"Designer" Fire Alarm Devices

[Bambi]

Does anyone know of any detectors and sounders that are low profile and/or available in different finishes so that they are less conspicuous?

[Graeme]

What colour were you thinking?

[John Dragon]

Hochiki do them in Cream, White and Black.

[wee brian]

or use an aspirating detector - all you get is a little hole.

[Bambi]

Thanks for the responses.  It's good to see that Hochiki have some choices off the shelf.  

As long as the functionality is not affected, can devices be sprayed?  I have seen some detectors in different colours, but the sounders seem to be standard bright red which, in a posh hotel room can make them stand out.  

Are there any problems with regulations on Manual Call Points on recolouring?

[AnthonyB]

If you recoloured the call points (which could be recorded as a variation on the commissioning spec???) you would then have to indicate their location & function clearly with signage that would be less aesthetic than the call points being red unless you were willing to shell out for brass or aluminium effect signs

[John Dragon]

Most companies offer sounders in white or cream
We use Squashni white ceiling base sounders for conventional systems and Hochiki cream coloured for addressable, both of these make for a nice looking sounder/detector combination.
Some muppet sparkies are kitting out a posh res home near us and using big red sounder strobes in each bedroom, right in front of you as you enter each bedroom, they look awful (and they are only twelve inches or so away from the detector which doesn't help).

[kurnal]

In addition John in most care homes most if not all the residents are dependent on the staff in an emergency so it can be better to work on a staff alarm approach in the bedroom areas. Otherwise some residents outside the area of immediate risk and unable to evacuate themselves may becme distressed, whilst others outside the risk area may get themselves up and walk into the area at risk from fire, distracting the carers from their immediate duty to first assist those in the fire zone.

[John Dragon]

Usually round here the care standards agency insists on sounders or sounder/strobes in bedrooms in res homes/EMI care homes etc.
Having said that we are in the process of fitting an alarm in a newbuild EMI home that has no sounders in bedrooms by agreement with CSSIW (as I am reliably informed by the owner!).
Where's the consistency eh?

[Daren Pool]

Hi

I can offer a radio fire alarm system with Control Panel etc with a range of designer smoke heads.

Daren

[kurnal]

John the only way that consistency would be achieved would be for the fire alarm to be properly designed in accordance with the proposed fire evacuation strategy for the building and the regulatory authorities. Instead what invariably happens is that the alarms are actually specced by the architect just drawing detectors and sounders on the plans with no knowledge of what the strategy will be.

[John Dragon]

John the only way that consistency would be achieved would be for the fire alarm to be properly designed in accordance with the proposed fire evacuation strategy for the building and the regulatory authorities. Instead what invariably happens is that the alarms are actually specced by the architect just drawing detectors and sounders on the plans with no knowledge of what the strategy will be.

Tell me about it! Architects should be shot when it comes to fire alarms.
This building however is specced on the combined advice of CSSIW and the FRS.

[Wiz]

Does anyone know of any detectors and sounders that are low profile and/or available in different finishes so that they are less conspicuous?

There is a proven technology that allows automatic fire detectors to be virtually flush with the ceiling.  To get around the problem of the 'hot gas barrier' close to the ceiling, the sensing area of the detector is in 'mid-air'. These detectors are very expensive. One of the major manufacturers is currently working to 'improve' the technology which may result in a future reduction in price.

[Daren Pool]

Hi

Let me have your email address and i will email you images of the designer detector heads we offor - there are about 8 different models (colour/finishes).

Daren

[Galeon]

Does anyone know of any detectors and sounders that are low profile and/or available in different finishes so that they are less conspicuous?

To the best of my knowledge , unless the manufacturer actual alters the colour they wont accept any liability with the detector. This is also a problem ,as it upsets their production run , in relation to what they deem as a 'special'