You Know You Like Fire Alarms When (2.0)

Fire Alarm General Discussion
1

We had this topic a long time ago and I thought I’d start it back up for the new people.

Post something unusual you could do that relates to fire alarms in some way. After you make one up, you either put (Guilty) or (Innocent) after it to say if you’ve done it before or not. I’ll start.

You Know You Like Fire Alarms When…

  • You use an addressable FACP and addressable heat detector to find out how warm the room is. (Guilty)
  • You stick your iPhone into the PUSH part of a BG-10 and use it as a stand (Guilty)
  • You see a fire alarm and know what the model number is immediately (Guilty, though not so much anymore)
2
  • When you use fire alarm strobes as a Halloween decoration and light the sidewalk for trick-or-treaters with SAE V33’s (guilty multiple times)
  • When you make lighted Christmas tree ornaments out of strobes (guilty multiple times)
  • When you set off horn/strobes for New Year’s or the 4th instead of fireworks (guilty, once)
  • When you swap out the doorbell with a Simplex 4040 to scare the crap out of your parents (guilty, a long time ago)
  • When you are questioned by a TSA agent for taking pictures of alarms in an airport (guilty)
3

Carry a huge ring of CAT keys that covers every manufacture of panels and pulls (guilty)

4

When you see a fire alarm and know what model number it is ( guilty)

When you see a fire alarm and know what it sounds like and at the sound in your head (guilty)

This topic is a catchy topic I like it!

5

When you use a BG-12 as a light switch (guilty)
When you use a Fire alarm as a noisemaker (Guilty)
When you carry around a huge ring of CAT Keys to every manufacture of panels and pulls (Innocent)

LOL

6

EEK! What kind of light? Those toggle switches are rated for 20 volts, and not much of a load either.

7

Lamp

8

Ouch. Did you get into a lot of trouble for that?

9

Nah, they just pulled me aside and asked why I was taking pictures of the fire alarms. I explained that I was a collector and they were OK with it.

10

Seeing a fire alarm and instantly knowing what the model number is (guilty)

Going into a store just to see what the fire alarm is (guilty)

11

You should definitely NOT do that. I’m assuming you’re running a 120VAC lamp, which the switch was not made for. You could start an ironic fire.

12

Oh… I should put the light switch back in…

13

When you walk into a store and know when it was built or changed the alarm system (guilty)

14

Yes, you really should. Pull stations aren’t designed for such a thing and really should not be used for such.

15

There are some older pull stations that have switches that are rated for 120 VAC (for example, some older models of the Edwards 270A-SPO). My guess is that it would work fine with a light switch, but I would wait for somebody to verify that claim first before I tried it.

16

Unfortunately, what we have is members that are unsure of what to look for on the switch. In some cases they may also misunderstand what the switch is trying to say. As a standard I would advise all members to consult a local licensed electrician before altering any aspect of your homes electrical system, even something as “simple” as a light switch. Just because we may think the pull station is able to handle the voltage and or load does not mean the switch was not changed out, or some other factor is at play. Something else to consider is that many pull stations are not grounded, they are simply not meant to operate as a light switch. As cool as it may look :).

17

You know you like fire alarms when:
Your 2nd home page is the fire panel (Guilty)
You sketch fire alarms (Sometimes guilty)

18

I’ll go again.

You Know You Like Fire Alarms When:
Every strobe flash from a camera makes you suddenly turn around and look at the fire alarm to see if it’s flashing. (Innocent)
Your ears are ringing because you’ve just made videos of about 30 signals and forgot to use ear protection. (Innocent)
You joined the original Schumin Web Community in 2003 and you are still an active member even after the name change (Innocent, but I know one person who may be guilty…)

19

The first one I am innocent. Second, guilty(with a friend) Third innocent.

20

Guilty.

  • You record video of a malfunctioning panel (guilty)
  • You get angry when you see fire alarms replaced (guilty)