Ellis Posted March 25, 2004 Share Posted March 25, 2004 ... so it is quite possible that they dont even detect smoke (but just heat, as someone said above). I dont suppose there is any way of checking is there? There should be a plan of the building with the location of every sounder, call point smoke and heat detector. The ones I have come across have different symbols for different types of detector. One caveat: I have also seen (actually triggered) smoke detectors where there were supposed to be only heat detectors. A visual inspection in conjuction with the plan will often confirm whether the plan is accurate. NB 10 years is not new - I was informed by a fire alarm engineer (replacing a faulty detector) that the rated life of smoke detectors is 10 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ike Posted March 25, 2004 Share Posted March 25, 2004 Smoke detectors look like this and temperature/rise in temperature look like this. Bear in mind there is a fair bit of variation and this is not a foolproof method. There are also beam break detectors which are used in roof spaces etc and consist of an infrared transmitter pointing at an infra red receiver. If the beam is broken, eg by smoke/haze, the alarms go off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew C Posted March 25, 2004 Share Posted March 25, 2004 If the beam is broken, eg by smoke/haze,..*.... the alarms go off. *...technician walking through loft... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themadhippy Posted March 25, 2004 Share Posted March 25, 2004 also worth having a look at the detectors,some have a little H or O on them,o for optical and H for erm heat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSA Posted March 25, 2004 Share Posted March 25, 2004 I have had a quick peek, and it looks like they are athe actual 'smoke' variety, although a bit older. In the new dept jsut built they are definately like this, ie slim variety. Im still working on it. David EDIT: Actually thinking about it I am not sure. Ill take a picture if I can...obviously still need to turn off. [thinking aloud] maybe the caretaker has a plan / manual (the one by the 'consumer unit' of the alarm just said 'auto' and had a number) [/thinking aloud] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomLyall Posted March 25, 2004 Share Posted March 25, 2004 er, you could always just run the hazer for a bit and see if anything goes off... B-) hehe, obviously I didnt tell you to try it Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun Foster Posted March 25, 2004 Share Posted March 25, 2004 er, you could always just run the hazer for a bit and see if anything goes off... I'm sure this was a joke but, Bear in mind that in a school the fire alarm is directly linked to the fire brigade, and calling out 3 fire engines costs alot, unfortunately sometimes even lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomLyall Posted March 25, 2004 Share Posted March 25, 2004 I'm sure this was a joke but, Bear in mind that in a school the fire alarm is directly linked to the fire brigade, and calling out 3 fire engines costs alot, unfortunately sometimes even lives. yes it was intended as a joke, your qutie right it really shouldnt be tried, hmm, I didnt think they were, lets put it this way, they're not at my school, deffinately not, we have an alarm about once a week, someone who thinks they're funny no doubt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ike Posted March 26, 2004 Share Posted March 26, 2004 Detectors should be tested every couple of years or so so you could ask the person who does the test if one is due anytime soon. If the alarm can be turned off for a few minutes one night or something you could always remove one of the detectors by turning anti-clockwise (sometimes there is a small grub screw you have to undo first) and then reeding the sticker on the back. If the beam is broken, eg by smoke/haze,..*.... the alarms go off. *...technician walking through loft... There is one place I have worked where there is a keyswitch to turn off the detector above the grid, needless to say nobody ever remembered to turn it back on again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomLyall Posted March 26, 2004 Share Posted March 26, 2004 you could always remove one of the detectors by turning anti-clockwise (sometimes there is a small grub screw you have to undo first) and then reeding the sticker on the back. of courseyou shouldnt do this while the alarm is on because it is wired NC the alarm will (should?) activate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSA Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 I saw something very interesting today: In the school's CCF block (ie army/RAF cadets), they have put freezer bags over the detectors near the kitchen. I asked and their (teachers) reply was that if there was a fire, then the plastic would melt, and the alarm would be set off. I wondered if anyone had any comments????? The idea is to stop it going off when they leave the toast on and forget it etc etc. in the kitchen. (Prob. is that when alarm goes off they have armed police knocking on the door, but thats a different matter) David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 In the school's CCF block (ie army/RAF cadets), they have put freezer bags over the detectors near the kitchen. I asked and their (teachers) reply was that if there was a fire, then the plastic would melt, and the alarm would be set off. By the time things got hot enough to melt the plastic bags, the likelihood is that the place would be full of toxic fumes and everyone still inside would be dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ike Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 Agreed, fire alarms are supposed to be an early warning system and not a signal to fetch the bodybags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 In the school's CCF block (ie army/RAF cadets), they have put freezer bags over the detectors near the kitchen. I asked and their (teachers) reply was that if there was a fire, then the plastic would melt, and the alarm would be set off. Try justifying that to...a) The insurance companyb) The Health and Safety Executive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted May 14, 2004 Share Posted May 14, 2004 the idea of trying is not as daft as it sounds. Our fire officer is a reasonable bloke who's only worry is ensuring public safety. If you contact him and tell him the problem, he'll probably advise exactly what you suggest. try it and see. he will see it as a good test that he can document, and will arrange for the fire alarm to not get the blues and twos on the way. When we did this a couple of years ago - it was exactly because we could not rule out false triggers from our hazers and smoke machines. The actual fire engines were called out on purpose, so they could practice on our pier. No cost to us, good training for them and a positive method of seeing how much we could pump in before setting it off. all he needed was a time period to set the thing up and plan. As for the head not taking the advice of staff and students? It's his head on the block if anyone gets hurt. You could just imagine all the people who said it was safe, vanishing after the event. remember Hillsborough - they said that was safe!paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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