Whether updating your building's fire protection systems or installing new fire alarms, it is critical to understand the best fire alarm for commercial buildings available. You should know many things before selecting a system, ranging from automated alarm systems to manual alarms. Let's take a look at several business fire alarm systems you may install.
The Differences Between Automatic and Manual Fire Alarms
Two kinds of fire alarms may be installed in your business area. The first is a fire alarm for commercial buildings that goes off automatically. When these alarms detect heat or smoke, they broadcast an audio-visual warning throughout the building to warn inhabitants of the risk. A manual fire alarm is the next type of fire alarms. These fire alarms have pull stations strategically placed around the facility. When one of your staff notices or smells a fire, they pull the leveler and notify the inhabitants. Manual alarms are available in a range of styles and colors.
Commercial Fire Alarm System Types
There are several kinds of fire alarms, just as there are various categories of fire alarms. Let's look at the many sorts of fire alarms and the functions they provide.
Traditional Fire Alarms
A conventional fire alarm for commercial buildings includes many "zones" linked to your central control panel. These systems enable you to install independent fire alarms in each part of your building and monitor whether an alert is tripped.
Fire Alarms with Addressability
These fire alarms are also known as "intelligent systems" since they monitor your building's fire alarms. You may select between automated and manual alarms with addressable alarms. Each fire alarm for commercial buildings in this system has its address, allowing you to check which alarms are operating and which are not. Because of the monitoring functions, addressable fire alarms are more costly.
Fire Alarms using Hybrid Technology
In a single panel, hybrid alarms combine the hardwired zone characteristics of conventional fire alarms with the addressable loops of addressable fire alarms. This combination technology is more appropriate for various contexts than the addressable or traditional alarm.
How Is A Fire Alarm For Commercial Buildings Triggered?
Each fire alarm device is vital in triggering an alert and has different criteria. Let's go through each type of fire alarm for commercial buildings individually to see how it works.
Manual pull stations enable people within a building to activate a fire alarm in an emergency. Pull stations are classified as either single-action or dual-action.
Individuals in single-action positions may trigger the alarm with a single downward pull on the lever. Dual-action stations, like two-factor authentication for online apps, need two actions to set off the alarm. This entails breaking a glass cabinet housing the pull station or lifting a plastic cover out of the way.
When the lever in most systems is pushed, the control panel sounds an alert throughout the facility.
Sprinkler Water Flow Switches
A fire sprinkler system sprays water from above to extinguish flames. The fire sprinkler water flow switch is an internal mechanism that monitors water flow via the system's pipes.
A fire sprinkler is activated by high heat rather than smoke. A glycerin-filled glass bulb is standard on most fire sprinkler heads. As the glycerin warms up from below, it expands, shattering the glass bulb and activating the spray head. The fire sprinkler switch detects water flow and sends a trigger signal to the alarm control panel, which causes a general alert to sound.
It should be noted that installing a certain fire alarm for commercial buildings does not involve installing fire sprinkler systems. You may need to contact a fire sprinkler professional. For further information, contact us at A-1 Fire & Security Equipment.
Smoke Detectors
Smoke detectors are classified into two types: ionization and photoelectric.
Ionized smoke detectors are more sensitive to burning flames in general. These detectors keep a small quantity of radioactive material between two electrically charged plates. Between the two plates, an ion current passes. When smoke enters the detector's chamber, it interrupts the flow of iron, causing the alarm to sound.
Smoldering flames are more sensitive to photoelectric smoke alarms. These detectors are designed to detect non-visible light directed away from the detector. When smoke fills the chamber, the light bounces back onto the detector, causing an alarm to sound.
Heat detectors operate by monitoring temperature increases. Although accurate, there may be a rather considerable wait between the fire's initiation and the heat detector's activation. Heat detectors are classified into two types: rate of increase and fixed temperature.
Rate-of-rise heat detectors activate when temperatures increase rapidly, such as 15 degrees in one minute. The air within the detector expands as the temperature increases, causing the alarm to sound.
Fixed temperature detectors turn on when the temperature in the room exceeds a certain level. Unfortunately, it might take a long for a fire to heat a room or structure. This is particularly true in big, open areas.
Rate-of-rise and fixed temperature detectors serve specialized purposes and are less often utilized than regular smoke detectors.
Even though each initiating device acts individually, all these components may be combined into a single fire alarm for commercial buildings. The function of each device is the same: to sound an alarm in the presence of smoke or fire.
What Are The Benefits Of Installing A Fire Alarm For Commercial Buildings?
Commercial Fire Alarm Systems Provide Several Safety Benefits
Safety is the most obvious reason to ensure that your business fire prevention systems are operational and up to date. They protect your workers, your property, and the company. Fire is destructive in terms of damage and devastation.
A Fire Alarm For Commercial Buildings Is A Low-Cost Investment In Early Detection
A commercial fire alarm system costs around $2 per square foot of coverage area when installed in a new structure and somewhat more when installed as part of a retrofit. The true investment, however, is in the safety of your workers, customers, and visitors to your business. A working fire alarm for commercial buildings guarantees that people are not caught off guard in the event of a fire and suffer possibly catastrophic burns and smoke inhalation. Based on the National Fire Protection Association, most fire-related fatalities are caused by toxic smoke inhalation rather than burns.
Insurance Premiums Are Reduced By Installing A Fire Alarm For Commercial Buildings
Many insurance companies may cut a business's insurance rates by 5 to 10% if it has a commercial fire alarm system. If the fire alarm for commercial buildings is combined with a fire suppression system, such as sprinklers, the savings might approach 15-20%. These savings build up rapidly, and the premiums saved often more than cover the installation cost within the first year.
Remote Monitoring Gives You Peace Of Mind
Modern commercial fire alarm systems have evolved significantly from basic smoke detectors. Everything from carbon monoxide to increasing temperatures may be detected by modern technology. When a problem occurs, most contemporary commercial fire alarm systems are linked to a receiver that sends a signal straight to emergency services.
This improves first responder reaction time and offers a dependable layer of coverage that protects the company even after everyone has gone home for the day. In reality, most fires occur at night when no one is there, and a fire alarm for commercial buildings is a permanent employee who works around the clock.
Repair Costs are Reduced Due to Advanced Warning
Most companies that incur a fire must close until repairs are made. The longer the shutdown stays, the greater the extent of the damage to the business. Every day that the company is closed reduces income and depletes savings. A business fire alarm system may assist in reducing property and inventory damage while minimizing the time necessary to restore order.
Modern Commercial Fire Alarm Systems Are NFPA 72 Compliant
Building regulations are always changing. Aside from the greater risk of failure, older systems may be incompatible with new building codes. NFPA 72 is the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, and current systems are meant to meet the criteria established for anything from fires and floods to terrorist attacks.
Fighting a fire efficiently requires obtaining as much information about the fire as feasible. Modern fire alarm systems communicate data on the pace of the fire, its location, temperature, and so on. Firefighters use this information to plan a strategy for fighting the fire quickly and efficiently.