Fire alarm power supply

[ses]

Good morning all

I have a customer who after having refurbished his house was informed by the council that A cat D LD3 fire alarm system was needed

Its not possible to install this without trashing his house (even with Aico wireless bases)

It has been decided to fit a completely radio fire alarm system with main panel the usual type I have fitted in nursing homes etc when I was an apprentice some years back
Closer to Grade A except no call points.

The fire panel supply is a bit of a problem because the fuseboard only has a spare way on the rcd protected side (dual rcd board)
There is no room for a separate fuse board or henley blocks etc as the board and meter are in a cupboard and fire panel just has room to go below.

Options seem to be
Rcd protected feed (fp) panel will have 72 hour battery backup

Feed direct from load side of main switch
(Obviously frowned upon these days and possibly not accepted anymore)

Or alter board config for one unprotected mcb next to main switch but neutral will have to come direct from load side of main switch as no unprotected neutral bar

What do you think is the better option

 

[ses]

Fire panel is not going in cupboard

 

[Simlec]

If your cable requires RCD then it has to have an RCD.
It's no RCD unless required for electrical safety.

 

[Simlec]

Can't you move something from the non-RCD side to the RCD side to free up space.

 

[ses]

Cables does not require rcd
There is no un protected side

Its a new dual rcd board with two rcds and two rcd protected neutral bars thats the problem

 

[ses]

Otherwise i would have just swapped something over

 

[Simlec]

Move fire panel and fit small board. The fire panel should be on show any how.

 

[Simlec]

Otherwise i would have just swapped something over

Sorry miss read that, I for some reason was thinking high-integral board

 

[Sintra]

Do away with 1 of the RCD's and fit a switch for that side of the cu. Then use RCBO's for circuits that need 30mA protection and use a MCB in the spare way for the FA panel.

 

[snowhead]

Bury the supply to the fire panel in the wall, then it needs RCD protection.

Job sorted.

 

[ses]

Not a bad idea and a possibility
One thing i should have mentioned is that I may have not checked the board properly when original quote was done so fitting rcbos will hurt my wallet a lot

 

[ses]

But of it needs rcd protection its supposed to be on its own rccbo

 

[andyb]

Does it need a panel?
I would of thought a grade D could be domestic smokes/heats with battery backup and interlinked. They could be radio link.

LD3 is what most domestic systems are.

 

[ses]

Hi Andyb
If you read the post it states why i cant fit interlinked radio smokes

No power is available to feed the bases without destroying the house all lighting is loop in and out at light switches all flooring is tiles and realwood and the ceilings are all period newly refurbished

 

[andyb]

Hi Andyb
If you read the post it states why i cant fit interlinked radio smokes

No power is available to feed the bases without destroying the house all lighting is loop in and out at light switches all flooring is tiles and realwood and the ceilings are all period newly refurbished

Got that now Ses,

Must read post before replying.

 

[tazz]

If the RCD is protecting all circuits, then you will need to fit a separate small 1 way cu, with mcb. This will then need to supply a double pole, lockable switched, fused spur, next to the panel. All cable feeds will need to enhanced FP, pyro or armored.

 

[ses]

Tazz there is no room for another board if you read the original post
Im going to do what sintra said and fit some rcbos

 

[tazz]

Tazz there is no room for another board if you read the original post
Im going to do what sintra said and fit some rcbos

Ok, but fit a mcb for the fire alarm circuit & rcbos for all other circuits. Double pole, switch fused spur, will still be required.

 

[ses]

Yes that will all be done