Alarm wiring!

[ChrisRogers]

ok, this is part of another problem with my new house The list just keeps on growing!

I was replacing a lightswitch today, as i turned of the power i noticed it bothered the alarm! The alarm system is wired into the lighting circuit!

Are there any regulations that forbid this installation? As if there are I should be able to get it changed.

If it is very bad practise please show your thoughts so this can be printed of and given to the electricians who tried to wire this house


Many Thanks

Chris Rogers

 

[plugwash]

i don't think its explicitly forbidden to put burgler alarms on the lighting cuircuit

however it is very bad practice as you really want to maintain supply integrity to them all the time and you dont' want a particularly violent bulb blow to take your burgler alarm out

 

[breezer]

i don't think its explicitly forbidden to put burgler alarms on the lighting cuircuit

not by the alarm industry it isn't

often the installing company will install the spur (saves money) and often will use 1.00 mm cable and still put it on the ring because that is how they were shown.

as the alarm runs from a spur it (the spur) should be from the ring not the lights.

it was probably NOT the electricians who put the alarm in.

 

[securespark]

A NACOSS bloke told me once that he was taught to put the supply on the smallest fuse.

But personally, I would not put it on the lighting, as it is one of the most likely ones to fail. Put it on its own, if you have the space!

 

[breezer]

But personally, I would not put it on the lighting, as it is one of the most likely ones to fail. Put it on its own, if you have the space!

they can't do that (alarm companies) since that would mean carring a variety of mcb brands

they do it becuse "if we dont another company will, so will will loose the job" they then give the engineers no training, and still expect them to know what to do.

I met one alarm engineer who installed alarms parrot fashion, he knew what colours of the alarm to put where but he dindt know why, if it didn't work, he had to call some one else in.

 

[ChrisRogers]

i don't think its explicitly forbidden to put burgler alarms on the lighting cuircuit

not by the alarm industry it isn't

often the installing company will install the spur (saves money) and often will use 1.00 mm cable and still put it on the ring because that is how they were shown.

as the alarm runs from a spur it (the spur) should be from the ring not the lights.

it was probably NOT the electricians who put the alarm in.

The sad thing is it was the electricians who put it in. the thing that worries me is if somone wanted a socket in that room, of which are none, they would think the FCU is on the ring and take a spur from that to a socket.

Breezer, are you saying there is a reg that disallows this?

 

[breezer]

diss alows what?

 

[ChrisRogers]

the wiring of the alarm system into the lighting circuit

 

[breezer]

it should be spured from the main ring. end of.

how ever always not wanting to loose money alarm companies will tell their "engineers" to fit spur, where it comes from they do not worry.

the engineer 9 times out of 10 doesnt really have a clue what he is doing or why, just that this wire goes here and that wire there. if he doesn't fit spur, he will be shown the door

 

[plugwash]

breezer i agree its very bad practice to have an alarm on the lighting cuircuit

but do you know of any specific reg that forbids it

 

[kendor]

ok, this is part of another problem with my new house The list just keeps on growing!

I was replacing a lightswitch today, as i turned of the power i noticed it bothered the alarm! The alarm system is wired into the lighting circuit!

Are there any regulations that forbid this installation? As if there are I should be able to get it changed.

If it is very bad practise please show your thoughts so this can be printed of and given to the electricians who tried to wire this house


Many Thanks

Chris Rogers

If the Alarm is a Fire Alarm Panel then the regs implicitly insist that the panel is fed from it's own seperate fuseway/breaker. this would have to be done by a certificated person/installer of fire alarms.

 

[plugwash]

id taken alarm as meaning intruder alarm as full fire alarm pannels are very rare in domestic use (most houses just use individual smoke alarms sometimes interlinked)

 

[salem2000]

It is reccomended by NACOSS that all intruder/fire alarm systems should be on a dedicated supply, not a shared supply.