smoke alarms with visual beacons

[wesj]

hi guys can anyone advise ?
A customer uses his house as his office , he has hard wired smoke alarms
with 5 of them linked together. He now has a deaf person working with him and would like to have beacons as well as sounders.Does anyone know if there is either a combined unit that could be swapped over with existing sounders or a separate beacon that could be fitted alongside the existing, taking its supply and signal from current 3 core and earth loop.
thanks in anticipation. wes.

 

[breezer]

not heard of a mains direct replacement

24v yes, mains, no

I may also be wrong but if he is using his house as a businesss premises and employing some one he may have to have a proper fire alarm

 

[wesj]

Many thanks for your reply Breezer, the deaf girl is his partner and lives there so industrial rules if indeed they apply (I dont know) would not apply. He just wants to play it safe. Where would he find the 24 volt systems so that he can acheive the desired effect with existing wiring ?

 

[tim west]

not heard of a mains direct replacement

24v yes, mains, no

I may also be wrong but if he is using his house as a businesss premises and employing some one he may have to have a proper fire alarm

Im not sure but i believe that rules only apply to 5 or more employees.

 

[Gaz the Sparky]

You will find that the signal wire isn't a switch wire it just sends a signal to the other detectors. You can get a relay base from the smoke detector manufactures. you can then get a 24v beacon and transformer and use the volt free relay to switch the beacon. Then when the detectors activate the signal is sent to the relay and the relay closes to make a circuit to make the beacon light.

 

[wesj]

thanks Tim & Gaz. Any idea where to get the relays and beacons? might
RS supply them. It still seems strange that you cant buy combined detector/ sounder with beacons, surely there must be a call for them.

 

[Gaz the Sparky]

You should get the relay base from the manufactures or an electrical wholesaler you just need to get the relay base thats compatible with the existing detectors. if you take the name of the detectors into a wholesalers i'm sure they will be able to supply you with a relay base.

You should be able to get beacons and transformers from RS

G.T.S

 

[breezer]

not all detectors have relay bases, since they are designed to be interlinked
been using google, there are a lot, but most seem to be radio and only 1 strobe. (some also have a vibrating pillow for deaf person when asleep) they all cost ££££

best option is to convert your own as suggested, but yu dont have to use 24v strobes

 

[salem2000]

Have found this System to which extra Strobes can be fitted, as well as other items as vibrating pillow pad, alarm clock and door bell. I read that it will connect with an existing system via a relay box which is supplied with the kit, not sure if compatible with all interconnects though.

A pdf data sheet can be found Here.

Salem.

 

[breezer]

its from £idde (no typo)

 

[wesj]

Thanks for all your comments guys especially Breezer & Gaz who I think
have got me thinking along the right lines but because of my limited knowledge of electrics I need more help please. The linked smoke alarms are Dicon 670 MBX.I have I think found a 12 volt beacon RS stock no 309-5922 that would do the job. As Gaz suggested I have spoken to an electrical wholesaler but unfortunately he was not helpfull and only wanted to sell a pucker system.My question is what voltage is carried on the signal wire of the 3 core when smoke is detected because if it was 230 v it could feed the input side of a 12volt transformer which could power the beacon but if it was low voltage it could go to a relay on the output side of the transformer to power the beacon.Hope this makes sense (I wish I knew how to post a sketch of what I have in mind).

 

[tim west]

check the "signal"wire with a meter to negative to see if it goes high otherwise to positive to see if it goes low, this wire may be fed from a transistor and therfore may only be able to supply a few milliamps you may have to get the wire to sink or source a small reed relay which could then switch a 12v supply to your beacons.

 

[breezer]

The above is exactly why you need to use some thing like the dedicated base, its only a signal voltage and can not be relied on.

the base shown looks like it has a realy output

if what you are doding does not comply to any regs there is always another idea. (2 options)

buy a bunch of 12v smoke detectors and 12v strobes mount them next to each other and connect them to a 12v power supply via a realy and a switch, its crude but will work (oh you will also need a sounder for the non deaf people)

or

buy an intruder alarm panel (nothing fancy) , put 12v smoke detectors on that, one / per zone /cct
and feed the strobes / sounders from the bell out put

as its a diy thing, you can use any panel, and program the ccts as night set, and leave the panel set all the time

that way any detector goes off all sounders and strobes activate, to stop / reset it, turn alarm off/ then back on again.

 

[scottster]

go to here http://www.wmfs.net/deafhfsc.xtml;jsessionid=68CCE442F83E66978617A480D70ECF7A

They will "give you essential fire safety advice we may also fit smoke alarms that fit your needs as a Deaf or Hard of hearing person."


I am certain they wouldn't charge for the deaf alarm. My local FRS don't.

 

[breezer]

thing is though, all though its a house, he is using for a commercail business.