alarm sounder

[the pict]

I need to fit an external sounder, but I need it to go off with either zone 1 or 2 ( mag 2 system) any ideas chaps

 

[Darkwood]

can you explain better as the sounder circuit would go off if either Z1 or Z2 in alarm, you also should have a volts free contact that would open or close in alarm this can be utilised for any external circuits but wouldn't be monitored so if your fittingg a extra sounder it should be incorperated within the monitored sounder cicuit to comply.

 

[the pict]

Right, so in an alarm state sounders go off on both zones, why is there two sounder circuits then ?, so for an external sounder I need to go out to that sounder from the board terminals and back again into the sounder circuit cable ends and connect in series or can I double up on the board terms but that would be a parralell connection which is not permitted according to the blurb with the alarm
Pict

 

[alarm man]

Right, so in an alarm state sounders go off on both zones, why is there two sounder circuits then ?, so for an external sounder I need to go out to that sounder from the board terminals and back again into the sounder circuit cable ends and connect in series or can I double up on the board terms but that would be a parralell connection which is not permitted according to the blurb with the alarm
Pict

both sounder circs will go on alarm,just find the nearest sounder cable to where you want the external one and loop in and out,

 

[Darkwood]

Right, so in an alarm state sounders go off on both zones, why is there two sounder circuits then ?, so for an external sounder I need to go out to that sounder from the board terminals and back again into the sounder circuit cable ends and connect in series or can I double up on the board terms but that would be a parralell connection which is not permitted according to the blurb with the alarm
Pict

there are 2 alarm circuits as more a fail safe and its good design to overlap sounder circuit one with two in the areas to be covered so in the case of a fault blows the pcb fuse of on sounder circuit the other will still give good coverage, ive seen in past systems where a sounder circuit was wired to different floors but this should be now clear that its a poor design as losing one sounder circuit may not evacuate a floor in a fire but covering the floors with sounders balanced over the 2 alarm outputs and overlapping to a certain extent would still alert everyone.

 

[Guest123]

Can only agree with DW's views on sounder circuit installation. 2 circuits are provided to try and lessen the issue of a single circuit failing for whatever reason under fire conditions, and areas of a building failing to realise there is infact a fire.

There should be a mixture of sounders of both circuits throughout all areas of the building rather than a single circuit confined to one area.

As for wiring, each circuit is treated as a radial circuit starting at the panel and ending at the final device of that circuit. Spurs & branches are not permitted.

The way to add devices (circuit permitting) is either (A) break into the radial circuit at an existing device and divert the circuit wiring to your new device, returning to the existing device using a suitable fireproof enclosure & connectors if neccessary etc. (B) Continuing on from the last device on the circuit to your new device, also you will need to move the EOL resistor from the previous last device to your new one. The last way which is often prohibited on some systems and seen as bad practice is to cut into the existing wiring and place a joint at this position, using suitable fireproof enclosures & accessories etc.

Any work you do should also be included on any existing fire alarm zone schedules or charts etc including any additional joints you have made.

 

[ian.settle1]

Is the second sounder circuit possibly used for operating a relay which may inturn operate a phone modem/dialler?

 

[Darkwood]

Is the second sounder circuit possibly used for operating a relay which may inturn operate a phone modem/dialler?

Why have you asked this ian, an explanation for having 2 sounder circuits has been given by myself and Lenny and in comment to your post i wouldn't consider it good practice to spur of any sounder circuit to operate external unit like phone diallers as they would effectively be un-monited even if you looped into a relay to trigger a phone dialler i would still consider this bad practice, F/A panels have seperate alarm relays which are volt free just for this purpose or some more expensive panels have programmable outputs as well as pcb dialler card plug on options.

 

[the pict]

Just to add a bit of clarity, the sounder I propose to install will be out side, this is to alert the owners that the system has been triggered as they are a couple of hundres metres away in a seperate building and cannot here internal sounders, I can extend sounder circuit 1 from the downstairs bar area back outside via the beer cellar and the "new" sounder will become the EOL , thanks to all for making this a bit clearer for me
Pict