Installation Procedure
Adherence to the following will aid in problem-free installation with long-term reliability:
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
manuals are read and understood.
CAUTION
- System Re-acceptance Test after Software Changes: To ensure proper
system operation, this product must be tested in accordance with NFPA 72 after any programming operation or change in
site-specific software. Re-acceptance 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 devices, must also be tested and proper system operation verified. This system meets NFPA requirements for
operation within the range of 0°C-49°C (32°F-120°F) or humidity within the range of 10%-93% at 30°C (86°F) non-
condensing. 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 its peripherals be
installed in an environment with a normal room temperature of 15-27º C/60-80º F.
Verify that wire sizes are adequate
for
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 interference, 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 batteries
prior to removing or inserting circuit boards. Failure to do so can
damage circuits. Remove all electronic assemblies prior 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, or printed circuit board location.
Do not tighten screw terminals
more than 9 in-lbs.
Over-tightening may damage threads, resulting in reduced terminal contact pressure and difficulty with screw terminal
removal. fire alarm control panels contain static-sensitive components. Always ground yourself with a proper wrist strap
before handling any circuits so that static charges are removed from the body. Use static suppressive packaging to protect
electronic assemblies removed from the unit.
Follow the instructions in the installation, operating, and programming manuals. These instructions must be followed to
avoid damage to the control panel and associated equipment. Fire Alarm Control Panel (FACP) operation and reliability
depend upon proper installation.
While installing a fire alarm system may make lower insurance rates possible, it is not a substitute for fire insurance!
An
automatic fire alarm system
- typically made up of smoke detectors, heat detectors, manual pull stations, audible warning
devices, and a fire alarm control with remote notification capability - can 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.
Any fire alarm
system
may fail for a variety of reasons: Smoke detectors may not sense fire where smoke cannot reach the detectors such
as in chimneys, in walls, or 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.
Furthermore, all types of smoke detectors, including ionization and photoelectric types, have sensing limitations. No type
of smoke detector can sense every kind of fire caused by carelessness and safety hazards like smoking in bed, violent
explosions, escaping gas, improper storage of flammable materials, overloaded electrical circuits, children playing with
matches, or arson.
IMPORTANT! Smoke detectors must
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 devices
such 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.
A fire alarm system
will not operate without any electrical power. If AC power fails, the
system will operate from standby batteries only for a specified time.
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.
Equipment used in the system
may not be technically compatible with the
control. It is essential to use only equipment listed for service with your control panel.
Telephone lines
needed to transmit
alarm signals from a premise to a central monitoring station may be out of service or temporarily disabled.
The most
common cause
of fire alarm malfunctions, however, is inadequate maintenance. All devices and system wiring should be
tested and maintained by professional fire alarm installers following written procedures supplied with each device. System
inspection and testing should be scheduled monthly or as required by national and/or local fire codes. Adequate written
records of all inspections should be kept.
