green-foam

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.

To clarify what Harry said. Pressing the button on a detector is NOT a battery test. When the test button is pressed the detection device (be that ionisation / optical / other) is "fooled" into believing "contamination" is present, so the detector sounds for a short while. The battery voltage is monitored by different electronics of the detector, and if in the testing process the battery voltage becomes too low the sounder will chirp at regular intervals to indicate this. It is the same for mains / battery / combination detectors.

This is as my signature says, just my opinion. You have a "conflict of interests" before you start. Due to the "specialised knowledge" required to service each item I can not see it being viable to have a combined unit, that said there are available "stand alone units" such as the one shown below. These are suitable for building sites, but not for buildings as the alarms are not interconnected and there is no way to identify where the unit actually is. (from a central location) To address your point of "fear and intimidation" I would suggest that you could post what ever signs you like, it will not work, if anything cause more confusion. I would suggest that the only real way to remove fear and intimidation in this case is training in how to use fire extinguishers. As for spending and cost, put yourself in the buyers shoes, would you spend money on something you don't have to even if the other product is better and costs more? The fire safety person would want the better option, but there has to be a compromise.

A picture of the switch in question would help.

It would seem that I am in error. For that I apologise.

Very sorry Harry, I believe you will find that a fire alarm should be serviced every 3 months, Often they will check 25% of the alarm, each service, so by the time 12 months have passed everything will have been checked, That is also why is some places you will see devices with small coloured dots stuck on them. its so they know which device was tested in which quarter. Intruder alarms are tested once every six months.

It always been once a week. But saying that you don't test everything once a week, you pick a random call point and activate it, then next time you should pick a different call point. (In reality its often the same one) But you must make sure all sounders activate. I think you are confusing servicing a fire alarm with testing a fire alarm. Servicing is every quarter, testing should be every week. (At the same time so people know it is only a test)

The new units should come with a plug, I would guess that the original plug was lost and so some one soldered the wires on instead. I am puzzled why you mention The "battery terminal" since mains powered smoke alarms are connected as follows. Live, Neutral and "interconnect" This is repeated at every detector. Since you will be replacing all 3 I would suggest you check (with a multi meter) at the first one which colour does what, since there are no strict guidelines for the colours, and then copy this colour code with all the detectors.

Like this one? The requirement is for an area on the body of the fire extinguisher to be the "identifying colour" so the answer to your question is no.

I would NOT rely on an electrician, since they understand the concept of a fire alarm but they have no requirement to know the regulations of a fire alarm or its parts. (There is a difference between electricians and fire alarm engineers.) It seems there is no specific regulation for cable fixing distance, (I think its BS7671) that says cables should be fixed at regular intervals, the question is, what is regular. The "norm" does seem to be fix the cable at every 30cm.