Installation precautions, Fire alarm system limitations – Fire-Lite P K-411UD Windows-Based Off-Line Programming Utility User Manual

Page 2

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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, mod-

ules or interconnecting cables while the unit is ener-

gized. Do not attempt to install, service or operate

this unit until this manual is read and understood.

CAUTION - System Reacceptance Test after Soft-

ware Changes: To ensure proper system operation,

this product must be tested in accordance with NFPA

72 Chapter 7 after any programming operation or

change in site-specific software. Reacceptance test-

ing 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 be tested and proper system operation

verified.

This system meets NFPA requirements for operation
at 0 - 49

o

C and at a relative humidity of 85% RH

(noncondensing) @ 30

o

C. 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 nominal room
temperature of 60 - 80

o

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 interferences, 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 modifica-

tions, verify that they will not interfere with

battery, transformer and 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.

This system contains 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.

FACP operation and reliability depend upon

proper installation.

Installation Precautions

Adherence to the following will aid in problem-free
installation with long-term reliability:

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 pro-

vide 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, in 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, both 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 connec-

tion of alarm transmission wiring, communica-

tions, 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 panel.

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 mainte-

nance. 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

Fire Alarm System Limitations

W hile installing a fire alarm system may make lower insurance
rates possible, it is not a substitute for fire insurance

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