The short version
- No house has enough water pressure to run every outdoor sprinkler at the same time, so every system runs zones in turn.
- By default, every zone runs automatically. If you want, you can turn zones off, either in the settings or during a run.
- You can also give a zone more water, with longer and more frequent turns, for the side of the house that needs it most.
- You can save scenarios, such as roof only, exposed side or everything, and start one with a single tap.
- If you're comparing systems, ask whether you can turn off a zone yourself while the system is running.
A house has one water supply, and every sprinkler shares its pressure. If too many sprinklers open at once, none of them sprays properly.
FireShield's own patent states it plainly: available supply pressure is "generally insufficient to operate every discharge device simultaneously."
That's true for every system.
So wildfire sprinkler systems divide the property into zones and run a few at a time.
The real question is who decides which zones run.
Turning zones off
FireShield lets you exclude zones. The patent covers both routes — by setting, or during operation — and describes it precisely: FireShield "excludes a disabled zone from the activation sequence." The zone is skipped in the rotation, and the water it would have used goes to the zones that are still running.
Some reasons you might turn a zone off:
It sprays somewhere it shouldn't, like a new deck or a neighbor's yard.
Something needs repair. Turn off that one zone and the rest keep working.
Water is limited. If you're running on pool or tank water, fewer zones make it last longer.
Giving a zone more
You can also do the opposite.
FireShield can give the zones you choose a larger share of the run. The patent describes allocating a greater share of the sequence to selected zones "by at least one of a longer run-time and a more frequent activation within the activation sequence."
For example, you can give the side of the house facing the fire longer or more frequent turns.
And FireShield doesn't need you standing there to do it. The same reassignment can be driven automatically from FireShield's risk analysis, which knows roughly where the fire is and which way the wind is pushing it. When the approach direction is known, FireShield concentrates on the outlets facing that direction — and, in the patent's own words, "excluding zones on the sheltered side."
You decide whether to add, drop or favor zones, and each one is a simple setting.
Saved scenarios
Adjusting zones one by one takes time, and it's not something you want to do while packing to leave.
So FireShield lets you save named scenarios, which are groups of zones you can select all at once. The patent gives examples: a roof scenario, a front scenario, an exposed-face scenario. Pick one and FireShield waters only the zones in that group.
Common scenarios:
Roof only. Embers often land on roofs, so the roof is usually the most important part to protect.
Exposed side. The side of the house most likely to face the fire.
Perimeter only. The brush line and fence, not the house.
Everything. Every zone runs.
Setting these up ahead of time means you don't have to make choices during an evacuation.
What happens in the background
FireShield adjusts to your water pressure. It checks the pressure and runs only as many zones at once as the pressure can support, so each sprinkler sprays properly.
Smooth switching. FireShield opens the next valve before closing the last one, which protects the pipes from pressure spikes.
What to ask before you sign
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Can I turn off a single zone? | With FireShield, yes, in the settings or during a run. |
| Can zone run times differ? | FireShield sets run time per zone. A roof and a brush line don't need the same. |
| Can one zone get more turns than another? | FireShield lets you give the exposed side longer turns, more frequent turns, or both. |
| Can I save preset groups of zones? | FireShield calls them scenarios, such as roof only or exposed side. Each one starts with a single tap. |
| How does it decide how many zones run at once? | FireShield checks the water pressure and runs as many zones as it can support. |
What matters most is whether you can choose which zones run: turn some off, favor others, and group them ahead of time.
With FireShield, you can.
Next in this series
- The Setting You Can Change in Ten Seconds — Why every one of these settings is simple to change, without new software.
- What Actually Has to Work When Nobody's Home — The whole system, start to finish, in plain English.
About FireShield — FireShield builds automated exterior wildfire defense systems for homes across Southern California. The system described here is covered by FireShield's patent. See the wildfire defense system or talk to us.