Description
Conventional Fire Alarm Control
Panel
Fire Alarm System
Limitations
While a fire alarm
system may lower insurance rates, it is not a substitute for fire
insurance!
An automatic fire alarm systemtypically made up
of smoke detectors, heat detectors, manual pull stations, audible
warning devices, and a fire alarm control with remote notification
capabilitycan provide early warning of a developing
fire.
Such a system, however, does not assure
protection against property damage or loss of life resulting from a
fire.
The Manufacturer recommends that smoke and/or
heat detectors be located throughout a protected premise following
the recommendations of the current edition of the National Fire
Protection Association Standard 72 (NFPA 72), manufacturer\'s
recommendations, State and local codes, and the recommendations
contained in the Guide for Proper Use of System Smoke Detectors,
which is made available at no charge to all installing
dealers. A study by the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(an agency of the United States government) indicated that smoke
detectors may not go off in as many as 35% of all fires.
While fire alarm systems are designed to provide early warning
against fire, they do not guarantee warning or protection against
fire. A fire alarm system may not provide timely or adequate
warning, or simply may not function, for a variety of
reasons:
Smoke
detectorsmay
not sense fire where smoke cannot reach the detectors such as in
chimneys, in or behind walls, on roofs, or on the other side of
closed doors. Smoke detectors also may not sense a fire on another
level or floor of a building. A second-floor detector, for
example, may not sense a first-floor or basement
fire.
Particles of combustion or
"smoke"from
a developing fire may not reach the sensing chambers of smoke
detectors be- cause:
- Barriers such as closed or partially closed
doors, walls, or chimneys may inhibit particle or smoke
flow.
- Smoke particles may become "cold," stratify, and
not reach the ceiling or upper walls where detectors are
located.
- Smoke particles may be blown away from detectors
by air outlets.
- Smoke particles may be drawn into air returns
before reaching the detector.
The amount of "smoke" present may be insufficient
to alarm smoke detectors. Smoke detectors are designed to
alarm at various levels of smoke density. If such density
levels are not created by a developing fire at the location of
detectors, the detectors will not go into alarm.
Smoke detectors, even when working properly, have
sensing limitations. Detectors that have photo electronic sensing
chambers tend to detect smoldering fires better than flaming fires,
which have little visible smoke. Detectors that have
ionizing-type sensing chambers tend to detect fast-flaming fires
better than smoldering fires. Because fires develop in different
ways and are often unpredictable in their growth, neither type of
detector is necessarily best and a given type of detector may
not provide adequate warning of a fire.
Smoke detectors cannot be expected to provide
adequate warning of fires caused by arson, children playing with
matches (especially in bedrooms), smoking in bed, and violent
explosions (caused by escaping gas, improper storage of flammable
materials, etc.).
Heat detectors do not sense particles of
combustion and alarm only when heat on their sensors increases at a
predetermined rate or reaches a predetermined level.
Rate-of-rise heat detectors may be subject to reduced sensitivity
over time. For this reason, the rate-of-rise feature of each
detector should be tested at least once per year by a qualified
fire protection specialist. Heat detectors are designed to
protect property, not life.
IMPORTANT! Smoke
detectorsmust be installed in the same room as the
control panel and in rooms used by the system for the connection of
alarm transmission wiring, communications, signaling, and/or
power. If detectors are not so located, a developing fire may
damage the alarm system, crippling its ability to report a
fire.
Audible warning
devicessuch
as bells may not alert people if these devices are located on the
other side of closed or partly open doors or are located on another
floor of a building. Any warning device may fail to alert people
with a disability or those who have recently consumed drugs,
alcohol or medication. Please note that:
- Strobes can, under certain circumstances, cause
seizures in people with conditions such as
epilepsy.
- Studies have shown that certain people, even when
they hear a fire alarm signal, do not respond or comprehend the
meaning of the signal. It is the property owner\'s
responsibility to conduct fire drills and other training exercise
to make people aware of fire alarm signals and instruct them on the
proper reaction to alarm signals.
- In rare instances, the sounding of a warning
device can cause temporary or permanent hearing
loss.
A fire alarm
systemwill
not operate without any electrical power. If AC power fails,
the system will operate from standby batteries only for a specified
time and only if the batteries have been properly maintained and
replaced regularly.
Equipment used in the
systemmay
not be technically compatible with the control. It is
essential to use only equipment listed for service with your
control panel.
Telephone
linesneeded
to transmit alarm signals from a premise to a central monitoring
station may be out of service or temporarily disabled. For added
protection against telephone line failure, backup radio
transmission systems are recommended.
The most common
causeof
fire alarm malfunction is inadequate maintenance. To keep the
entire fire alarm system in excellent working order, ongoing
maintenance is required per the manufacturer\'s recommendations,
and UL and NFPA standards. At a minimum, the requirements of
Chapter 7 of NFPA 72 shall be followed. Environments with
large amounts of dust, dirt or high air velocity require more
frequent maintenance. A maintenance agreement should be
arranged through the local manufacturer\'s representative.
Maintenance should be scheduled monthly or as required by National
and/ or local fire codes and should be performed by authorized
professional fire alarm installers only. Adequate written
records of all inspections
should be kept.
Installation
Precautions
Adherence to the
following will aid in problem-free installation with long-term
reliability:
WARNING-
Several different sources of power can be connected to the fire
alarm control panel. Disconnect all sources of power before
servicing. Control unit and associated equipment may be
damaged by removing and/or inserting cards, modules, or
interconnecting cables while the unit is energized. Do not attempt
to install, service, or operate this unit until this manual is read
and understood.
CAUTION-
System Reacceptance Test after Software Changes. To ensure
proper system operation, this product must be tested in accordance
with NFPA 72 Chapter 7 after any programming operation or change in
site-specific soft- ware. Reacceptance testing is required
after any change, addition or deletion of system components, or
after any modification, repair or adjustment to system hardware or
wiring.
All components, circuits, system operations, or
software functions known to be affected by a change must be 100%
tested. In addition, to ensure that other operations are not
inadvertently affected, at least 10% of initiating devices that are
not directly affected by the change, up to a maximum of 50 de-
vices, must also be tested and proper system operation
verified.
This systemmeets NFPA requirements for operation at 0-49°
C/32-120° F and at a relative humidity of 85% RH (non- condensing)
at 30° C/86° F. However, the useful life of the system\'s
standby batteries and the electronic components may be adversely
affected by extreme temperature ranges and humidity. Therefore, it
is recommended that this system and all peripherals be installed in
an environment with a nominal room temperature of 15-27° C/60-80°
F.
Verify that wire sizes are
adequatefor
all initiating and indicating device loops. Most devices
cannot tolerate more than a 10% I.R. drop from the specified device
voltage.
Like all solid state electronic
devices,this
system may operate erratically or can be damaged when subjected to
lightning-induced transients. Although no system is
completely immune from lightning transients and interferences,
proper grounding will reduce susceptibility. Overhead or
outside aerial wiring is not recommended, due to an increased
susceptibility to nearby lightning strikes. Consult with the
Technical Services Department if any problems are anticipated or
encountered.
Disconnect AC power and
batteriesprior to removing or inserting circuit
boards. Failure to do so can damage
circuits.
Remove all electronic
assembliesprior to any drilling, filing, reaming, or
punching of the enclosure. When possible, make all cable
entries from the sides or rear. Before making modifications,
verify that they will not interfere with battery, transformer, and
printed circuit board location.
Do not tighten screw
terminalsmore
than 9 in-lbs.
Over-tightening may damage threads, resulting in
reduced terminal contact pressure and difficulty with screw
terminal removal.
Though designed to last many
years,
system components can fail at any time. This system contains
static-sensitive components. Always ground yourself with a
proper wrist strap before handling any circuits so that static
charges are re- moved from the body. Use static-suppressive
packaging to protect electronic assemblies removed from the
unit.
Follow the
instructionsin
the installation, operating, and programming manuals. These
instructions must be followed to avoid damage to the control panel
and associated equipment. FACP operation and reliability
depend upon proper installation by authorized
personnel.
FCC
Warning
WARNING: This equipment generates, uses, and can
radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in
accordance with the instruction manual, may cause interference to
radio communications. It has been tested and found to comply
with the limits for class A computing device pursuant to Subpart B
of Part 15 of FCC Rules, which is designed to provide reasonable
protection against such interference when operated in a commercial
environment. Operation of this equipment in
a residential area is likely to cause
interference, in which case the user will be required to correct
the interference
at his own expense.
Canadian Requirements
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class
A
limits for radiation noise emissions from
digital
apparatus set out in the Radio Interference
Regulations of the Canadian Department of
Communications.
Le present appareil numerique n\'emet pas de
bruits radioelectriques depassant les limites applicables aux
appareils numeriques de la classe A prescrites dans le Reglement
sur le brouillage radioelectrique edicte par le ministere des
Communications du Canada.
