Conventional Type Fire Alarm Panels

What is a Conventional Fire Alarm Control Panel?

Conventional Fire Alarm Systems Described

The most basic type of fire alarm system suitable for commercial and industrial buildings is the conventional fire alarm system, often known as the non-addressable system. Although some manufacturers produce panels in larger sizes, they are typically available in sizes of 2, 4, and 8 zones. The zones are terminals located within the enclosure of the control panel to which circuits connected to the manual call points and detectors of the fire alarm system are connected. In order to adhere to BS5839, the British Standard for fire alarm systems, the wires for these circuits are usually installed using fire-resistant cables.

The zone circuits for fire and anomaly conditions are supposed to be monitored by the control panel. The control panel gives the user information about the zone where a fire or malfunction occurred after it has been detected. To demonstrate where the activation has occurred, this is typically displayed using LEDs next to the zone labels.

The sounder circuits on a conventional fire alarm control panel are isolated from the detector zone circuits. Any electronic sounders, bells, flashing beacons, and relays would be connected to the system through the sounder circuits. This means that in a traditional fire alarm system, separate fireproof cable circuits need to be installed for the beacons and sounders. Additionally, the panel looks for any fault situations in the sounder circuits.

Usually, a key or code entry is required to access the control panel's functionalities, which allows the user to use the panel's function buttons to control the system. Unauthorized users cannot access the system thanks to the key and/or code entry feature.

Inside the enclosure, the control panel will also have room for backup batteries. Throughout routine everyday activities, these batteries are continuously kept charged by the control panel. These batteries are used to ensure that the building's fire alarm system keeps operating even in the event of a mains failure.

Which Detector Types Are Compatible With Traditional Fire Alarm Systems?

• Conventional fire alarm control panels come with a variety of detector kinds. These are as follows:
• Traditional Smoke Detectors Using Optics
• Traditional Ionization Smoke detectors
• Standard Rate of Increase Detectors of Heat
• Traditional Fixed Temperature Detectors of Heat
• Traditional Detectors with Multiple Sensors
• Traditional Detectors of Carbon Monoxide
  Standard Flame Detectors
  

To reduce false alarms in the area, the detector chosen must be suitable for the specific type of room where it will be set up. For example, in a standard office, one would usually expect an optical smoke detector to be utilized. Generally, this does not lead to false alarms in a workplace environment and represents the best approach for automated detection. Conversely, a heat detector is generally used in kitchens instead of smoke detectors, as the latter tend to trigger false alarms in the presence of cooking smells.