Water damage from fire protection systems in computer facilities

Question

Is the amount of property saved by fixed suppression systems in computer facilities worth the investment considering the amount of water damage the system can cause when activated?

Response

Yes. In general, assuming proper installation, the additional water damage to property from a fire suppression system discharge during a fire event is considerably less in comparison to the losses that would be sustained without such protection.

According to the report, Computer Rooms and Other Electronic Equipment Areas, published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), on average, there were 209 fires each year (2006-2010) in electronic equipment areas. These fires result in an average of $11.9 million in direct property damage each year. When homes are excluded from the data, the annual average drops to 146 fires and $9.3 million in direct property loss. Of the annual average of 209 fires, approximately 48% were protected by an automatic suppression system.

According to the report, one- or two-family homes are the leading property-use groups accounting for electronic equipment room fires, accounting for 21% of the fires in electric equipment areas. General use office buildings account for the second highest occurrence, with 13% of the fires.

See An Overview of Extinguishing Systems for Computer Equipment for additional information.

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