What is a fire alarm system?
This is a system with a number of devices to detect and warn people through the output signals from its audio-visual appliances when a trigger level of smoke, fire, carbon monoxide or other emergencies are present.
Alarms can be either motorized bells or wall mountable sounders or horns.
How do fire alarm systems work?
The fire alarm system has a fire sensor (smoke, heat or carbon monoxide detector) which it uses to detect and receive a signal as input signal then automatically transmit this received signal to the fire alarm panel where its signal trigger switches on the component that produce the output signals our audio and visual special cells can detect and transmit to our brain which interpretes the alarm signal as danger.
What is fire alarm and detection system?
Fire detection systems work as a unit to detect earliest signs of fire quite soon enough to alert the occupants and all the relevant emergency responders giving time to for occupants to be evacuated and responders get there soon enough before the inferno total destruction of lives and properties.
What is fire triangle?
What is the fire tetrahedron?
The popular fire triangle taught in elementary schools refer to just 3 components that must be present to have a fire; oxygen, heat, and fuel.
However, there is a fourth element, the chemical reaction, and you actually have a fire “tetrahedron.” Except the presence of the 3 components lead to a chemical reaction, there is no fire.
And whatever can remove any of the 4 elements can effectively stop the fire.
Which gas detector is used in fire alarm?
The type of detectors used in fire alarm systems is Carbon monoxide(CO) fire detectors. The choice of carbon monoxide as an activator is because the gas is colourless and odorless yet very poisonous and capable of killing animals with red blood cells.
CO detectors are electronically activated.
Once they detect a trigger level of carbon monoxide in the vicinity, they in turn activate the warning system.
Why fire alarm system is required?
Fire alarm systems are required to save lives that could be lost in fires and give early warning to avert late discovery of fire accidents and situations carbon monoxide has reached dangerous level, capable of asphyxiating the occupants.
So the alarm systems are correctly installed and maintained to warn occupants of a fire soon enough so they can safely leave the premises.
What are the 4 types of fire alarms detectors ?
How many types of fire alarms detectors are there? Some may ask.
There are actually four types of fire detectors.
They operate by detecting and triggering the warning system by heat or smoke detection.
For heat detection warning system, the fire alarm is triggeres when heat in the vicinity it is installed reaches about 135°F (approximately 57°C) while for smoke detectors, it is the triggered when smoke present in the air reaches the detector.
Based on this two operating principle, there are
1. Heat detectors
2. Ionization (smoke) detector
3. Photoelectric (smoke) detector
4. Ionization/photoelectric (smoke) detector.
Each of them can help detect early signs of fires and warn occupants.
What are the most commonly used type of fire alarms?
The two most commonly used smoke detection systems are ionization smoke detection and photoelectric smoke detection. Photoelectric fire alarm systems is more responsive to smouldering fires while Ionization smoke alarms are more responsive to flaming fires.
Combining both especially in bedroom is recommended by experts.
For the best protection,ensure that you interconnect all smoke alarms.
What are the components of a fire alarm system?
Most fire alarm systems are made up of the following components:
Fire Alarm Control Panel,
Alarm Initiating Device,
Alarm Notification Device,
Remote Control systems,
Display Panels,
Primary Power Supply,
Backup Power Supply,
Building Safety Interface.
What triggers a fire alarm?
If the fire detector chamber is infiltrated by air containing particles of smoke or dust, the alarm system is triggered.
For ionization detectors, this type of alarm uses a small amount of radioactive material to ionize air in an internal chamber but when smoke particles enter the chamber, the particles disrupt the flow of ions in between two electrically charged plates, thus reducing the flow of current which triggers the alarm to give a warning output signal.
For the photoelectric smoke detection, regarded by fire experts to be more responsive to fires that begin with a long period of smoldering, a light source typically aims light into a sensing chamber at an angle that points away from the light sensor.
Once smoke enters the chamber, it scatters the light making some of the dispersed light to reach the sensor thereby triggering the alarm.
What does a fire alarm sound like?
When your alarm detects heat of about 57°C or smoke in its smoke detector chamber, it triggers an alarm that makes a very loud jolting sound that is repeated in a 3-beep alarm sound pattern.
Why smoke alarm goes off for no reason?
If the alarm continues to go off and no smoke is present, the cause may be because of insufficient battery power and failure of the power backup , so try replace the batteries or it can be problems arising from low voltage or insufficient electrical power which triggers a continuous weak sounding alarm.
Why did my smoke alarm go off in the middle of the night?
When room air temperature drops too low, sometimes because of poor cavity wall insulation that claims money saving, . In this situation, the battery behaves like a weak battery and cause the smoke alarm to sound a low-battery chirp in the middle of the night, and then stop the chirp when the home warms up a few degrees usually beyond 2 a.m. and 6 a.m when most rooms are coolest.
What does 3 chirps mean on a smoke detector?
The 3 chirps is a Malfunction warning. To resolve may require you to just replace the weak batteries with new ones.
What does 4 beeps on a smoke detector mean?
When your alarm chirps 4 times in a row and pauses, this means it has detected unsafe levels of carbon monoxide in the air.
This means you should evacuate your home immediately and seek fresh air to reverse the effect.
Can a fire alarm be too loud?
Yes. In the United States, a typical fire alarm sounds off between the 65 decibel and 120 decibel range but repeated exposure to sound at 85 decibels or above is harmful and can be strong enough to cause you hearing loss.
Why does a fire alarm go off for no reason?
Alarm systems can be triggered by particles from dust and dirts floating in the air and eventually entering the smoke detector chamber.
To avert this false fire alarm system alert , when you are doing a work in a room that releases so much dust in a room with smoke detectors, you can cover the region the chamber is located and when cleaning up, use a vacuum cleaner.
What is fire alarm bell?
A fire alarm is a buzzer or a bell which makes a loud, high pitched sound of between 65 and 120 decibels repeatedly to notify people that there is a fire in the building.
The sounders can be programmed to sound at different pitches.
What are the different types of alarms?
Based on the user interface of fire alarm systems, there are different types of alarm systems.
These are
Electric Current Alarm System,
Wired Alarm System,
Wireless Home Alarm System,
Unmonitored Home Alarm System,
Monitored Home Alarm System.
All these types of fire and alarm systems ,including Fireangel SO-610 Optical alarm system, are available at B&Q , same as the B and Q wallpaper.
Should smoke detectors be on wall or ceiling?
It can be on both but high enough to detect the smoke soon as it starts rising.
For example, alarms mounted on the walls should be installed not more than 12 inches away from the ceiling but not installed near windows, doors, or ducts where drafts and particles from outside might interfere with their operation.
Where should smoke alarms not be placed?
Don’t install smoke alarms near windows, doors, or ducts where current of air with dust or smoke particles from outside the room might interfere with their operationand give you occasional false alarm that may desensitize you from fire alarm trigger systems.
Paint, stickers, or other decorations could keep the alarms from working too so keep them away from smoke alarm detectors.
Why are smoke detectors so expensive?
What makes them expensive is the technology behind their components( e.g photoelectric system is more expensive than sensors used in ionization detectors) and operation while added features such as hush button, test with a flashlight, light comes on when it activates, adds to the cost.
How many fire detectors should a home have?
It depends on the number of rooms and storeys in a building including the basement.
For example, a 2-storey building with a 3 bedrooms and a basement needs up to 7; one for each room, one for each floor including the ground floor and one for the basement.
What is an initiating device?
The initiating devices in a fire alarm system detect signs of a possible fire and activate an alarm.
They include smoke detectors, sprinkler water flow switches, manual pull stations, and other visible parts of the fire alarm system.
What is Walk Test in fire alarm?
Walk Test is a test used to test if everything in a fire alarm system works properly.
A fire alarm technician can place the fire alarm systems in a Walk Test mode to activate a device, which then gives an indication at the fire alarm panel and may or may not momentarily sound the signals.
Is Ash a smoke?
No. But in the smoke detector system, some of the ashes deposited on the floor after burning of wood or any other organic matter can be blown up by the wind into smoke detector systems triggeringthe alarm.
Do fire alarms detect carbon monoxide?
Yes they detect Carbon monoxide (CO).
Generally,CO detectors are the fastest way to prevent CO poisoning when installed in your home. They work much like your fire or smoke alarm by sounding a siren when they detect carbon monoxide but their response at lower levels of CO takes much longer than when CO percentage is high in the air.
Are 10 year smoke detectors good?
Smoke alarms have a limited lifespan. According toThe National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), every smoke alarm should be replaced after 10 years and the regular batteries used be replaced every six months.
With 10-year sealed battery alarms,regular battery replacements, late-night battery chirps are eliminated for a decade. A very good example of Optical smoke alarm that comes with a 10-year warranty is Fireangel SO-610 smoke alarm.
How do I know what kind of fire alarm I have?
If you are unaware which type of smoke detector you have in your home, now is the time to check. You can do so by taking the smoke alarm down and look at the back ).
If it is “P” you find there, it means your smoke detector is “Photoelectric” but if it is letter “I” on the back, then your smoke detector is “Ionization”.
Do smoke detectors detect steam?
Yes. This is because steam from the shower or cooked food can set off a smoke detector by disrupting the flow of current between the plates in a photoelectric smoke detector for example.
Do not install smoke detectors outside of the bathroom or cooking area.
What is the difference between smoke alarm and smoke detector?
Smoke alarms are self-contained, single or multiple-station smoke-sensing devices typically found in homes.
Smoke detectors are smoke-sensing devices that are not self-contained.
They operate as an interconnected system and are sometimes monitored remotely.
Why is the red light flashing on my smoke detector?
Most smoke alarms installed in buildings make a ‘beep’ or ‘chirping’ sound when they have a low battery or are faulty while the red light they flash momentarily every 40-60 seconds is to visually indicate that they are in operation.
It is this same red light that will now flash continuously and rapidly when the Smoke Alarm is triggered.
What should you do if a fire alarm goes off?
Each building must have a Fire Alarm Evacuation Policy.
Occupants should never ignore or assume the alarm is false or the result of a test.
All the occupants of the building must exit the building by way of the safest and closest exit and/or stairway.
In case of fire, you must avoid using the elevator to exit and once you are outside the building, move further away from the building as soon as possible.
Why is a fire alarm so loud?
The Doppler effect is considered when mounting the alarm because the frequency which is responsible for the pitch changes as you approach or move away from the sound alarm when it is triggered.So the high volume must keep you moving even when moving away from the alarm.
Another reason is that some of the sound waves are absorbed by the building materials and other items in the building, especially if the doors are closed between multiple rooms or sections in a building and the sound volume may diminish too low to alert if its alarm was set too low decibels.
What Colour should fire alarm cable be?
In order to make it easy to identify fire alarm circuits,wiring cables used in fire alarm systems should be red in colour,similar to the warning colour of danger.
What is the difference between smoke detector and smoke alarm?
Smoke alarms are independent self-contained, single or multiple-station smoke-sensor devices typically found in homes whereas smoke detectors are smoke-sensors devices that are not self-contained.
They operate as an interconnected system and are sometimes monitored remotely from a central controlled panel.
What are the 5 types of fire?
Fires can be classified into 5 categories A to E, depending on what fuels the fire.
So, each type of fire is caused by different flammable materials and requires a special approach to quenching the fire
The 5 fire classes and examples of fuel in each category include:
Class A fires ; involve solid materials such as wood, paper or textiles fueling the flame .
Class B fires; fuelled by flammable liquids such as petrol, diesel or oils.
Class C fires; this involve gases like cooking gas etc.
Class D fires; fire fuelled by metals.
Class E fires : involve live electrical hardwares.
What are the 4 types of fire extinguishers?
There are 5 main fire extinguisher types
Water,
Foam,
Dry Powder,
CO2,
Wet Chemical.
What is fire alarm DGP?
These are panels called Data Gathering Panels, DGPs.
They are used in generating and expanding the number of alarm inputs within a fire alarm system and they can be directly connected with security systems.
How many types of fire systems are there?
There are two main types of fire alarm systems:
1.conventional fire alarm system,
2. Addressable fire alarm systems.
The variety of components that make up these systems are either automatic or manual.
What are the types of automatic detection?
In automatic fire alarm systems, when the alarms detect heat or smoke, they send an audio-visual alert throughout the building to alert the occupants of danger
Examples of the Automatic Fire Detection system include
Break Glass Units: This is used in all fire systems. The alarm is triggered manually when someone breaks the white glass or plastic covering the fire alarm box.
Optical Smoke Detectors: The smoke enters and dispersed the light to reach the light sensor which triggers the buzzer.
Ionisation Detectors: The ions are diluted by the ions conducting electricity between the plates thus reducing the current flow which triggers the alarm.
Heat Detectors: These can be triggered once the temperature rises to a certain fixed temperature, the temperature sensitive resistors change the current pattern which triggers the alarm.
Alternatively, some Heat Detectors detect the rate of rise in temperature and are immediately triggered once there is an unusual and sudden rapid rise in temperature,a similar working principle in the car airbag release system where sudden and rapid change in momentum triggers the airbag release.
Multi-sensor detectors: These combine different detectors to work in an independent but complimentary manner in detection of fire.
Carbon monoxide (CO) Detectors. The CO alarm sounds if your sensor detects a buildup of carbon monoxide even before you start experiencing the toxic symptoms if carbon monoxide poisoning.
It can be triggered at concentrations of CO as low as 50 ppm though may take up to eight hours for the alarm to be triggered but at Higher levels of CO of over 150 ppm, the alarm is triggered within minutes.
Beam Detectors: Optical beam smoke detectors, unlike photoelectric smoke detectors, work on the principle of light blockage by the air particles of dust or smoke brought into the chamber.
Once a certain percentage of the transmitted light beam pointing to a light sensor is blocked by the smoke particles, the fire alarm is triggered.
What is a Type 4 fire alarm system?
A Type 4 fire detection and alarm system is composed of manual call points and smoke or heat detectors which are directly connected to the fire brigade once it is triggered.
What is a Class 1 fire alarm system?
The Code states that remote-control circuits for safety-control equipment is Class 1 once the failure of the equipment to operate results in a direct fire or life hazard.
What type of smoke detector is best for bedrooms?
Experts recommend that every bedroom should have the smoke alarm system.
The type of smoke detectors recommended by industry experts for optimal protection against smoldering and flaming fires is dual photoelectric and ionization alarm detector.
What is the purpose of a fire panel?
The fire detection panel is the part of the fire alarm system which receives information from devices designed to detect and report fires.
It the fire panel that monitors the integrity of the detection devices.
It then enables the automatic control of equipment, and transmission of signals required to prepare the whole facility for fire accidents based on a predetermined sequence of events in the event of fire emergency.
What is the difference between a Class A and Class B fire alarm system?
The difference is in the wiring style for communication between the fire detection panel and devices beyond the fire detection panel when the wiring breaks. Class A offers a higher level of fire protection when the wiring breaks during fire.
In Class A wiring style, the panel can back-feed communication on the return loop, so most if not all devices still communicate during fire but in Class B wiring style, if a wire breaks, the devices beyond the break won’t communicate with the panel.
What are the types of commercial fire alarm systems?
Types of Commercial Fire Alarms
Conventional Fire Alarms.
In conventional fire alarms systems,each section of the building has its seperate fire alarm system that is hardwired to your central control panel.
Addressable Fire Alarms: With Addressable alarms, you can choose between automatic and manual alarms with each alarm installed in this system having its own address.
You are able to see which alarm is working and which are failing. Addressable fire alarms are more expensive to install and operate because of their monitoring features.
Hybrid Fire Alarms.
Hybrid alarms system combines both the hardwired zone features of conventional fire alarms with the addressable loops of the addressable fire alarms into a single panel. This combined technology eliminates the disadvantage of having each type of system alone and that makes the hybrid to some highly fire sensitive fire settings.
What is manual fire alarm system?
Manual fire alarm system in a building is a fire emergency notification system consisting of the barest audible and visual alarm notification appliances (i.e., horns and strobes) installed conspicuously within all common-use areas of a building and at every exit from every level in the building.
What is a fire alarm node?
The fire alarm node is each of the panels in a fire alarm system that feeds information directly into the fire system Network.
Each node can be a large or small fire alarm control panel, TrueSite Workstation, TrueSite Incident Commander, or Network System Integrator.
Which type of fire alarm is best?
Here are the best smoke detectors
Google Nest Protect,
First Alert Onelink: Techie pick.Kidde
Smoke Detector:First Alert BRK 312OB
Kidde i4618: Best false alarm prevention.
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