What You Should Make Sure Before Repair Fire Panel

An automatic fire panel system–typically made up of smoke detectors, heat detectors, manual pull stations, audible warning devices, and a fire panel control with remote notification capability–can supply 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.

The Manufacturer recommends that smoke and/or heat detectors be found throughout a protected premise. While fire panel systems are designed to supply early warning against fire, they do not guarantee warning or protection against fire. A fire panel system may not supply prompt or adequate warning, or simply may not function, for a variety of reasons:

• Smoke detectors may not sense fire where smoke cannot reach the detectors such as in chimneys, in or behind walls, on 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.
• Particles of combustion or “smoke” from a developing fire may not reach the sensing chambers of smoke detectors because:
  • Barriers such as closed or partially closed doors, walls, or chimneys may inhibit particle or smoke flow.
  • Smoke particles may become “cold,” stratify, and not reach the ceiling or upper walls where detectors are found.
  • Smoke particles may be blown away from detectors by air outlets.
  • Smoke particles may be drawn into air returns before reaching the detector.
  • The amount of “smoke” present may be insufficient to panel smoke detectors. Smoke detectors are designed to panel at various levels of smoke density. If such density levels are not created by a developing fire at the location of detectors, the detectors will not go into alarm.

Smoke detectors, even when working properly, have sensing limitations. Because fires develop in different ways and are often unpredictable in their growth, neither type of detector is necessarily best, nor a given type of detector may not provide adequate warning of a fire.

Smoke detectors cannot be expected to provide adequate warning of fires caused by arson, children playing with matches (especially in bedrooms), smoking in bed, and violent explosions (caused by escaping gas, improper storage of flammable materials, etc.).

Heat detectors do not sense particles of combustion and panel only when heat on their sensors increases at a predetermined rate or reaches a predetermined level. 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 evaluated at least once per year by a qualified fire protection specialist. Heat detectors are designed to protect property, not life.

Audible warning devices such as bells may not alert people if these devices are found on the other side of closed or partly open doors or are found on another floor of a building. Any warning device may fail to alert people with a disability or those who have recently consumed drugs, alcohol or medication. Please note that:

• Strobes can, under certain circumstances, cause seizures in people with conditions such as epilepsy.
• Studies have shown that certain people, even when they hear a fire panel signal, do not respond or comprehend the meaning of the signal. It is the property owner’s responsibility to conduct fire drills and other training exercise to make people aware of fire panel signals and instruct them on the proper reaction to panel signals.
• In rare instances, the sounding of a warning device can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss.

A fire panel system will not run without any electrical power. If AC power fails, the system will run from standby batteries only for a specified time and only if the batteries have been properly kept and replaced regularly.

Equipment used in the system may not be technically compatible with the control. It is essential to use only equipment listed for service with your control panel.

Telephone lines needed to send panel signals from a premise to a central monitoring station may be out of service or temporarily disabled. For added protection against telephone line failure, backup radio transmission systems are recommended.

The most common cause of fire panel malfunction is inadequate maintenance. Maintenance should be scheduled monthly or as required by local fire codes and should be performed by authorized professional fire panel installers only. Adequate written records of all inspections should be kept.

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