Fire alarm - what is this device it should be Resistor as its EOL on a call point -

[Roger]

Testing a fire alarm panel today as we have to extend it to add some more smoke heads and call points.So prior to work had a look around and made sure zones were identified correctly and readings on circuits were as they should be.On one zone circuit I had a capacitor in the panel across the zone plus and minus and then at a call point I had this little gadget,same zone .Its like a store of capacitors ,but why ? what does it do or supposed to do.Each zone should have a resistor fitted 670k,yet i have this ? the zone circuit is not massive so i can not see a need to boost it in anyway.

I have spent loads of time on google and found nothing !!

 

[Engineer54]

Re: Fire alarm - what is this device it should be Resistor as its EOL on a call point

It's an EOL device, Which most standard FA panels use these days...

 

[Roger]

Re: Fire alarm - what is this device it should be Resistor as its EOL on a call point

Ok ,is it a superior device as opposed to just a plain old resistor.Why would one zone have it out of 8 ? would you think that there was a problem at some time ?
Most modern FA sytems would have this type ?

 

[sparkydude]

Re: Fire alarm - what is this device it should be Resistor as its EOL on a call point

possibly a zone was altered or modified in the past and this was supplied with the extra kit , or a new zone was run in and this was part of the new stuff.

Not sure why you have capacitors/resistors across the panel terminals as this to me suggests they have faults in the field which they are covering up by inserting the them in the panel end as opposed to the field end.

Nick

 

[alarm man]

Re: Fire alarm - what is this device it should be Resistor as its EOL on a call point

id discon the zone from the panel and meter the cable and see what you get,its an eol device,by putting it in the panel you keep the panel happy but id imagine its masking a fault on the zone.

 

[telectrix]

Re: Fire alarm - what is this device it should be Resistor as its EOL on a call point

the only time you should find a eol device in the panel is if it's an unused zone. if one is fitted to an active zone, then there has been some bodging done.

 

[Roger]

Re: Fire alarm - what is this device it should be Resistor as its EOL on a call point

The install requires the 6k7 resistor to be present at all EOL points.Took a reading on this zone in question and got over 12k and it kept increasing (capacitor charge).Removed the strange EOL and capacitor from the panel and then took reading at each point throughout,found a loose joint buried in a ceiling void,reterminated finished checking the zone and reconnected everything up with a resistor at the last point.Its perfect no issues at all !.
I found some pretty awful workmanship though and the previous guy was very well thought off.
It always amazes me what you find,check this out,back of a ceiling tile,gland free and in a roof void with no cover .

 

[alarm man]

Re: Fire alarm - what is this device it should be Resistor as its EOL on a call point

The install requires the 6k7 resistor to be present at all EOL points.Took a reading on this zone in question and got over 12k and it kept increasing (capacitor charge).Removed the strange EOL and capacitor from the panel and then took reading at each point throughout,found a loose joint buried in a ceiling void,reterminated finished checking the zone and reconnected everything up with a resistor at the last point.Its perfect no issues at all !.
I found some pretty awful workmanship though and the previous guy was very well thought off.
It always amazes me what you find,check this out,back of a ceiling tile,gland free and in a roof void with no cover .View attachment 8373View attachment 8374

maybe that was why the 6k was in the panel if the loop was 12k,tho seems you done some good investigating work there,you found some faults..

 

[telectrix]

Re: Fire alarm - what is this device it should be Resistor as its EOL on a call point

some panel makers use these strange capacitor eol devices, i'm sure so that you're stuck out in the sticks and need one, when you've got several resistor values in your kit, that there's no chance of getting one except from them, and the're 200 miles away and closed till after the bank holiday. makes you want to take a hammer to their control panel.

 

[Paul001]

Re: Fire alarm - what is this device it should be Resistor as its EOL on a call point

And they cost a small fortune . £10 for the last one i used .

 

[telectrix]

Re: Fire alarm - what is this device it should be Resistor as its EOL on a call point

not only that, but with a simple resistor, you can test across the zone pair with a common or garden multimeter.