The LWF Blog

Fire Safety Engineering for Design – Residential Sprinkler Systems – Part 264

December 8, 2025 10:57 am

LWF’s Fire Safety Engineering blog series is written for Architects, building designers and others in the construction industry to highlight and promote discussion on all topics around fire engineering. In part 263, LWF talked about domestic and residential sprinkler systems, which have become increasingly popular in recent years. In part 264, we continue discussing domestic/residential sprinkler systems and also touch on the installation of sprinkler systems in schools.

A typical residential sprinkler system consists of the following elements:

• Water supply
• Control valve
• Backflow prevention check valve
• Priority demand valve
• Fire alarm system
• Pipework fitted with sprinkler heads

A residential sprinkler system should be permanently charged with water. BS 9251 is the code of practice for fire sprinkler systems for domestic and residential occupancies. Requirements and standards can be found within.

One of the main reasons domestic and residential sprinkler systems are not more widely used in the UK is the perception that sprinklers are prone to unwanted operation. In fact, this is a premise set forth in movies that is very rare in fact (nor does the entire building operate simultaneously, another silver screen error). Another reason is the idea that a sprinkler system has to involve high cost, whereas it can actually make savings on a building project overall when taking into account potential concessions to passive fire protection measures and insurance costs.

Sprinkler protection is increasingly being used in new-build schools. The ability of sprinklers to provide a reliable and resilient method of property protection for a school has led to specialist guidance being released within the LPC rules. Technical bulletins in both the BS and BS EN versions of the rules have been added, which focus on hazard classification, sprinkler selection and water supply provisions relating to the specific needs of school buildings.

While all automatic firefighting systems are somewhat vulnerable to vandalism, the guidelines for schools suggest the use of ‘concealed’ type sprinklers in certain and appropriate circumstances to avoid sprinkler heads being an obvious target.

It is, of course, worth noting that incidences of arson are more prevalent in schools than in many other types of building and effective sprinkler protection can help to mitigate the level of risk and damage posed.

In part 265 of LWF’s series on fire engineering we will talk about third-party certification and approved contractors for sprinkler system installations. In the meantime, if you have any questions about this blog, or wish to discuss your own project with one of our fire engineers, please contact us.

Lawrence Webster Forrest has been working with their clients since 1986 to produce innovative and exciting building projects. If you would like further information on how LWF and fire strategies could assist you, please contact the LWF office on 0800 410 1130.

While care has been taken to ensure that information contained in LWF’s publications is true and correct at the time of publication, changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of this information.