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Many newly built homes have automatic sprinklers - capable of containing and localizing the damage from fires. A sprinkler system running on regular water supp

Many newly built homes have automatic sprinklers - capable of containing and localizing the damage from fires. A sprinkler system running on regular water supply pressure is not going to put out a lithium ion fire.

greedo 5y ago
This is not common by any stretch. I have never seen a residential home with automatic sprinklers, only commercial real estate and apartments. The cost is prohibitive, and in many climates (where freezing is a norm) would be useless in garages.
- testfoobar 5y ago
  California is a big EV market. Sprinklers are required in new construction in CA. https://www.nahb.org/-/media/NAHB/advocacy/docs/top-priorities/codes/fire-sprinklers/fire-sprinkler-state-adoption-2019.pdf https://www.nahb.org/-/media/NAHB/advocacy/docs/top-prioriti...
  - greedo 5y ago
    Your link shows that 48 out of 50 states don't require sprinklers. I would guess that less than 5% of SFR in the US have sprinklers.
    - harambae 5y ago
      >Your link shows that 48 out of 50 states don't require sprinklers. Partial Mandate: NY, Mass Full Mandate: CA, Maryland Those are 2 big states in there. By population the four are ~73 million, or a fifth of America.
      - greedo 5y ago
        Massachusetts only requires them in townhomes and houses over 14K square feet. In other words mansions. NY only requires them in three story buildings, otherwise it's up to the buyer. So these are nonsense arguments. Considering how many existing houses are exempt from all of this, I would estimate that less than 10% of the homes in CA have them, and less than 2% in these other four states.
- FireBeyond 5y ago
  All post 2018 construction in my area (including single family residential) is required to have automatic sprinklers).
- AlexandrB 5y ago
  The cost is absolutely not prohibitive, it's about $1-2/sq ft in a new home or $5-6/sq ft if you're retrofitting an old home[1]. For a new 2000 sq ft house that would be around $4000 dollars. Probably <1% of the overall house value given recent housing prices. [1] https://www.bobvila.com/articles/465-residential-sprinkler-systems/ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/465-residential-sprinkler-s...
  - greedo 5y ago
    This would depend on house prices. Where I live, you can buy a 2000 sq ft house for $300K or less. That's 1.3% increase in price to add sprinklers, and I would wager that 99% of homeowners would prefer not to spend $4K on this.
samatman 5y ago
This is true. I mean, it's also true that water will not put out a gasoline fire, only spread it around and make it worse. But what you said is true also.

greedo 5y ago

This is not common by any stretch. I have never seen a residential home with automatic sprinklers, only commercial real estate and apartments. The cost is prohibitive, and in many climates (where freezing is a norm) would be useless in garages.

testfoobar 5y ago
California is a big EV market. Sprinklers are required in new construction in CA. https://www.nahb.org/-/media/NAHB/advocacy/docs/top-priorities/codes/fire-sprinklers/fire-sprinkler-state-adoption-2019.pdf https://www.nahb.org/-/media/NAHB/advocacy/docs/top-prioriti...
- greedo 5y ago
  Your link shows that 48 out of 50 states don't require sprinklers. I would guess that less than 5% of SFR in the US have sprinklers.
  - harambae 5y ago
    >Your link shows that 48 out of 50 states don't require sprinklers. Partial Mandate: NY, Mass Full Mandate: CA, Maryland Those are 2 big states in there. By population the four are ~73 million, or a fifth of America.
    - greedo 5y ago
      Massachusetts only requires them in townhomes and houses over 14K square feet. In other words mansions. NY only requires them in three story buildings, otherwise it's up to the buyer. So these are nonsense arguments. Considering how many existing houses are exempt from all of this, I would estimate that less than 10% of the homes in CA have them, and less than 2% in these other four states.
FireBeyond 5y ago
All post 2018 construction in my area (including single family residential) is required to have automatic sprinklers).
AlexandrB 5y ago
The cost is absolutely not prohibitive, it's about $1-2/sq ft in a new home or $5-6/sq ft if you're retrofitting an old home[1]. For a new 2000 sq ft house that would be around $4000 dollars. Probably <1% of the overall house value given recent housing prices. [1] https://www.bobvila.com/articles/465-residential-sprinkler-systems/ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/465-residential-sprinkler-s...
- greedo 5y ago
  This would depend on house prices. Where I live, you can buy a 2000 sq ft house for $300K or less. That's 1.3% increase in price to add sprinklers, and I would wager that 99% of homeowners would prefer not to spend $4K on this.

samatman 5y ago

This is true. I mean, it's also true that water will not put out a gasoline fire, only spread it around and make it worse. But what you said is true also.