Imagine a building equipped with multiple fire alarm systems. Should an outbreak of fire arise, multiple alarms would sound at once and firefighters wouldn't know exactly where the source of danger lies.
Addressable fire alarm panels are specifically designed to address these obstacles. Utilizing digital technology, these alarm panels can detect which input device has been activated.
Advantages of Addressable Fire Alarm Panels
Addressable systems enable fire professionals to pinpoint the exact location of a fire in a building, which dramatically shortens response times and saves lives. Furthermore, addressable systems offer more information to the fire department about what type of alarm occurred and which device caused it, unlike conventional systems which only signal a general zone when something goes off.
A fire detection system's control panel monitors each device individually, assigning each an individual code known as its device address. These codes are wired on a loop configuration that enables it to quickly identify which detector has gone off even when multiple alarms activate simultaneously.
Modern addressable systems use wireless technology to connect sensors with the fire panel, making installation simpler. Furthermore, such systems may incorporate NOTIFIER accessories like ONYX First Vision that present firefighters with a graphic display of where and when the fire occurred.
Understanding Thermoflex Heat Detectors
A Thermoflex heat detector іs designed tо help minimize property damage by responding more quickly than standard heat detectors when fire breaks out. This faster response іs made possible by its dual-element system. The system utilizes two heat-sensitive thermocouples оr thermistors. One monitors heat transfer via convection and radiation while the other tracks ambient temperature. When one sensing element's temperature rises faster than another, an alarm will sound immediately. This rapid response helps suppress fires іn their early stages, minimizing potential damage.
Conventional heat detectors typically feature fixed thresholds and do not respond quickly enough to sudden temperature changes, creating thermal lag. To combat this lag, Thermoflex detectors use a Rate-of-Rise mechanism; this features a faster increase in element temperature so as to respond quickly to fire progression while also decreasing false alarm rates.
The CR series standard detector offers both Rate-of-Rise and Fixed Temperature detection modes; models marked "R" or "CF" indicate this feature respectively. Both models have been UL tested to provide 21 meters (70 feet) interdetector spacing on an uninterrupted ceiling surface. Furthermore, MP versions of this detector series provide extended pigtail leads suitable for mounting into cast exterior back boxes in hazardous locations or moisture proof applications.
How Addressable Panels Communicate with Thermoflex Detectors
THERMOFLEX detectors utilize non-metallic contacts that are normally open, and installed directly onto a fire alarm initiating circuit. Unlike many addressable smoke detectors that include factory-installed addressable modules at their back, THERMOFLEX detectors lack electronic circuitry altogether and therefore work seamlessly with most panels on the market without additional field-installed addressable modules.
Conventional fire alarm panels detect activations by monitoring changes to electrical current usage; when something goes amis, this triggers an alarm panel. With addressable systems, each individual circuit has an ID number assigned so the panel knows precisely which device has activated and where.
Addressable panels such as the Fike Cybercat, Cheetah Xi and SHP-PRO (formerly known as Cerberus Pyrotronics System 3) can be networked together to accommodate up to 128 detectors on two loops and provide full visibility of all devices in your building. Once connected, these addressable panels can trigger relays that dispense fire suppression systems like Halon, Ethane or Water Mist into suppression tanks while activating voice evacuation functions to alert building occupants of potential danger and hazards they face.
Benefits of Combining Addressable Panels and Thermoflex Detectors
Selection and configuration of fire detection type, sensitivity and settings is of vital importance in system design, commissioning and maintenance. Unfortunately, these choices may not always be clearly documented at initial selection stage and may need revisited later due to renovations, redesigns or service/maintenance visits.
Addressable panels enable you to identify which detector is triggering alarm in a given zone, shortening response time and helping first responders focus their efforts where it matters most.
Fike's new control panel series provides integrated voice evacuation and building process management functions that can reduce costs by using one panel for both fire and intrusion alarm systems. Your local authority must still approve this decision; however, many installations now use combined fire/intrusion alarm control panels; view this video to gain more insight into their advantages.
