Here is a crappy replacement job. Apparently there must have been a Commander2 or 3 inside this Commander series waterproof cover, but somebody replaced it with a spectralert and mounted it inside the Commander3’s waterproof cover! HOW THE HELL DID THAT GET IN THERE? Plus the cover partially blocks the strobe…
http://computek272.calvinet.com/alarmpics/DSC02864.JPG
Here we go again…
If this is as it appears just an outdoor device it is there not to evacuate people but to alert the fire department as to the buildings location and provide a secondary means of notification. People hear and see alarm > people call 911.
It LOOKS like a pretty good fit I have to be honest. All you really need to do is keep the wind blown rain out of the front of the device. If that was all he had in his truck… well I would not do it. It appears to work. The cover as memory serves goes over the trim of the backbox and it appears to do that in this installation. Perhaps a bit of clear caulking at the top of the cover to ensure protection.
The word “crappy” does not really need to be included here… but ANYWAY!
I have a real bad installation job at one of my school buildings. One of the classrooms doesn’t have any type of fire alarm signal. Every other classroom and lecture hall has one. Since the alarms are Siemens speaker/strobes, if the door is closed, it’s hard to hear the fire alarm.
Usually has to do with occupancy for the specific space. Not taking into account the type of system (voice or horns) the space (individual rooms) is what they look at. I know here we were just ordered to install remote strobes in EVERY classroom of one of our private school accounts. That was never the way in the past they only required them in the bathrooms and large occupancy spaces. IF you have a complaint take it up with the LAHJ they can revisit the issue. If the system was replaced my gut would tell me that all of the classrooms should have some kind of coverage. But other than that following the codes in effect at the time makes it legal and that’s really all that counts.
I have noticed in my school that all smaller rooms that do not have a window in to a hall or a larger room have remote strobes. Smaller rooms are classrooms and teacher’s offices while larger rooms are places like the gyms, cafeteria, band room, theater, or library. The school was built in 1995 and the AHJ adopts the latest NFPA 72 release each time a new edition is released. This means the new elementary school they are building might have remote strobes in each classroom… I should borrow a copy of NFPA 72-2008 or if possible, NFPA 72-2010 sometime.
That was the case when they built three newer elementary schools in my city back in 1998-2001. EST Integrity remote strobes in all the classrooms, offices and probably the restrooms, while everywhere else gets the Integrity speaker/strobes (they have EST voice-evac systems). However, the two new elementary schools they built last year has EST Genesis speaker/strobes EVERYWHERE, like in each classroom, etc. I think the restrooms only have the remote strobe version (these two schools have EST-3 voice-evac systems). This also applied to when the junior high school near my house was renovated; they put Simplex TrueAlert speaker/strobes just about everywhere, including in each classroom and even in some relatively large offices. Even some restrooms have a TrueAlert speaker/strobe in them, but other restrooms only have remote TrueAlert strobes (they have a Simplex 4100U voice-evac system). I remember there, they told me these alarms weren’t that loud compared to the old Edwards Adapt-a-Horns they had before their renovation, and I imagine if they only had remote strobes in the classrooms and the doors were shut, it would be difficult to hear the alarm/voice messagess. But however, the junior high school my parents went to recently had a renovation (a couple of years ago), and in this case, the classrooms only had remote SpectrAlert Advance strobes installed, while larger rooms and hallways had “classic” SpectrAlert speaker/strobes installed (this was before System Sensor came out with a speaker/strobe version of the SpectrAlert Advance, and it is a Notifier voice-evac system with some remains of the old Gamewell system intact).
Re: The System Sensor horn strobe inside the Gentex Weatherproof enclosure…
This is a pet peeve of mine in that yeah, maybe it works but those two components are not UL listed for use with each other and therefore the installer has assumed any and all liabilities that may arise from that device failing or causing damage to the system.
When dealing with Life Safety, one should always ensure ALL components are UL listed for their application.
So like Jake said, really, the guy did a pretty decent job but bottom line, I would never do that or suggest one of my contractors do that.
Re: NFPA codes, maybe Jake has some input on this but I only use the NFPA 2003 edition for fire alarm as every thing I ever read refers to the 2003 edition. Here in RI, the 2003 edition was adopted as the state code (with a few minor additions). Jake?
I can’t say for sure CWN. I am a bit embarrassed to say I am behind in the current editions. I have the 2005 (which has all my notes) and a 2008 NEC/NFPA 70 and my 72 is an 07 I believe. I really can’t stand all these books its just a way for them to get more money out of us. But were on the 08 revision currently…
damn codes…bane of my existance I tells ya’…yeah, it’s a maze, thats for sure. But as far as fire alarm, like I said, everything I know refers to the 2003 edition of NFPA72.
and Jake, feel free to use my real name, I ain’t trying to hide from anyone 
Charles
Now HERE is a bad installation. Don’t know whether to blame the person in charge of the wall, the person in charge of the door (maybe the same guy as the wall?) or whoever was in charge of running the pipe…
Code changes can s… never mind
Ha nice I am not sure who I would go to to blame for that … lol
And Sorry Charles I just didn’t want to start using it unless I had the go ahead.
Jake
Wow, this one really takes the cake. Someone was obviously not thinking at all when this monstrousity happened.
Who in their right mind installs a pipe infront of an open door? Thats just commen sence!
http://jjinc24u8ol0images.webs.com/photos/Fire-Alarm-Pics/fail-owned-break-glass-fail1.jpg
What more do I need to say? 
(This is not my picture)
The fact that there is paper on the interior tells me there is probably an opening at the top.
I hope so, “To open, break glass with attached breaker…that is located BEHIND the glass” :lol:
i have the feeling the top either opens or is non existent. Note the screws behind the “glass?” you must slide the glass in from the top as it does appear to be a cover but that’s an assumption because you can only see a tiny bit of it.
I suppose someone just opened the top and put the break hammer inside just to show that the top opened up?
Well, seeing as how glass breakers are attached via chain to the EXTERIOR of the pull station then you can logically assume that the chain as well as the glass break have been dropped into the enclosure via the top.
Either that or I guess it is possible that whatever mounts the chain and attached glass breaker to the exterior of the pull broke and someone dropped it into the enclosure rather than have it lay on the floor.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nio_nl/4125266496/
Not sure if any has been posted before, and the last 2 are broken fire alarms.