No. Every EmberHawk sprinkler runs on standard household water pressure from an existing hose bib or spigot. Municipal supply and residential wells both work. For properties where municipal water pressure is a concern, or if you want an additional layer of protection, every EmberHawk sprinkler also easily integrates into a standard pump system drawing from a pool, tank, or pond. Custom pump systems are available from GetResponseReady.com.

The shop page lists the minimum PSI and GPM for each sprinkler, but the fastest way to know is our two-minute bucket test. Time how long a 5-gallon bucket takes to fill and we tell you how many sprinklers your supply can run at once.

Yes, as long as your pump and pressure tank can hold pressure while the sprinklers run. Well systems vary more than city water, so run the bucket test at the hose bib you plan to use and size your zones from that number.

Most homes on city water run three to five heads at a time. That does not cap how many you own. Homeowners set up full coverage and then run the property in zones, opening the valve on the side the fire is coming from.

If municipal water pressure drops or fails during a fire, hose-bib sprinklers stop working — they depend on that pressure. That is a real limitation of any hose-fed system, and we will not pretend otherwise. If your supply is not dependable during an outage, the parent company, Response Ready Fire Systems (linked in the footer), builds engine-driven systems that pull from a pool, pond, or tank and do not need city pressure. EmberHawk is built for homes on reliable municipal or adequate well pressure.

Yes. Some assembly is required, but it is straightforward. Roof sprinklers sit on the peak with pitch-adjustable feet, structure-mount brackets need basic tools like a screwdriver and gutter assemblies clip on. Most homeowners have the whole house set up in about 25 minutes.

It sits on the roof peak on pitch-adjustable feet, so there is no roof penetration and no drilling. Structure-mount sprinklers use a bracket that does get fastened to the structure, so test the system on the ground first and be sure of your placement before you drill.

Each kit ships with the sprinklers, their mounts or brackets, and 50 ft of hose per sprinkler so you can reach a hose bib. Hose color may vary. Nothing else is needed to run the system.

Composition shingle, metal, tile, and flat roofs. Roof sprinklers sit on the peak on pitch-adjustable feet and do not penetrate the roof. They are designed for roofs from flat up to a 9/12 pitch (about 37°) and are not for roofs steeper than 9/12. On fragile clay tile, set the feet carefully and test placement. Steeper roofs are better served by a gutter or structure-mount sprinkler.

It's a fair question. We use 3/4" forestry hose, the same type of hose wildland fire crews use. When water is flowing through it, the water continuously cools the hose. That's why fire crews can lay hose through areas with active fire.

A few tips help protect your hose:

• Keep water flowing whenever embers are possible. A charged hose holds up far better than a dry one.
• Route hose across bare ground, gravel, or pavement, and away from brush, wood piles, and dry vegetation.
• Keep the area around hose runs clear, just as you would around your home.

Place roof sprinklers so the spray clears the array, or use gutter and structure-mount heads on the eaves above the panels so water runs down over them. Running water over solar panels is not harmful to the panels — rain hits them constantly. The limitation: we are not solar installers, and we cannot speak for your panel manufacturer or your solar lease. Some contracts restrict anything attached near the array, and our brackets do not attach to panels or racking. Check your panel warranty and your solar contract before relying on a setup that sprays the array.

No, in normal use. The duty cycle is short — a few minutes to wet the surface, not hours of saturation. A fire run puts far less water on the roof than a normal winter rainstorm, and it runs off the same way rain does. Composition shingle, metal, and tile roofs are built to shed water. The one caveat: do not run the system for extended periods. A short test and an actual activation are both brief by design.

It can. With hard water, mineral staining is possible over repeated runs — the same white deposit irrigation spray leaves on siding and glass. Limitation: it is cosmetic, not functional; the heads still work. Rinse the roof and the heads with fresh water after a test, and do a longer rinse if you live in a hard-water area. Brush the heads clean and the roof will weather like any roof that catches spray.

Nothing here is permanently installed. The roof sprinkler sits on the peak on feet and lifts off; the brackets are low-profile and the heads come down after fire season, so nothing is visible year-round. Gutter and structure-mount heads clip on or use a small bracket and come down the same way. Roof units require no drilling into the roof. Limitation: check your CC&Rs, but most rules that restrict permanent penetrations or satellite dishes do not cover temporary, removable equipment.

Yes. Someone has to open the valve. The system is not automatic — there is no sensor, timer, or app that turns it on during a fire. You, a neighbor, or anyone with access to your hose bib has to open it. If you are not home and no one can reach the valve, the system will not run. Do not count on remote activation, because it does not exist.

Follow the order. Cal Fire is clear: when an evacuation order is issued, leave. Wet the roof if you have time, shut the water off, and go. We agree with Cal Fire out loud — no property is worth staying for. The sprinklers pre-treat the structure; they are never a reason to ignore an evacuation order.

Only if someone can open the valve when a fire threatens. If the cabin sits empty and no neighbor, caretaker, or family member can reach the hose bib, this system cannot activate — and a system that needs a person is the wrong choice for an unattended cabin. For a remote property, either arrange a trusted person who can turn it on, or look at the parent company's engine-driven systems (linked in the footer), which can run from a static water source without a person present.

Most water districts carry a fire-safety exemption that allows a short test for wildfire preparedness. Check with your local district before testing — call and explain you are testing a wildfire sprinkler; many issue a short-duration exemption or count it as irrigation. The bucket test itself uses only about 5 gallons. If your district will not allow any outdoor run, you can do the bucket test at a laundry sink indoors and run a minimal timed outdoor test later, or document what you have.

Orders ship in 3 to 5 business days and are usually delivered in about a week to the lower 48. Shipping is free. Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. territories, and international orders need a freight quote before ordering.

Yes. We want you to hook it to a hose and run it on the ground, then on the roof, before you commit. You have 30 days from delivery to send it back, there is no restocking fee, and water testing does not void the return when the product meets our return condition requirements.

The heads are solid brass on powder-coated steel with no plastic parts, so weather is not a problem. Drain the lines and disconnect the hose before a hard freeze, the same as any outdoor spigot. Freeze damage is not covered by the warranty.

One year limited warranty on every EmberHawk sprinkler, covering defects in materials and workmanship. It does not cover freeze damage, modification, or misuse.