Carbon Monoxide detectionfor Simplex 2001?

Fire Alarm Help
1

Hello,

Thanks to the new New York requirement (requiring all commercial spaces to have monitored, hard wired CO detectors), I have run into an issue. My customer has a Simplex 2001 panel for their fire alarm, and need to add CO detection. Can these old panels even work with CO detectors?

2

I don’t see why not. CO detectors use a dry contact relay to trip the fire alarm control panel. The same principal as a 4-wire smoke detector or manual pull station (where the mechanical button or switch is closing the circuit as opposed to a relay). About the only time you get into a compatibility issue is with 2-wire smoke detectors.

Depending on how many CO detectors you need to add to the system, you may have to install a separate power supply for the detectors if the FACP power supply cannot handle the extra current of the CO detectors. And even then, you will need to redo your battery calculations on the system to make sure you are still within the acceptable standby and alarm times.

And I’m not familiar with the NY requirements, but you should see if you need to activate an ALARM or SUPERVISORY condition at the fire alarm panel - I’ve seen them setup both ways. You should really put the CO detectors on their own dedicated zone. It would be beneficial for the FD response to know exactly what they are dealing with when they enter the building. If you don’t have any spare zones, you might need to combine some to make that happen.

3

Are you sure it’s a retroactive requirement? Would be extremely unusual if it was.

4

You may need to sound a temporal 4 over the horn/strobes or speakers if the CO’s alarm (last job I did in NYC was about 4 years ago with CO detectors in a hotel - had to sound temporal 4 on all CO’s on the floor of alarm). You will also have to send a separate signal to central station for he CO alarms.

Not too familiar with Simplex but if you have a spare zone it should work. I wouldn’t tie them in with smokes or pulls, definitely give them their own zone(s). If you are adding an external power supply you will also need to monitor it for trouble conditions.