sprinkler facts

Fire Sprinklers Reduce Water Damage

Fire hoses, on average, use more than 8 1/2 times the water that sprinklers do to contain a fire.

According to the Scottsdale Report, a 15-year study of fire sprinkler effectiveness, a fire sprinkler uses, on average, 341 gallons of water to control a fire. Firefighters, on average, use 2,935. Reduced water damage is a major source of savings for homeowners.
HFSC has an interactive demonstration of water usage :. 

http://www.homefiresprinkler.org/FS/FSWaterUsage.html

The likelihood that a sprinkler will accidently discharge because of a manufacturing defect is extremely rare.

Sprinkler mishaps are generally less likely and less severe than accidents involving home plumbing systems.