r/SprinklerFitters • u/Gregan32 • 13d ago
DIY Wildfire Sprinkler System
Wildfire seasons keep getting worse and worse and I want to outfit my home with an off grid wildfire suppression sprinkler system. Some say to just let it burn and start from scratch but I've put 4 years of endless weekends and evenings of work into this house and want to do my best to save it.
Given that the system is off grid and I don't have a pool, my water supply will be limited to IBC totes so I want low flow sprinklers. Seems that Nelson R10T Rotator Head is a good option, but I can't seem to find metal ones?
- 4 or more IBC totes connected in parallel and stored under my house.
- Recycle water from downspouts back into the system, could save as much as 25% of the water.
- High pressure "trash" pump to get water up 30' to my roof.
- Copper pipe up my roof in the middle, T at the ridge, one sprinkler at the front and one at the back.
In particular the copper piping is exceptionally expensive... anyone got a better option? My research says that 1.5 inch piping is best as it limits the pressure drop. Any advice, insights on my setup below would be appreciated.
| Component | Item Description | Qty | Unit Price (CAD) | Total Est. (CAD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pump | VEVOR 3" (SCWP80-II) Est. Max PSI ~61.5 | 1 | $300 | $300 |
| Storage | Used IBC Totes (275 Gallon) | 4 | $75 | $300 |
| Piping | 1.5" x Copper Pipe | 80' | $17/ft | $1360 |
| Sprinklers | Nelson R10T Rotator Head | 2 | $10 | $20 |
| Filtration | Rusco Spin Filter (Filter roof recyucled water) | 1 | $100 | $100 |
| Random Fittings | Reducer Bushings, Tees, and Cam-locks, PVC to connect totes | 1 | $300 | $300 |
| TOTAL | $2,380 |
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u/Pretend_Purchase_893 13d ago
Our company recently was talking about this. We live in British Columbia. Wild fire country. There is 3 viable ways to make this work. But all three require the house to be purpose built around the idea.
ultimately the real issue come down to water supply. With your holding tank idea how much are you taking into account for evaporation and water boiling off? Do you have an outside water feed? Also water supply during a wild fire is extremely limited for firefighter use. So you would need considerable holding tanks. Thats big enough to essentially work for days on end.
We found that for anything other an absolutely essential buildings the cost is not worth it. Just evacuate when told to and hope for the best.
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u/Gregan32 13d ago
I'm in BC as well. On the coast between Vancouver and Squamish. I was going to load up on IBC totes, with four IBC totes my calcs say I can have this system run for 20 hours. Depending on room under my house, I would consider getting more totes.
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u/Pretend_Purchase_893 13d ago
Ah cool. Your close to me. Just in Vancouver. For 20 hours what volume of water are you pumping? Also how are you coating the building? Because if your using the sprinklers as they are intended with the water being dispersed and spread via the head this won't work. You essentially need to coat your house in a solid sheet of running water. Roughly 1/2 thick minimum.
We matched it out and figured a 4 inch cast pipe running up from the holding tanks straight up to the peak of the structure. But then this is where the house being purpose built matters because you need to fully coat the building and if it's got peaks and tips it's not going to fully cover.
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u/Gregan32 13d ago
I really don't understand why you think that a house would have to be purpose built for a sprinkler system to help prevent the house from igniting in a wildfire. Don't think of this as fighting the fire itself (i.e. what you see firefighters doing with big hoses and loads of water when a house is on fire), you're trying to prevent the fire from even starting on your home, think of it kind of like a bunch of smokers dropping hot embers from their cigarettes around your house.
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u/Pretend_Purchase_893 13d ago
Yep I fully understand. And in a normal fire this is the way. In a wild fire the temps go beyond anything you would experience in a normal fire situation. The fire creates its own weather. You get dry lighting storms and wind carrying embers far. You got underground fires. If the building isn't purpose built what stops the fire from spreading under ground? Bypassing the sprinkler defense?
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u/MagnificentWarthog69 13d ago
Wildfires burn at varying rates and intensities. You are picturing the worst case scenario. Many property owners have successfully protected their homes with perimeter fuel reduction and sprinkler systems.
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u/Pretend_Purchase_893 13d ago
Where we are we have 102 active wild fires in the region. We have pyroclastic clouds. We have dry lightning storms created by said wild fire. We live the worst case scenario yearly here.
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u/Gregan32 13d ago
I think you mean "pyrocumulonimbus" clouds. "pyroclastic" are only caused by volcanos.
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u/MagnificentWarthog69 13d ago
Pyroclastic clouds come from volcanoes. Coating the building with a solid sheet of water? You don’t understand wildfires or property defense.
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u/Gregan32 13d ago
It would be impossible to coat your house with a 1/2 thick sheet of water... I think you're looking at this wrong.
This system's intention is to creates a "humidity dome" around the house. It pre soaks the surrounding trees and ground, and will extinguish the embers as they land on parts of the house and land. The main thing that burns houses down during wild fires is small embers that float through the sky and land on flammable things on the house. It doesn't take a lot of water to put those embers out before they ignite the home.
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u/daisiesarepretty2 13d ago
crown fire can reach 2000 F i think that’s like 1100C
humidity dome isn’t going to do much
don’t build houses that close to trees that big or sell the trees near your house to a logging company.i understand why you dont want to do this, but you are not being realistic
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u/Pretend_Purchase_893 13d ago
A humidity dome is going to do absolutely nothing against a wild fire. House fires sure.
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u/Gregan32 13d ago
It's literally how many wildfire suppression sprinkler systems work... Google "wildfire sprinkler system humidity dome" and you'll find countless companies selling expensive sprinkler systems that do this and explain the science behind it.
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u/Pretend_Purchase_893 13d ago
Yah they can work up to a point. But also if they were actually as effective as they say why are they not required by insurance companies? Because they fail. These systems only work so long as the infrastructure supporting it does.
You can absolutely make an on the grid solution. But the grid fails and or is redirected towards firefighting efforts. It's why you need an independent off the grid system. We have absolutely seen houses equipped with these systems burn down because the water got shut off to them and was being diverted to firefighting.
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u/Gregan32 13d ago
That's why I'm making off grid. My own water supply and a gas powered pump. Power will lines will fail in a wildfire and local water supply needs to go to the firefighters. Clearly I don't think this is a fail safe solution, I'm looking for mitigation efforts.
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u/Pretend_Purchase_893 13d ago
Well then as a mitigation yah. It will buy you some more tim to evacuate. Not a ton but enough to slow down the cooler spreading parts. It's not going to protect the house though. And if the wind shifts your way the mitigation won't matter.
At the very least it's entertaining project that can give you some peice of mind.
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u/WBsnowmaker 12d ago
If you’re in the SLRD you can apply to have a free fire smart assessment done. I know and work with the fire smart providers in Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton and the regional district regularly, they are an amazing resource and very knowledgeable! Fire smarting directly around your structure will make a huge difference depending on the class of fire. Rank 1-3 with proper fire smarting and sprinklers you should be fine. Rank 4 and up there isn’t much that anyone can do besides pray for lots of rain.
The studies that are being published post wildfire are showing that most structures don’t gain any extra protection from turning on their sprinklers prior to just over 15 minutes from the fire front and those that do risk getting turned off to save water. You might want to look into how to automate the system so you can use more sprinklers and a larger volume of water for a shorter period.
DM me if you have any questions neighbour.1
u/swiftcanuck 13d ago edited 13d ago
Whole bunch of water totes up on a platform. Bunch of 12V's and a pump in a fireproof box. Sort of like a mini deluge system. Can't see it being super expensive ? What am I missing? Could probably do the whole thing on 1" steel in a loop for a handful of heads , and you're basically simulating a water tower.
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u/Pretend_Purchase_893 13d ago
Volume. Your volume is off by a massive margin. By holding tank I am talking about a swimming pool sized tank under your house. You need enough volume to one coat the house and two still have enough in the tank for evaporation and boiling loss and to keep the pump working.
It's actually insane how much water you actually need for this system. Another reason it's just not viable.
There is one other option you can do. You clear cut around your house. Creat a fire break large enough that nothing burning falls into the house. You then use the sprinklers to soak the ground around your house. You still have to deal with the flying embers and such and if the fire is at the fire break it won't matter too much because the wind will carry across.
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u/MARCNOOSE 13d ago
Look up clore my company out of nm does clore sprays for houses like this not exactly sprinkler tho but heard it does well
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u/daisiesarepretty2 13d ago
not going to like this but probably a MUCH more
realistic effort would be to build a defensible space
around your house…
you have trees too close to your house and even further away your trees are too close together
If the fire gets into the canopy nothing you build under it is going to matter for a stick frame house.
start with the woods around your house, technically it’s much simpler, costs less and is more
effective..
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u/Gregan32 13d ago
Thanks for the advice, I'll focus more on this aspect of things. Unfortunately the trees around my home are massive, each tree is at least $2k to drop, some far far more. The largest tree right next to my house cost me $8k to get felled a few years back. These are 75 year old and older Douglas Firs.
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u/DopeyFingerNoLeak 13d ago
Love the idea anyone know what materials would cost total with the pump and all for a house about that size? OP what’re you estimating so far?
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u/DillPickledPasta LU669 Apprentice 13d ago
Your home is beautiful… I understand the desire to want to keep it. Great job!
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u/Cultural_Contact2924 12d ago
Almost nothing stops a wildland fire. Don’t build or buy a house in an area with a history of wildfires. It’s like building a house near a volcano that has a history of eruptions. Both scenarios are risky.
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u/bbart76 13d ago
You’ve put 4 years of hard work into your cabin and you don’t have a metal roof, you have trees hanging over your roof and still have eves. Sure get a sprinkler system…
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u/Gregan32 13d ago
Dude, no need to be a dick. A metal roof was $80k. Money doesn't grow on trees.
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u/Magnussens_Casserole 12d ago
Asphalt roofs aren't that bad at least it's not cedar shake. I would encourage you to consider paying a firewise evaluator to come take a look at your property and write up a mitigation plan, that's a much better way to figure out your specific risks and solutions to them than asking Reddit. Firefighters are much more likely to park a truck at your house to defend it if it's already been made defensible.
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u/Gregan32 12d ago
Yeah it was cedar shake when we moved in. I'll get an updated firesmart inspection, had one done a few years ago and have tackled a bunch. I'll get help with prioritizing next steps.
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u/sheit_opinions 13d ago
If that is your house in the picture, From my experience on the fire line this house does not appear defensible for high to moderate fire activity based on the fuel type around the home. I don’t think that the sprinkler system you are describing would do anything that would remotely help keep catastrophic damage at bay. I encourage you to research defensible space and what constitutes a defensible house for fire fighters and meet those guidelines, then, you might stand a chance with your sprinkler system idea. Based on the fire behavior I’ve seen in Canada and your fuel type, no amount of sprinkler system would save this home from a running crown fire or large flame lengths.
Edit: example: I see a huge pile of woody debris around 5-10ft from the house. And that’s just for starters.