Old alarm system wiring pre 1998

[Fairlineguy]

Hi All 

I have a HMO the alarm system was installed in the late 1990s it comprises of a Firedex 2204 conventional 4 zone panel,

8 heat detectors,2 smoke,8 sounders.2 call points .

My question is the wire is all in trunked house 2 core electrical cable which doesn’t meet current standards. Clearly when it was installed it meet the standards of the day does this need to be changed or does it only need to be replaced if a new system is installed.

 

 

 

[AnthonyB]

On 26/12/2022 at 17:33, Fairlineguy said:

Hi All 

I have a HMO the alarm system was installed in the late 1990s it comprises of a Firedex 2204 conventional 4 zone panel,

8 heat detectors,2 smoke,8 sounders.2 call points .

My question is the wire is all in trunked house 2 core electrical cable which doesn’t meet current standards. Clearly when it was installed it meet the standards of the day does this need to be changed or does it only need to be replaced if a new system is installed.

 

 

 

Actually it didn't meet the standard of the day as the sounders have always (since 1980 & earlier) needed to be in fire resistant cabling so the system is non compliant as a fire could quickly result in a failure of the alarm system to warn people. Sadly a lot of fire alarm systems have and are installed wrongly, often by general electricians.

The sounder circuits would need to be recabled in fire resistant cabling but the rest can remain as long as the internal panel settings (as can be configured by the fire alarm engineer) as set to "Short Circuit = Fire". This setting is used in older systems where the call point and detector cabling isn't fire resistant so that if fire damages these cables the fire panel will go into "Fire" & activate the alarm sounders. If the panel isn't set up this way then fire damage to the cable will only result in the fire panel going into "Fault" and the alarm sounders won't go off.

[Fairlineguy]

16 hours ago, AnthonyB said:

Actually it didn't meet the standard of the day as the sounders have always (since 1980 & earlier) needed to be in fire resistant cabling so the system is non compliant as a fire could quickly result in a failure of the alarm system to warn people. Sadly a lot of fire alarm systems have and are installed wrongly, often by general electricians.

The sounder circuits would need to be recabled in fire resistant cabling but the rest can remain as long as the internal panel settings (as can be configured by the fire alarm engineer) as set to "Short Circuit = Fire". This setting is used in older systems where the call point and detector cabling isn't fire resistant so that if fire damages these cables the fire panel will go into "Fire" & activate the alarm sounders. If the panel isn't set up this way then fire damage to the cable will only result in the fire panel going into "Fault" and the alarm sounders won't go off.

Thanks for the reply just could find a definitive answer online maybe not such a pain if I can get a way with re cabling just the sounders .

My jsb 2240 conventional alarm unit is now obsolete and the buttons are a bit temperamental. Guess I’m going to have to face up to a new system been wondering if a wireless system might be the way to go 

[Lyledunn]

I was still contracting back in the late 90’s and any fire alarm we installed the sounder circuits, trigger circuits and the 230v supply to the panel were all appropriately fire-rated. 
Just be aware that fire resisting cable was also available in white. Sometimes electricians just cut the earth out, so do check before you start tipping things asunder. 
When you say the existing cables are trunk housed, be careful that the replacement cable is properly secured. I note extensive use of plastic trunking in premises like HMOs. If the cables or trunking are not properly secured by fire resisting clips, when attacked by fire collapse can occur which could cause system malfunction as well as being a danger to firefighters.