Category: Tool Tips

An interesting question came up today so I thought I would share it with you all.  It all started with apples! So how are apples stored while they await processing? Apples are sealed in an environment that is around 2 percent oxygen where temperature, humidity, nitrogen and carbon dioxide are carefully regulated.  Apples “breath” and […]

Whilst networking is usually considered for larger Addressable installations it is not limited to these panels if using G2’s ZP1 and 1X range of panels. The conventional panels can be networked together creating a large conventional installation distributed over up multiple panels up to 64 Zones. Panels can be up to 1200m apart and be […]

On the ZP2 and 2X panel you can save the config to a USB flash drive, then using a computer with PCC software you can read the configuration, change and take back to site and load from USB. This can also be done with log files from the panel. A great use of this feature […]

If you require alarm confirmation in the way of a double knock, the ZP2 and 2X panels provide this with ease. A simple drop down box on the zone labeled ‘Zone Type’, making this ‘aDsZ’ will give you the desired result where any two device activation or a single call point will result in a […]

      When looking at addressable fire systems there are two types: Open Protocol Closed Protocol A closed protocol addressable system is where the manufacturer of the fire panels uses their own loop devices. Examples of this are Ziton, Bosch, Siemens etc. The advantage is that as an installer and end user there is […]

Before commenting on placement of equipment you must always establish how the building has been classified. The Fire system should be designed as per a risk assessment which identifies many aspects one of them the buildings classification for detection design. These are:   Property P1 Designed to primarily protect property (in full) P2 as above […]

Where cable is surface mounted in PVC conduit to be compliant for SANS10139 it is an accepted practice in South Africa to attach the PVC conduit to the surface with galvanized (metal) saddles. this is because whilst the PVC will melt and not retain the cable in a fire the metal saddles will support the […]

    It is a requirement of SANS10139 that all fire panels display fire and fault conditions via a zone LED. This means any ZP2 or 2X panel fitted without a Zone LED card does not meet SANS10139 and therefore does not conform with South African Standards. The ZP2 and 2X panels are panels made […]

  There are 2 batteries in a Fire Panel. When these need to be replaced, then both batteries must be replaced. Replacing just one battery will severely reduce the lifespan of the new battery and will result in the batteries needing to be replaced again before their next service interval (extra Call out). When swapping […]

As CO (carbon monoxide) detectors become more popular, the placement of these detectors comes into question. CO has the approximately the same density as normal air and as such it makes very difficult to find the optimum position to mount these detectors. As a number of these detectors are mains powered via a standard plug […]

On any installation a sounder should be located near the may entry point to the building. This should be on a separate circuit (conventional) or on a section of the loop that is protected by isolators (addressable). The point of this sounder is to ensure that everyone who has left the building knows that there […]

Panels that network together use RS485 communications. Part of the requirements of this communications is the cable specification. This should be a proper network cable (known as 2 pair mylar in South Africa). Trying to use fire cable (PH30) will create major issues on your network and in many cases will not work at all. […]

When connecting any fire panel to the mains 220AC it should be connected via double pole isolator or directly to a dedicated breaker in the distribution board. A fire panel must never be plugged into a wall socket regardless to if it is a normal or dedicated outlet. If the fire panel can be easily […]

A zone in any fire detection should not exceed 2000 square meters or you should not have to walk more than 65m to detect a fire. Zones are in place to make it easy to maintain the system and respond to fires for both the end user and the fire department. In some exceptions a […]

Regardless to manufactures statements the maximum height point detectors can be mounted (SANS10139) are: 10.5m for a smoke detector 7.5m for a heat detector (apart from Class A1 – 9m) 7.5m for a multi-criteria where the heat detector element is being used (unless A1 – 9m) 10.5m  for carbon Monoxide detector

Remember to mount your detectors at least 1 metre away from any air vent (drawing or blowing air). Not following this can result in incorrect fire event detection and can substantially affect the lifespan of an optical detector.

There appears to be some confusion about the label of “Marine” devices.  Marine devices are made specifically, as the name suggests, for use on ships, oil platforms and other industrial environments.  They are specially designed to resist shock and vibrations in their moving buildings. If they needed to be waterproof it wouldn’t be a very […]

If a corridor in a building is less than 2 metres wide then the detector spacing (smoke detectors) can increase from 10.5 metres to 15 metres as the narrowness of the corridor helps to concentrate the smoke. If the corridor is wider that 2 metres then the area must be treated as a normal room […]

The sound level required for a Fire Detection system is 5dB above the ambient noise level in the area. For example if the the ambient noise of area in the building in normal operation is 71dB then the sounders must achieve at least 76dB in all parts of this area. Typically if no ambient noise […]