Johnson Controls has relaunched its Connected Sprinkler service, a hardware-agnostic service that identifies data insights from indicators like water presence, temperature and pressure, the firm announced last week. The service relaunch gives facility managers a digital infrastructure to support fire safety through the building lifecycle, the company says.
The service identifies recurring trends and issues to form a baseline for maintenance decision-making that can unlock real-time insights into system performance. The information can help facilities managers better predict maintenance needs, which can save time and money, the company says. The service also helps buildings meet compliance requirements, Dustin Teske, portfolio leader of digital fire offerings at Johnson Controls, said in an email.
“Embracing smart technologies can offer substantial benefits when it comes to mitigating key risks and potential costs associated with sprinkler systems and maintenance,” Teske said. “System failures during emergencies can lead to property damage or loss, while unplanned downtime disrupts operations and incurs costly emergency repairs.”
A shift from reactive to predictive maintenance can help reduce equipment downtime by up to 40%, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s operations and maintenance best practices guide.
The Connected Sprinkler service detects dips in performance and sends real-time alerts for adverse conditions like water presence, pressure imbalances and freezing pipes, categorizing them into three priority levels.
The service also provides access to expert advice that can help remediate issues. Together, these capabilities can help facility operators avoid costly damage due to broken pipes or false system activations, improve the longevity of their fire sprinkler system and gain leverage with insurance companies for a potential reduction in premiums, Johnson Controls says on its website.
“The benefit of ‘getting smart’ is turning sprinkler systems from reactive liabilities into proactive assets that safeguard facilities, optimize costs, and ensure continuous operational readiness,” Teske said.
Johnson Controls is relaunching Connected Sprinkler after simplifying its operations — offloading its residential and light commercial HVAC business to Bosch Group — to focus on assisting and growing customer relationships over the course of the entire building life cycle, previous CEO George Oliver said during the company’s Q1 earnings call. It sees its fire and safety segment, which made up 44% of fiscal year 2024 sales, as a place for growth. The 140-year-old company says it was the first to build and sell an automatic sprinkler.
Johnson Controls’ other new and enhanced fire and safety products include the Tyco ESFR-25 dry pendent sprinkler for cold storage and firefighter air replenishment systems.
