Commercial Fire Alarms in Houses

Because I have been searching and so far nothing has came up.

And I did watch all of your videos a couple of weeks ago. Mostly because I had no life at that point. :mrgreen:

Here.

No need for a “commercial” fire alarm system, if someone wants residential fire, any residential security control can handle that purpose while still meeting minimum NFPA recommendations. Codes are geared towards early warning of a fire, not for preservation of property. Where sprinklers are required, there is normally a flow switch connected to a 110v alarm bell (at least in Harrisburg, pa). Codes don’t care if the house gets flooded by a blown sprinkler, they care that there is one less fire fatality. People who die in house fires usually die in multiples 3+ per incident.

The most commonly-adapted standard nationwide is a tandem network of interconnected 110v detectors. They meet minumum performance requirements in theory, having one per floor and one in each sleeping room. Functionally, on the other hand, there is a lot to be desired. Ionization technology has its limitations - there is nothing “wrong” with ionization technology, per se, but there are different types of fires and different types of smoke, and no one type of detector technology will give you 100% early warning. Having a system of completely photoelectric detectors doesn’t solve this, as they have their limitations - a rapidly spreading fire that isn’t giving off visible smoke particles will not be picked up by a photo detector.

Look on Youtube, there is a plethora of fire department demo videos of a smoldering sofa fire where a typical ionization detector took 30-40 minutes to respond.

In today’s era of home security, where systems are placed in homes that aren’t 20+ years old, the average home already has the required hardwired 110v smoke detectors. Since wireless is pretty much a standard in modern security systems, the dealer will provide, usually, one wireless smoke detector per floor to supplement the devices that are required. Unless someone asks for full smoke detection during the construction of their home, you probably won’t see a fully hardwired system (each bedroom, heats in the kitchen, bath and attic, etc). I’ve seen a few in upscale homes that use addressable smoke detectors connected to a large security/fire panel like a Vista-128FB. But, that’s the result of good sales or an educated consumer. People typically want to pay the minimum and get the maximum. I have a customer with a large, upscale home with a Vista-20SE with wireless smokes in each bedroom - he’s the fire chief.

Strobes are overkill unless you have a need for them - but there are single-station detectors that have 110cd strobes built in.

I’m not saying a “commercial” system in a home is a waste of money, but it’s not really getting you anything more than a typical residential system connected to a typical home security panel provides. The only practical benefit of having a system in a home is for monitoring. You can’t (SHOULDN’T) monitor 110v detectors (I’ve seen hack companies who do connect relays to them to trip the security panel). Anyone can go above and beyond the minimum. I personally wish I hadn’t cut holes in my walls for horn/strobes, I just don’t need that. Nor do I like the way it looks any more.

Just the other night, I powered down my Vista-128FB fire panel and connected my 2-wire smoke loop to my Vista-20 panel. It will probably stay like that.

Yes, this is it.

Some people like commercial fire alarm systems so much, that they install them in their house, instead of smoke alarms or connected to a burglar panel. Some have “hybrid” systems that are connected to a fire alarm panel, and a burglar alarm panel.

that’s a matter of personal preference, but I just don’t see how practical it is. you’d either need to put the panel at the front entrance, or put an annunciator there, and the cost of a fire alarm panel is significantly higher than a typical security system - even a higher-end one. Also, for proper monitoring of a fire panel, you need two phone lines. it’s really just overkill, a needless addition to the electric bill.

How come condos have fire alarm systems? Don’t just one family live in one building which is not connected to the other buildings?

Condos are living areas (has kitchen, bedrooms, restroom, etc.) all in one big building (usually).

The condos around my junior high school were right next to each other but I don’t think there were any connecting doors to go to one apartment to the other on the inside.

When you said “buildings”, did you mean each apartment? If that is what you mean, if there is no fire wall separating them, there should be a building fire alarm system.

Yes. I meant each apartment. Sort of like this:

http://www.keyinspectionservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/condo.jpg

But not like this:

http://apartmentgeeks.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Apartment.jpg

It’s because there are no fire rated walls between each living area. You will also notice that outdoor malls have all of the stores on one big system. The department stores usually are on a separate system, because they have fire rated walls separating them from the other stores.

I saw a house in my neighbourhood that had 2 Edwards 6" Adaptabels ceiling mounted on the side roofs.

I think of a condo building as a building containing multiple units. It some areas if each unit has direct access to outside and there are proper fire walls a system for the building is not needed. “Town homes” are basically single unit houses connected together with fire walls between, so no system is needed. A condo building with interior common hallways usually will have a system, but sometimes the detector in the unit is a single station smoke alarm (or series of single station smoke alarms). The common area smoke detectors, waterflow switch, pull stations, etc. are connected to the building system with audible/visible notification devices in the common areas and sometimes audible notification devices in the unit. Sometimes the in-unit smoke is a system smoke with sounder base, it sounds right when it detects smoke but also sends a signal to the panel (which may or may not activate the building notification devices).

I’ve heard that there’s at least one state where new residential construction (including houses) is required to have fire sprinkler systems.

I’ve also hear about this. My uncle used to be a construction manager, and about 5 or so years ago, he told me they were starting to install fire sprinklers in houses.

it’s in NFPA, but like everything else, this is simply a recommended practice. It’s up to the local city or town.

it’s becoming more widespread, but still not where it should be. there is a LOT of backlash from contractors. It’s not a simple once-and-done thing. and even still, do you think these sprinkler system are ever professionally tested quarterly? no. monitored? no. someone blows a sprinkler head? turn the water off and forget it.

Exactly, people won’t know how to work it, and they will overlook the maintenance. People already do this with smoke alarms.

There are plenty of people who object to the requirement sprinkler systems in newly constructed houses, often due to misconceptions of how sprinklers actually work. They think one being activated will trip all of them, and also that smoke will trip them instead of heat and they will accidentally activate causing bad water damage.

That’s very true, but sometimes a company will have a house built for real estate, and there is no one that has these misconceptions to stop the installation of the spinklers.

lol, I have a friend who thought he could set the fire sprinklers off with Axe body spray.