Sunday, April 28, 2024

Sprinklers - peace of mind, but not in place of FireSmart

As many of you know, I have a sprinkler for my roof - mounted on a custom frame for a 12 12 pitch roof. The riser is sufficiently high that it clears my chimney. The main problem for me is getting help twice a year to pack the ladders, and put up and take down the sprinkler.


We have no control or guarantee that structural protection crews would turn on our sprinklers, but many communities are putting sprinklers in place. One estimate is that it takes an average of one hour per home for structural crews to install sprinklers.

I am not in anyway promoting any product, just sharing some information.

One member of our community has purchased the "WASP" Wildfire protection kit, which is a quick install on gutters or other fixed brackets.   https://www.waspwildfire.com/homeowners . Office in Kelowna.



I have looked at many options, and have been in conversation with a company in Coquitlam - their product saved homes in West Kelowna, the Gun Lake Fire area, and Downton fire.

What attracted me to their product, is that it is a permanent installation, that only requires the hose to be properly drained in the fall. The old model is available on Amazon, but the new one, with more stainless steel, is coming out in May. I have ordered two of their product - one for each end of my cabin - the sprinklers can be adjusted to not affect the chimney. If all I have to do is replace the hoses in a few years, it is an easier solution for me.

The units are discounted at the moment at $179 each. Bulk discounts start at greater than 50 homes. That is highly unlikely as we continue to try and convince some people to FireSmart their properties.



I doubt that the units will be here and installed in time for the May long weekend FireSmart event, but once they are installed, I will let you know, so you can have a look as you walk by.

Some may get an invitation to see them up close, when I recruit friends to hold the ladder for me.

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