Conventional fire alarm panels are certainly the most simple fire panels, both in terms of installation and function. They also offer the most economical prices when compared with 2 wire or addressable panels however installation costs will differ.
To comply with the British fire alarm standard BS5839 a property must be divided into zones, each zone can be considered as physical area for the purposes of locating a fire. We supply conventional panels that range from a single zone up to 24 zones and even 48 zone panels are available upon request. Certainly in the UK it is rare to see any fire system installation using more than an 8 zone conventional panel. Systems greater than 8 zones would benefit from the wiring advantages of 2 wire or addressable fire alarm panels.
All detectors and call points for each zone are connected in a radial circuit that starts at the panel and ends at the last device (i.e. a radial circuit is required for every zone). End of line monitoring is achieved by using either an end of line diode or capacitor, which are supplied with each panel and should be fitted into the last final device of every zone.
Conventional panels have separate sounder circuits that power any warning devices (sounders, flashers and/or combined). All conventional panels will have a minimum of 2 sounder circuits as the BS5839 fire standard dictates that in the event of a fault at least one sounder should remain operational. Ideally all sounders should be evenly distributed across both sounder circuits and throughout the property to give the best coverage in the event of a fault such as a cable break. In reality many installations utilise a single sounder circuit for the majority of sounders and simply fit a single sounder next to the panel on the 2nd circuit.
Conventional fire systems benefit from wide spread compatibility between various manufacturers panels and devices. Whilst not true in all cases it typically allows an installer to opt for their preferred panel, detectors, call points and sounders from a variety of sources. If you wish to install such a conventional system it is always wise to check the compatibility beforehand.
Whilst the simplicity of conventional panels means the biggest defining factor is the number of zones there are some other considerations to bear in mind including the following;
The capacity of each sounder circuit will be limited to its current rating. Some conventional panels boast 4 or more sounder circuits which may be preferable depending upon how many sounders you require and/or wiring configuration.
BS5839 fire alarm standard outlines that should a detector be removed from its base all manual call points must still be operational. To guarantee this you may decide to install all call points on dedicated zones or in the case of mixed zones ensure the call points are connected before any detectors. Instances where detectors and call points are completely mixed you must use diode bases which maintains the line integrity.
As with any fire alarm system battery backup calculations must be undertaken to verify what size batteries are needed to sustain suitable functionality in the event of mains power failure. The size of batteries will be limited to the physical size of the panels’ enclosure so it is always prudent to check the required batteries do indeed fit.
If you need assistance choosing the right conventional fire alarm panel feel free to contact us on 01792 452 700.
