Mains Supply to Fire Alarm CIE Panel

[Owen66]

Looking for some clarification - I have always read Clause 26.2 (o) as the prefered cable sheath colour is red and all cables should be differentiated from other circuits in the building. As such, I have always maintained that the 230V power supply to the fire alarm system should therefore not be coloured red to avoid confusion between fire alarm circuits and the mains power supply - anyone care to give a view on whether such an appraisal is correct or should the mains supply cable also be red sheathed.

Regards

Owen

[Benzerari]

Looking for some clarification - I have always read Clause 26.2 (o) as the prefered cable sheath colour is red and all cables should be differentiated from other circuits in the building. As such, I have always maintained that the 230V power supply to the fire alarm system should therefore not be coloured red to avoid confusion between fire alarm circuits and the mains power supply - anyone care to give a view on whether such an appraisal is correct or should the mains supply cable also be red sheathed.

Regards

Owen

The power supply cable output from the CIE, what ever its color, it goes through an external spur fuse and it should be labeled 'Fire Alarm System Do Not Switch Off' or similar sentences... etc so it shouldn't be normally any confusion, unless the spur is been fitted far a away from the CIE and not labeled... etc

[Big_Fella]

If the mains supply is installed in MI this could be 'orange' for example.... As long as the cable is labeled 'Fire Alarm' this shouldn't cause any confusion

[Allen Higginson]

We use red for all circuits (unless requested otherwise) with the isolator unit labelled at the fire panel.

[colin todd]

The mains supply is simply a 230V fire alarm circuit. That which you do with the ELV circuits you also do with the LV circuit.

[Owen66]

OK - a few mixed messages then guys.

Colin, would you then say on perhaps a larger networked system that electrical distribution submains feeding diverse distribution boards which then feed final circuits to distributed CIE all form part of the "fire alarm system"  - I can't believe that the standard requires all of this to be in red sheathed cable

To my mind, the standard is trying to achieve som difference between the fire system and other power circuits that may exist - does not a red cable identical to a fire alarm cable introduce its own potential risks in identification - just a thought

Regards

Owen

[Allen Higginson]

Without quoting chapter and verse on where the mains supply is fed from I have taken it that the load (or supply side) of the main isolator or distrubution output going to the fire alarm panel (or related mains device) is wired in the approved (and desired) type of cable.
The LV cable and the ELV ones are all critical paths and so are treated in the same way.

[colin todd]

Owen, what you describe is a variation, thats why the sub mains arent covered. You are right that the code is trying to distinguish between fire alarm and non fre alarm circuits. You are wrong that the LV supply is somehow not a fire alarm circuit. It is simply a 230V fire alarm circuit.
Buzzy: As always the NI grammar school education stands you in good stead.  Labour loonies that disbanded the grammar school system should read your postings!!!!

[Allen Higginson]

Owen, what you describe is a variation, thats why the sub mains arent covered. You are right that the code is trying to distinguish between fire alarm and non fre alarm circuits. You are wrong that the LV supply is somehow not a fire alarm circuit. It is simply a 230V fire alarm circuit.
Buzzy: As always the NI grammar school education stands you in good stead.  Labour loonies that disbanded the grammar school system should read your postings!!!!

I'll take that as a reference for my new job then if you don't mind!

[colin todd]

That would be another bush then?

[Allen Higginson]

That would be another bush then?

...I'll just leave the bottle!

[Wiz]

Further to this post regarding 230v supplies to cie;

BS recommends that at least the final part of this supply is carried out in fire resistant cable. Imagine a scenario that includes fire resistant cable from a local electrical distribution board to the spur (double-pole switched / special key operation) feeding the cie, but then a small length of electrical flex (in trunking and couplers) between spur and connections in cie. Does this comple with the recommendations?

[GregC]

Depends if the flex is red or not

[Benzerari]

Another issue in regards to the supply to CIE:

In 2001 I remember my manager said, don't forget the label on the spur fuse , stating 'Fire Alarm' or other similar sentences... etc, with red color and white background or either ways..., and 8mm high of characters... etc as he had been charged one day £300 during legal inspection..., for missing that label after install, I can't remember what happened that day to cause that legal inspection, but any way, the main issue was a loss of £300 in a second... etc

However, this label may definitely make the distinction of the CIE’s mains supply and other electrical circuits... etc

[Owen66]

Gentlemen,

Thank you for your responses.

I would appear, that I have laboured under a misapprehension that the power supply should not be a red sheathed cable. I fully understand that it should be fire rated, suitablly labelled etc all as described in the standard but it still sits a little uncomfortablly with me.

Colin, i think the description of the "mains" supply simply being a 230V fire alarm circuit is apt

Thank you all

Regards

Owen