green-foam

If when you swap them over the fault stays where it is, then I would have to ask have you checked to see if the incoming mains cable connections are tight? SWITCH OFF the electricity FIRST

CWEENG, I believe you have miss-understood / miss-read the question. Sorry but Tom Eddl said Which to me means, he is the fire station manager at a working airport, and currently has the option to use portable BCF fire extinguishers, of which he has at least one 9KG BCF, he seems to be seeking a replacement for this 9KG BCF portable extinguisher (or maybe he has more than one) he does not seem to be looking for a replacement for a fixed installation system. But perhaps you can confirm or deny the following. As a rough estimate, you need 1.5 times as much "halon replacement" as you do halon 1211, which would mean that for a 9kg BCF you would need a 13.5 KG extinguisher, But they do not make a portable halon replacement extinguisher in that size.

No offence to Tom, but I suggest to anyone reading this ignore what that website says, It has miss-information on several articles, how a smoke detector works being one of them. Optical smoke detectors do NOT work by smoke breaking a beam. The opposite is infact true. Inside an optical smoke detector is an infra red LED and an Infra red receiver. The Infra red LED does emit Infra red light, but it is NOT pointing at the receiver, the two are at right angles to each other. (See the video clip below) When smoke enters the detection chamber it scatters the light, this is then detected by the infra red receiver, the detector then goes into alarm. You can clearly see this layout in a commercial smoke detector, it is bigger, so easier to see, but it works the same way (Large grey object on the right, and large black "lump" on the left.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI2Y9AhDv6k There is a smoke detection method that relies on smoke obscuring an infra red beam, but it is to cover large roof areas, and the units are too big to fit inside a smoke detector.

If they are beeping with no batteries in them and no mains I would suggest you look in the kitchen drawer or on top of a cupboard because there is another one you do not know about.

Emergency lights are designed to constantly trickle charge the standby batteries so the "charging light" will always be on. If as you ask could the light not turn off when the batteries are charged, I would have to say (Not wishing to be pedantic about it) Suppose when the batteries are 100% charged the "charging indication light" switches off, at what point would they start charging again? 75% or 50% or 25% No matter what the % of under 100% is, the light can not last the minimum 3 hours duration unless the battery is fully charged. Also if the charging light was not on, how would you know if the unit was charged or being charged?

Are the existing doors fire doors?

I would add have you considered the fact the smoke alarms were doing their job? A smoke alarm will make its alarm noise for as long as it detects smoke or similar sized particles, when the smoke or similar has cleared the detector will stop, just as yours did. As you have interlinked detectors (which is good) when one sounds they all sound. I suggest that one of them detected a small amount of smoke or similar. If they do this again, or on a regular basis then you would need to make logs of what time who was where etc, but as it was just a one off I would not worry about it, since if it was smoke or similar, you did not notice it, but then, were you looking for it?

I would ask what do the instructions say to do? If it helps paper has to reach 451 degrees farenheight before it will ignite.

I would like to mention that to be of much use they would need to be interlinked so that if one activates they all activate, it is possible to buy radio interlinked smoke alarms with a 10 year battery life safelincs can supply such a unit But I would also like to point out that smoke alarms are for automatic detection, but if a person sees a fire they can not activate the smoke alarm manually, but if there was a "basic" fire alarm installed with manual call points then activating one would cause an instant alarm.

If it helps, I have seen what Jocelyn has described more than once, in that there are domestic smoke detectors in the common area of flats.

For what its worth, I always though they look like they were made at the local shoe bar, Just a disc engraved with a number. (I can't show a picture or add a link as its against forum rules, but a well known "shoe bar" does sell and engrave small discs which are commonly known as pet tags)

Tom, sorry if I am being pedantic about this, but Mark did say He did not say "a labelled fire exit" If it is a fire exit, I would agree with you, but does the door they came in not also count as an exit? Would it be better to know the size of the office in question and how many people are working in it?

The way modern fire alarm panels operate, if the cable is damaged or severed there will be indication of this at the main panel. Also after installation it is not uncommon for fire alarm cables to be hidden / become inaccessible / need access equipment to inspect them, so it is rarely done, but all the devices connected should be tested once in every twelve month period.

Is it a "fire door" or is it a "fire exit"

To get a fire certificate the item in question has to be tested to destruction by an independent testing company. But they usually test things like walls, windows, ducting systems etc, are you sure its a fire certificate you are looking for.

Hello Kenny, you can not find such legislation you seek because it does not exist. You have been miss-informed about fire alarms. Fire alarms are put in categories, depending on the use of the area of the building in question determines which category the fire alarm should be installed to comply with. The most basic is to have manual call points which as you say, the premises you work at has. Automatic fire alarms (Ones with smoke detectors) are only mandatory if there are or likely to be people sleeping in the building. That said there is no regulation that says you can not have smoke detectors as well as manual call points. But this then becomes a different category of fire alarm.

I agree with Tom, it sounds like it may be electrical interference, which will not be easy to trace. But I have to ask, as its been an ongoing problem for 6 years, the money you have spent, would it not be cheaper to install self contained self testing emergency lights? such as This one or This LED one

The idea is that the strips expand to prevent hot gasses / flames from going any further than the door, so limiting damage. As harry says, by the time it does this you should have been long gone from the building. I have seen a fire door after a fire. During the fire the strips did expand to stop hot gasses and flames getting past. One side of the door looked normal, the side where the fire was, the door looked like burnt toast

Generally smoke alarms will activate so long as they can sense particles of the right size. (Does not have to be smoke) Since it stopped shortly after starting I would say that what ever it detected is no longer present. Is it a stand alone detector or are there several interconnected? If they are interconnected did any of the others activate? (I am guessing its a stand alone) To test a smoke detector most instructions will tell you to "Press the test button, to make sure it activates."

As its a life safety system and is showing signs of corrosion I would not try and repair it since if it has any micro electronics they will have been destroyed. Expensive that it will be I would change everything that got wet, that way it will be 100% reliable

As Tom says, noise is not a criminal matter, so the police will not be interested, Noise is dealt with by the council, but to say "some one is noisy going up and down a staircase" is not really a cause for concern. Your best (only) hope is the landlord.

Why not get one custom made? Safelincs can do it for you with or without frame CLICK HERE When it comes to life protection "cheaply" is NOT an option

Cost depends on what you have, I recommend Click here

I have no idea why your detector is making a crackling noise, I suggest you take it down and have a look, there may be water in it. I say this because I have seen it a few times where there has been a leak via the floor above and water has come through a ceiling mounted detector. If it is mains operated, turn the mains off first. What ever the case, it is not repairable and I suggest you change it.

Why not post a sign that says something like "The entrance door is around the corner to your right" Posting a notice that merely says "Fire Exit" does not tell them where they should be.