Whether you are a home or a business owner, you should follow the mandated fire alarm safety systems required by your local government. Not only will they potentially save the property from damages caused by fire, but they may also save lives. So you might wonder, how do they do the installation of fire alarm systems? Installing a fire alarm on your property is one of the prudent measures you can do to minimize or avoid the potential catastrophes fires can cause. If you don’t have a fire alarm system on your property right now, consider investing in a fire alarm system. While you may spend money right now, you might save more money in the long run. Fires can destroy anything within a property. At least floods will leave something, albeit very wet. However, on the other hand, fires will consume anything, leaving nothing but heaps of rubble and ashes.
Do Not Take Fire Alarms Lightly
The importance of installing fire alarms and other fire suppression systems cannot be understated. Fire alarms and fire suppression is not just about detecting fires early or putting them out quickly. One of the core reasons you need these systems is that they can save lives. The quicker people notice a fire within the property, the faster they react to the situation and help themselves out of it. Safety is the priority of these systems, and suppression comes in second. Intelligent fire alarm systems are so well interconnected these days that as soon as fire breaks out and the alarm goes off, the alarm notifies your local fire department that there is a fire. The earlier the detection, the faster the response, the more lives are saved, and there are fewer damages to the property. Before we dive into how the installation of fire alarm systems works, let’s first identify what they are and how they work.
What Is Intelligent Fire Alarm Systems?
Intelligent fire alarm systems, also known as addressable fire alarm systems, are an intelligent control approach that is more sophisticated than regular fire alarm systems. Each detection device is interconnected and has its own notification procedure in this system. This system speaks in codes instead of communicating through regular electric current, just like a computer would, hence the term “intelligent.” The sophisticated communication through codes allows the fire alarm system to transfer vital information, such as pinpointing the exact location of fires when it occurs. Intelligent control systems can range from a single device to multiple webs of interconnected detection devices. For larger applications, for example, industrial facilities, intelligent fire alarms are the best choice.
How Does Intelligent Fire Alarm System Differ From Other Fire Alarm Systems?
Conventional fire alarm systems do not communicate, and they don’t have control panels. Once a fire starts, an alarm goes off throughout the property, you would know that there is a fire going on, but you can’t pinpoint where it is precisely. However, a conventional fire alarm is still better than nothing. Intelligent fire alarm systems have an integrated approach that comes together in a single control panel. Once a fire starts, the alarms start to ring within seconds, and the control panel notifies you. It will tell you which part of the property is experiencing a fire, as long as there is a detection device there. Intelligent fire alarm systems are highly adaptable, and you can easily customize them according to your needs. It doesn’t matter how many detection devices you need; the system can adapt and accommodate one or too many. These systems offer you the protection you need, even if you have a large facility.
What Devices Are Can You Include In An Intelligent Fire Alarm System?
Due to its flexible nature, various protocols can be made for different devices, such as detection devices and input and output modules. You can make a layer upon layer of detection devices capable of ensuring and checking if there is a fire or not. Although it may seem redundant, the redundancy ensures that the system stays reliable and guarantees that there is always a backup or fail-safe. You can install multiple detection devices such as heat and smoke detectors, all in one compact system. Output devices such as audible warning relays, door control relays, and auxiliary function control can also be a part of the system. Adding Components and functions such as turning fans on or off, activating notification appliances, prompting fire suppression systems, communicating and activating other fire alarm control panels are possible in the intelligent fire alarm system.
Installation Of Fire Alarm System
Conventional fire alarm systems can only provide specific circuits in their respected zones, and there is no further information on the individual detectors. On the other hand, intelligent fire alarm systems offer information on each detector, meaning to say, the system can reliably pinpoint the origin of the fire with little chance of error. So when installing intelligent fire alarm systems, their appearance is similar to a conventional fire alarm system, but underneath lies a bit more sophistication. Intelligent fire alarm systems are designed for extensive commercial use, but they can also be installed in your homes. With that in mind, detection devices and input and output modules are wired in one or more single loops around the site. Each device interconnects in a closed-loop system instead of each detection device doing its own thing. Each detection device has its address, and it helps pinpoint which specific areas are affected. So once the control panel receives a report, it can report where it is precisely and tell if there’s fire, smoke, heat, and contamination. Conventional fire alarm systems have their own zones to cover, each device independent from the other. In contrast, an intelligent fire alarm system has wiring covering the entire building, connecting all the devices. So installation requires some wiring all over the building.
Bottom Line
Installation of fire alarm systems is complicated, especially installing intelligent fire alarm systems. If you require assistance in installing these systems, reach out to us at Protek Fire. With our experience, we make sure that we install these systems according to your needs.
