Fire Alarm System Into Intruder Alarm

[TheEnforcer]

Can it be done ?

I know I can get 12v Smoke/Heat heads specifically for my Intruder alarm, but given the amount of detectors I want I am leaning towards picking up a seperate fire alarm system.

I dont mind running the extra cables, thats not a problem at all.

My question is though - in the event of a Fire Alarm activation, instead of or as well as the 24v "bells/sounders" going off, can I hook it into my intruder alarm - so if set then it sounds the main alarm system also ?

[antinode]

Can it be done ?

I know I can get 12v Smoke/Heat heads specifically for my Intruder alarm, but given the amount of detectors I want I am leaning towards picking up a seperate fire alarm system.

I dont mind running the extra cables, thats not a problem at all.

My question is though - in the event of a Fire Alarm activation, instead of or as well as the 24v "bells/sounders" going off, can I hook it into my intruder alarm - so if set then it sounds the main alarm system also ?

Yes, you can connect the auxilliary fire contacts from the fire alarm panel to a zone on your intruder alarm programmed as fire. I would recommend you only use the intruder side of things as an additional means of providing an indication of fire, not as the sole means, as you mention using the intruder alarm instead of proper fire sounders connected to the fire panel (wouldn't recommend that if you're going for a proper fire system).

Don't forget to run your fire alarm in FP-200 cable.

[Adi]

if domestic you dont really need fp if fitted to grade c and down

[TheEnforcer]

Totally domestic - on a commercial scale!

I think I'll stop just before I install call points!

Ive only ever worked on alarm systems (I mean toyed with mine) but the immediate difference I notice is that fire alarms are done in a complete loop with addressable modules (smoke heads, call points etc) as opposed to intruder systems which are single modules addressed to a single zone. Is that right ... or even nearly right ?

[Guest old-hand]

Totally domestic - on a commercial scale!

I think I'll stop just before I install call points!

Ive only ever worked on alarm systems (I mean toyed with mine) but the immediate difference I notice is that fire alarms are done in a complete loop with addressable modules (smoke heads, call points etc) as opposed to intruder systems which are single modules addressed to a single zone. Is that right ... or even nearly right ?

Depends on the fire panel, can be a loop or a radial. Your close though, as it will be on the same pair. Think ID alarm panels.

[Adi]

there is addressable and there is coventional and there is twin wire basically

[antinode]

Depends if you are going for an addressable or a conventional (sorry, non-addressable) fire system.

Addressable systems will usually be wired in a loop starting at the panel and returning back to the panel with all devices on the loop, including sounders, MCP, smokes etc. Each device has it's own ID, or address. Addressable systems can provide alot more information from their field devices than a conventional system. You can do much, much more.

On Conventional systems, detectors are wired on a seperate radial circuit from the sounders called a zone. You can have a mix of MCP's, smokes, heat detectors etc, on a zone, which is terminated with an end of line module for short/open circuit monitoring.

There will be another radial circuit for sounders (there are actually at least 2 sounder circuits in all good fire panels), which again is terminated with an end of line to detect short/open circuits. There is very, very little programming, if any with a conventional system. They are basically "one out: all out" systems.

Thats the very bare bones difference between the two.

[TheEnforcer]

Ok I will see what I can source, then look into the wiring side of things - at least I now know that it can be done then I will find out how it is done.

[TheEnforcer]

Well I didnt get the one I was looking at on the bay so its back to option one which is 10 Menvier M12's individually wired back into the Galaxy Fire Zones.

That way they will be individually "addressed" and I will wire in a seperate sounder on each level/area for fire tones.

It will also be backed up by the alarm's battery backup and I will be notified in the event of complete power and backup failure by the -ve hold from the sirens being removed!

Any glaring oversights here ?

[Guest old-hand]

Too many sounders for the panel to support?