"Fake" sprikler bells

So a lot of buildings in my area started putting ceiling mounted SpectrAlerts on the exterior of the building and I asked a contractor guy named Louis (not that it matters) why there were doing this and he said because they look like bells and people were complaining that standard alarms are ugly and they like how the bells look. Firstly, I know that you can use ceiling devices on the wall and vice versa INDOORS but do the same rules apply for outdoors? Secondly, was this a stupid idea, I think its pretty neat and it makes sense but was it really nesessary?

It depends on the device’s UL listing. Wall and ceiling mount SpectrAlert Advances, both indoor and outdoor models, are both listed for wall and ceiling mounting. The new L-Series, however, is only listed for mounting in its intended position, meaning wall models can only be mounted on the wall and ceiling models can only be mounted on the ceiling, this is due to the optimizations done to the strobe reflector pattern to reduce current draw (the new reflectors focus more light at the angles required by code for each type of mounting, thereby requiring a less powerful flash tube to achieve a certain candela rating).

Exactly right, if the model is listed for either purpose, it’s just fine. Although in most jurisdictions, bells are allowed to be mounted outside for sprinkler use; a horn/strobe isn’t mandatory, so if the look of horns really bothers the owners, why not use bells?