Fire alarm system.

1. Conventional FAS.
2. Smoke detector types.
3. Class of wiring.
4. Detector types.
5. Faults in FAS.
6. FAS PPM checklist.

The basic causes of fire according to NFPA include cooking, heating, electrical and candle.

It is a system that operates hooters and certain equipment upon fire detector activation.

FAS has two types: conventional and addressable.

Conventional FAS
In this system, the detectors are divided into different zones and it is used for small places just
like homes, stores, restaurants, apartments etc.
It contains different zones of detectors and also has an End of Line resistor (EOL) after the last
detector of every zone.

1. We use zone wiring or class B wiring in this system.

2. Particular zone's hooter will sound when that zone is activated.
3. We can't know the exact location i.e., room in this system. The blinking light of the
detector will represent the activation.
4. If you increase the number of zones, then the wiring utilized will be increased.
5. 18 to 20 devices can be installed in a single zone.

● EOL Significance
EOL draws a certain amount of current from the panel, if any of the detectors get activated then
the amount of current drawn from the panel increases which indicates fire.

EOL is placed after the last detector for the continuous supervision of the wires (continuity
check). It has three states: open circuit, short circuit and the path through EOL resistor. In
normal state, the current coming through EOL to the panel means a little less than full voltage
which means the wires and the circuit are perfectly fine and the short circuit state meaning 0
Volt represents there is a short circuit somewhere in the wires while the full Volts mean an
open circuit.
If EOL is placed before the last device, then if there is any short circuit after the resistor,
the panel will still see the resistor being connected in the circuit and will not indicate the
short circuit on the panel.
Its value depends upon the manufacturer of the panel.

● Advantages
○ It is simple and easy to install.

● Disadvantages
○ If the device gets faulty, then no indication will be shown to the panel because its
wiring might be in some form of parallel way.
○ It has internal relays for integration. But the number of relays is less. So, it offers
limited integration.
○ Can't take input from any other panel.
○ Can't be installed in large offices, buildings etc.
○ The entire circuit after the wire break will become ineffective.

Smoke detector types.

There are three types of smoke detectors.
 1. Ionization
2. Photoelectric
3. Combination of ionization and photoelectric

Ionization smoke detectors are responsive to fires in which we can see a flame (flaming fires)
while photoelectric is much more responsive to smoking smoldering fires like cigarettes.

Identification
1. Ionization

2. Photoelectric

● Ionization
It has a small radioactive material between two plates which ionizes the air between the plates
and allows the current to flow through it. When smoke enters the chamber it disrupts the path of
ions reducing the current flow resulting in the activation of the detector.
They are less prone to false alarms as dust can't ionize the air.
The radioactive element ionizes the air by pushing electrons from it. One is a normal chamber in
which smoke enters while the other is the reference chamber.

● Photoelectric
It has the light source angled away from the sensor, when the smoke enters the chamber it
reflects light on the sensor which activates the detector.

Ionization smoke detectors are responsive to fires in which we can see a flame (flaming fires)
while photoelectric is much more responsive to smoking smoldering fires like cigarettes.
 Class of wiring

There are two classes of wiring:class A and B.

● Class B.
Used in conventional system.

● Class A.
Used in addressable system.
If a wire breaks the detectors after the break in the conventional system will stop working while
in the addressable system they will get the supply from the return path.

Detector types.
 1. Smoke detector.
It has 3 types.

2. Heat detector
The pin shows the heat detector as it melts and closes the path.
It also has 3 types.
The fixed temperature detector will send a signal at 57°C or 135° F.
The rate of rise temperature detector will work when the temperature changes about 10 to 15
degrees in 60 seconds.

Working.
Places to install.

3. Multi sensor detector.

4. CO detector
Due to the burning of kitchen equipment, boiler and burning fumes. It is a colorless and odorless
gas.
It generates an alarm signal when carbon monoxide level reaches 70 ppm. This 70 ppm is
dependent on different environments.

Places to install.

Modules are used to communicate between devices and panels. Conventional panels cannot
communicate with the modules. Relays are used as monitor and control module.

Supervisory, installed in substations.

Fault, ASD example.
Fire alarm, LHS cable, ASD(VESDA) examples.

Two modules installed in ASD for fault and fire.

ASD faults: air flow fault (filter block, pipes block due to dust), backup supply fail fault or charger
fault, ASD isolate.

Hooters have separate NAC circuits in panels.

Then divide the loop in half and check the device which might have a problem.
 Faults in FAS.

● Battery terminals are corroded or not and they have bulges or not. Rub battery
terminals with sandpaper if it is corroded. Battery has cracks or is swollen or not. Check
the voltage of both batteries separately. Voltage should not be less than 10 V else it is
faulty. Battery life is 3 years.

If the voltage is less, then connect the meter in series with the charging circuit and
batteries to check whether there is some charging current coming from the panel
towards batteries or not. If not then the charging circuit might be faulty.
But also check the current coming from the charging circuit with some new set of
batteries to be sure that the fault is in the charging circuit because some panels can't
recognize due to such low voltage that the batteries are connected and don't provide
charging current.
You can also check batteries by using a different supply for charging.
 ● Device missing fault occurs when device terminals get loose or device is removed
from the loop. It will show the exact address of the device. After properly installing back
the device, if it still doesn't work then it is faulty.

If you remove both sides of the loop from the device then a device missing fault will
occur.
If a module is missing then it is a device missing fault and if monitor module input
is open, then it is an open circuit fault.

● Device faulty fault. The device detection threshold gets so low that it can't detect any
fault. So, check if the detector blinks or not, activate the detector and check the
functionality or replace it with another detector.
● Unknown device fault. If a new device is added in loop and is not addressed properly
or is not mentioned in the panel programming.
● Open circuit fault. If there is a break in a loop wire either + or -, this fault will occur.
Remove the cable connection coming back to the panel after completing the loop, the
device missing fault will come. Let's say that there are 80 detectors and the 30th has a
fault then the first 30 detectors will remain in function and all others will show a device
missing fault then you can check that the fault is between 30 and 31 and remove the
fault. Look at the last or second last missing device. It may be more than one open
circuit fault. The procedure is the same.

(Note: In a short circuit, the electrical current takes the quickest alternative route back to the
source, while in a ground fault, the electrical current takes an alternative route to a ground.)

● Ground fault.
Ground fault.
Wires removed.
Resistance between + and ground and then - and ground.
The resistance will be less or zero with the one that has a short circuit.

Ground fault was mostly in old cables.

Now cables have less chance of ground fault.
Ground fault at cable bend at some point like at the gland in panel termination.

It occurs in devices due to the leakage in HVAC pipes and water falls on devices, if a
wire insulation gets damaged and it touches any metallic equipment, cable gets out of
the detector terminal due to any jerk and touches anything (RI not present and cable
touches duct).
It might be present in the panel itself.
a. In panel
Remove all wires in the panel and see if ground fault is still present.
It happens due to messy wiring or there might be a problem with your loop card or power
supply.

b. In the field.
If by removing cables fault led turns off then it is in the field.
Remove cable coming back to panel (loop in), and now disconnect the last half of the
detectors, if GF led turns off, then it is in the last detectors.

Now, connect the circuit again and remove the last ¼ th detectors. The panel shows
fault; it means the fault is between 17-26. Now, divide further and detect the GF.
● Isolators are used for short circuit protection. The isolators on both sides of the fault
will trip.
● Dual address fault. Remove devices one by one and when fault is removed then that
device is the faulty one. One another scenario is that when a dual address fault comes
then the device missing fault will come for the faulty and then replace it.

1. Notifier FAS.
If the loop is broken down from somewhere mid then style 6+ fault and style 6- fault. If
the connection is loose somewhere on the device. You have to look for the entire loop. If
I remove the loop in the cable, then the devices missing will be listed. Look at the last or
second last missing device.

2. Faults in conventional FAS.

3. Siemens FC722 ZZ faults.
 FAS PPM checklist.

● Detector cleaning.
Note: Some detectors also blink in normal conditions.

● PPM checklist.
Mention here if you've replaced anything, it will be helpful in billing.

● PPM checklist.
1. Test Fire Alarm Sensors and Detectors for Proper Functionality
2. Assess Alarm Audibility: Sounder and Alert Device Testing
3. Evaluate Power Supply and Battery Backup Systems
4. Verify Control Panel Functionality and Integration
5. Address False Alarms and Troubleshoot Common Issues
6. Keep Detailed Records of Fire Alarm Maintenance Activities

7. Weekly Fire Alarm System Checks:

Carry out these checks regularly in-between maintenance visits:

Test a different call point each week to ensure total system efficiency.
Inspect your fire panel for faults lights and address and issues as soon as possible.