Fire alarm

[vbyrne]

Hi all, I have been called out to a fire alarm that has two faults on two different zones, the problem is that there are some devices that I can not find . new plaster board ceilings have been put in and stud walls have been built over the top of the alarm. What I am going to do is go right back to the panel and start tracing cables as far as I can then disconnect the cables that I don't need if it is in the middle of a circuit I will just run a new cable in i need to do a lot of tracing would a tone generator work in this situation

 

[gutterball]

a big hammer would be better.

 

[tazz]

All devices must have access for servicing, and this should have been thought out before work commenced. There must be a plan of schedule works and drawings to follow. If lower ceilings have been installed, then depending on the new assessment, the voids above may need detection. If walls have been added or remove, again more detection maybe required. This sounds like a real boggit & scarper job.
A tone tracer will not work on FP200, as the cable is screened.

 

[Harni]

Sounds like a rip it out and start again job. Like Tazz says, there has to be access to ALL devices and if the ceiling has been dropped, depending on the size of the void you may need detection above as well as below the new ceiling.

To me, sounds like a typical "sod it, the fire alarm isn't important. Build over rather than have it adapted" job.

Also, you don't say what system it is? You may find if its an addressable system, you can pretty much work out the rough cable run depending on the device text related to the address but this certainly isn't a fool proof way of doing things. Addresses don't have to go in any sort of order! (although logically you would)

 

[UNG]

A tone tracer will not work on FP200, as the cable is screened.

Depends on how you connect the tone unit

 

[tazz]

Depends on how you connect the tone unit

Possible connection to screen and one of the cores...?....worth a try.

 

[telectrix]

just thinking here. tone genny wil work on the cores but only if you are tracing at detectors/sounders where you can get at the exposed cores.

 

[Ccboy]

just thinking here. tone genny wil work on the cores but only if you are tracing at detectors/sounders where you can get at the exposed cores.

Without seeing the job it sounds like a new installation would be the better option.No doubt the client will throw there arms up in the air in mock horror but remeber your name will be on the certificate