I have been reading up on smoke alarm codes for new construction homes here in California, and I noticed a few things:
All smoke alarms must be 120VAC with battery backup, interconnected, and put on their own breaker.
Now, I don’t think hardly anybody would want to put a commercial fire panel in their own home, but for the few that do (Like me), the code should be written to allow these systems to be installed in lieu of 120V smoke alarms. Of course, provided the fire panel is on it’s own breaker, and that all bedroom sounder requirements are met. If I ever got the chance to build a house, I would put a small addressable panel in it, and design/install it to basic commercial spec. The protection that 120V ion smoke alarms offer against typical home fires is not very good, unless you want to defend your home against toast and bacon. Adding analog addressable photoelectric smoke alarms would be very expensive (which is why it is so unpopular) but the level of protection they would offer would be unprecedented. Also, if the fire department needs to respond to an actual fire at the residence, they would be automatically dispatched, instead of 120V smoke alarms, which just keep beeping until somebody rips it out of the ceiling. An added advantage is the ability to silence a false alarm from an annunciator, (With alarm reminder beep on!) and after the smoke is cleared, the ability to reset the system. The fire department would probably love those things if they had to respond to a fire at that home.
Sounds like a great idea, but it likely wouldn’t fly unless it was installed by a tech. Which would increase jobs and help the economy… Neat, fire alarms could help the economy!
That’s the biggest downside to interconnected home smoke detectors; when one goes off, they all do, so a homeowner may not know were a fire is. So your thought of a mini FACP in your dream-house makes since, especially since some jurisdictions in California are now requiring fire sprinklers in new residential dwellings.
NFPA 72-2013 Chapter 29 does allow for fire alarm systems to be installed in residences.
It is all over Chapter 29 but here is a screenshot of the sections on notification signals.
Furthermore, they do not have to meet all the requirements of commercial grade system installations…
And lastly, they detail marking requirements for a fire alarm system in a residential application.
Anyone who has access to the NFPA 72 book can look this stuff up themselves. The whole chapter details how residential smoke alarms and residential fire systems are to be installed, maintained, etc. Fun stuff.
Now of course this is just NFPA 72 as is, and that NFPA’s codes ARE NOT LAW. Always check with your local AHJs to make sure this is allowed in your area… (especially in California, Chicago, and New York, who are known for having very different fire codes) I know of one member on here who told me that in his town, residential fire alarms shall be 120V smoke alarms with battery backup or battery powered smoke alarms ONLY, an owner cannot choose to have a low voltage fire alarm system.
All screenshots are from NFPA 72-2013 edition, viewed online, and are (C)2014 National Fire Protection Association. If anyone has an issue with those screenshots being there, I can edit this post and remove them.
NFPA may permit the installation of these systems; however, I think I remember reading that CSFM (California State Fire Marshal) only allowed 120V/9V smoke alarms to be installed in new homes. I may be wrong.
Realistically though, any local AHJ would likely approve a system that provided equal or greater protection, that is up to code as well.
And, as long as it is installed with care and craftsmanship, a system installed by a knowledgeable homeowner should be acceptable.
The sprinkler application would be perfect! I’d just tie a monitor module into the waterflow switch, and if possible, a supervisory monitor on the shutoff.