We all know that it is important to have and maintain fire alarm systems in our homes and workplaces so that you can be alerted in the event of a fire. But, many people do not understand how fire alarm systems work. What is a fire alarm made of, and how does it detect the presence of smoke? We here at Taybell discuss the intricacies in our blog below!
What Are The Different Parts of a Fire Alarm System?
1) Initiating Devices
This is the part of the system that detects fire, either through smoke detectors, heat detectors or pull stations.
2) Indicating Appliances
Fairly self explanatory, the indicating appliances indicate when excess smoke or heat has been detected to the people residing inside of the building. This is most commonly an auditory alarm but can also include flashing lights.
3) Fire Alarm Panel
The control panel is the user interface and monitoring system.
4) Power Supply
This can come in many forms, including mains, battery, or generator for backup power.
5) Auxiliary Devices
These are any additional devices that are included within a fire alarm system. This can include alarm silence switches, fire doors, and elevator shutdowns.
3 States of Fire Alarm Systems
1) Normal
This state is the most common state for your fire alarm system to be in. It occurs when all devices and wiring are operating correctly and the alarm has not been activated.
2) Alarm
This state occurs when the initiating device of the fire alarm system is triggered, for example, if smoke has been detected, causing the indicating devices such as alarms to sound.
3) Trouble
The trouble state only occurs if there is an issue with the circuits between the fire alarm panel and the initiating devices or there is some other issue that causes the system to not function properly.
How Do Fire Alarm Systems Detect Smoke?
Smoke from a fire will trip the initiating devices mentioned above. These initiating devices are connected to the control panel via circuitry and will activate the indicating devices putting the system into alarm mode to alert people to the potential dangers.
Contact Us
If you are interested in any of the fire alarm systems we offer, or would like to hear more about our other services, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0113 230 4018 or fill out our online contact form.
