Leaving sprinklers on for a bushfire

[Lethality]

Do people do this? Are they doing it enough? Does it help?

Maybe we could get automatic sprinklers in people's yards, that turn on during a fire.

That should help a lot.​

 

[rdhopkins2]

Do people do this? Are they doing it enough? Does it help?

Maybe we could get automatic sprinklers in people's yards, that turn on during a fire.

That should help a lot.​

For a low intensity fire sprinklers would be of benefit but unless they have been on for days and the surrounds are soaked, they wouldn’t make much of a difference in a larger blaze.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

I've always thought that if I ended up building somewhere in bushland that I'd put a sprinkler system on the roof of the house, have a pump attached to a large tank, dam or swimming pool. If fire came, block off the down pipes on the gutters and flood the gutters, turn the pump on to the rooftop sprinklers, lock up and leave.

 

[FRUMPY]

If it's a bushfire, it's like pouring a water bottle over a towering inferno

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[Jimmybob]

I'd assume being that a fire front is so hot it would just evaporate all the moisture before the fire even came through

 

[Hawk Dork]

I've always thought that if I ended up building somewhere in bushland that I'd put a sprinkler system on the roof of the house, have a pump attached to a large tank, dam or swimming pool. If fire came, block off the down pipes on the gutters and flood the gutters, turn the pump on to the rooftop sprinklers, lock up and leave.

What does the pump run off ?

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

What does the pump run off ?

Genie

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

If it's a bushfire, it's like pouring a water bottle over a towering inferno

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Sure if you're an idiot and have bush right up to your eaves like I see so many have.

I'm talking more along the lines of having clear space around the property as a starting point and the sprinklers stopping an ember attack rather than a massive burning tree falling on your house.

 

[Hawk Dork]

Genie

Fuel power cord ...fireproof?

 

[Twoslabs]

My exes parents did this the early 80s.

Cleared around the house, four dams and massive sprinklers i.e sports field jobs hooked up to pumps and a generator.

They showed me the after photos of Ash Wednesday in 83, everything pitch black around them, their 20acres unscathed.

 

[DickieKnee]

A lot of houses burn down not directly because of the bushfire but by burning embers falling and lodging under eaves etc. This is why good practice is to fill gutters with water or have sprinklers running on the roof. Houses can burn down a day or 2 after the main fire front has passed due to smouldering embers.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Fuel power cord ...fireproof?

no, of course not

The genie can have an internal fuel tank, everything covered in heat resistant / fire proof lagging, like in combustion engines. It's really not that hard.

 

[Frank Bunn]

I've always thought that if I ended up building somewhere in bushland that I'd put a sprinkler system on the roof of the house, have a pump attached to a large tank, dam or swimming pool. If fire came, block off the down pipes on the gutters and flood the gutters, turn the pump on to the rooftop sprinklers, lock up and leave.

It's a good plan in theory but you have to test and practise it.

I made some polystyrene blocks to block the down pipes but they didn't work. Found some on ebay that have a good seal.

Allow for the mains power being out so you will need a generator to operate your pump. Allow for starting your generator in pitch black conditions. Mine has got 3 different switches you have to get right. It could be night, or even the middle of the afternoon and the smoke will be so bad it's dark as night. Does it have fuel? Is the fuel old so it might not start? Also, screen your pump from nearby direct flames with a brick wall or even colorbond.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

It's a good plan in theory but you have to test and practise it.

I made some polystyrene blocks to block the down pipes but they didn't work. Found some on ebay that have a good seal.

Allow for the mains power being out so you will need a generator to operate your pump. Allow for starting your generator in pitch black conditions. Mine has got 3 different switches you have to get right. It could be night, or even the middle of the afternoon and the smoke will be so bad it's dark as night. Does it have fuel? Is the fuel old so it might not start? Also, screen your pump from nearby direct flames with a brick wall or even colorbond.

I think I covered a bit of that in a subsequent post.

If you have round down pipes, what about tennis balls?

 

[ferball]

Watch both of these vids so you have an idea of the surrounding area. The second one is taken from inside the house during Black Saturday 2009.