convert fire-lite MS4424B to residential system?

Hello,

Please be forewarned, I am a new homeowner with little fire alarm system knowledge.

We recently purchased a home previously owned by an electrician who owned an alarm system company. The home is a single family home. When we moved in, a fire-lite MS4424B commercial system was installed ( >20 years ago). The second day of owning the home, the fire alarm went off randomly. Over the course of 2 months or so, the alarm would sporadically go off until it was going off constantly.

The first electrician who came in to the home had helped the previous owner install the system originally. He stated that the smoke detectors should be replaced, which made sense as they were likely >20 years old. Due to unforeseen issues, we ended up having a second electrician come in to replace the smoke detectors. The smoke detectors were replaced all over the house. The new smokes are the 13 series 2W-B plug in photoelectric with base 12/24 volt.

The second electrician replaced all the smokes, and then tested the fire alarm system. Of note, there were 3 superfluous smoke detectors installed next to newer smoke detectors which we had asked him to disconnect. He then reported that the fire alarm system motherboard was malfunctioning. He stated he called the company and the company reported the MS4424B to be “defective” and the entire motherboard should be replaced. This electrician spoke English as a second language. I called Fire-lite who stated that the system was discontinued, but not defective and is currently in use in many places. The company assured us this system has never been labeled as defective. After the second electrician left, we realized he had only disconnected 1 of the 3 superfluous smokes, and the remaining 2 were “tripped”.

We have asked other electricians to come into the home, but most electricians who work with fire alarm systems will not work with the commercial grade of our system, and the companies who do work with this system do not want to take such a small job or are very expensive. As new homeowners, we have put significant money into this project already. At this point we need to find the least expensive fix which will ensure our household safety.

Our questions for the experts:

  1. Could the motherboard be fine and the issue just be that 2 of the remaining old smokes are still connected and “tripped”?
  2. We don’t feel we need this heavy duty system, and we have read that the smoke detectors are compatible with some residential systems. Is it possible to use the hardwiring and newly installed smokes and transition to a residential system? If so, any suggestions on affordable reliable systems?
  3. any suggestions for things we are not thinking of?

Thank you very much for your time and expertise.

I can almost guarantee you that your panel is fine.
When a smoke detector trips, it puts the panel into alarm to signal the occupants. If the detectors are tripped, your panel will be in alarm.
If I were you, I would keep the system. It provides better protection against fire than residential detectors, and you already have it installed. I don’t believe that any i3s will work on 120VAC or without a panel. Since you don’t really have any experience, I would recommend either calling the fire department’s non-emergency line to have them help you out, or call back an electrician to remove the detectors. If this were a hobby system, I would pull a DIY, but since this system is for life safety, it’s best to have a qualified person do the job, so you won’t have to deal with liability if the system doesn’t work and somebody gets injured in a fire.

Could you please send me a picture of one of the old detectors that is “tripped”?

Hope this helps.

Fire alarm systems are a pain in the ass to maintain, and might not be the wisest choice in a residential setting. Especially since they require attention and deep pockets to maintain.

Could you justify this?

Ironically Mr. Tech, you didn’t disclaim liability in your post; meaning, if OP burned down his house because of any false information you supply, you could be partly liable [I’m not 100% sure…someone verify this please].


By the way, I am NOT a technician, and disclaim any liability that arises (if any).
To the OP: I’m 80% sure Mytechtime is not a technician either, so heed his advice carefully.

It’s my opinion, but I’m sure some people on here would agree that they provide better safety than a regular ionization smoke alarm does.
This system has photoelectric smoke detectors, which are usually a better choice if you can’t have both because they can detect smoldering fires faster (NFPA).

I am not a technician.
But, if the electrician is (which he should), he should know what he’s doing.

Also, I am not working on the system, it’s the electrician who is, so if a fire happens for some reason, I don’t think the liability would go to somebody who gave advice on a forum. It would probably go to the guy who made the system not work.

All I can say here is… Sales tactic of using fear has FAILED. That and the electrician sounds like he does not know what the heck he’s talking about either.
The MS-4424B is quite an old system but they were one of the most reliable panels of their era (1990s). I know of many still in service.

If the two remaining old smokes are malfunctioning then they should be removed as soon as possible. It sounds from your description like they were never maintained and got clogged with dust which is why they kept going into alarm.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) publishes the codes used by most jurisdictions across the country.
They publish the codes, however they do not become law until your local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) takes a vote and approves of the codes, either as is or with changes. Check with your town/city’s Codes Enforcement office or your state fire marshal’s office to find out which versions of the codes they are using and what changes they have made, if any.

NFPA 72 is the National Fire Alarm Code. The 2013 edition, in Chapter 29, permits commercial grade fire systems to be installed in residences as long as they meet the requirements of Chapter 29. The other chapters which detail commercial grade systems do not apply for residential systems. If it were me, I would keep it rather than replacing everything. I’d also recommend adding some CO detectors to the system, just to be safer.

The low voltage fire alarm wiring will not be able to handle 120VAC smoke alarms, as well, so if you went to a multi-station smoke alarm system you’d have to run new wiring for the 120V.

No suggestions… However,
I have a couple questions, though.

  1. Are there currently any trouble indicators on the panel? If so, what are they>
  2. Can you take some pictures of your system?
  3. If there are no troubles, does the panel go into trouble if you remove one of the smoke detector heads? They come off by rotating counter clockwise. If it does not go into trouble then they were not wired properly.
  4. What are your knowledge/skills as far as electrical wiring goes?

You’re welcome! Glad I could help.

Also: mytechtime and The Big Green…
Don’t post anything unless you are 100% sure of what you are talking about.