Problem with a Periodic Inspection

[Steve Flex]

Hi All,

Can anybody give me some advice regarding a periodic inspection that I carried out recently. I went to the property in question and found that one of the circuits for the sockets, controlled three hard wired smokes and a Varitas house alarm.

Every time I switched off the mains, it triggered the alarm and smokes which meant I was unable to carry out the inspection. The owner had no paperwork for the alarm and they said they never use it. I looked to see if there was an isolation switch but there was nothing. Am I right in thinking there is an engineer code to turn it off to carry out maintenance? And when you did isolate i,t would you just send 250v through the circuit in this instance, for an insulation resistance test, as I am unable to remove the load? Baring in mind that it is on a socket circuit. Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[Mr Mark Sparks]

sounds to me like you need to recomend local isolation to the alarm and smokes via an unswitched spur this will also protect with a 3a fuse
it sounds like they are not fused down

 

[amicus]

Hi The alarm sounds like the battery in the panel is duff,and the sounder is self activating.If this is the case you may have to dis the sounder temp or ignore.The smokes should not trigger though,or are they just bleeping.Dont do insulation test on either,berore disconecting.

 

[tim1]

install local isolation-but better if smoke alarm was was seperate circuit or can be linked in to light circuit as skts could be affected by rcd rip

rcd trip sorry