251: 2021 allows for sprinkler systems to be checked after 25 years to allow them to operate for another 25 years before they are checked again.
As you can expect, this test is more involved than the other regular services, but the test is designed to ensure that the system continues to operate as it should. Sections of sprinkler pipe and sample heads are removed and sent for testing. If the system passes, it can be left in place for another 25 years before being tested again.
When considering options for low cost sprinkler systems, consider how futureproof your designs are. They could cost you money in the long run.
Is third party certification worth the cost?
If you want to know more about the benefits of hiring a certified installer for your low cost sprinkler system, please check out our posts:
