Elevator firealarm connections

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bgelectric

Senior Member
So I need some help figuring this out.
How do the fire hat, priamary recall, alternate recall, and shunt trip modules get tied into the elevator controls?
Or do they not?
Are there a set of contacts that each of the modules tie into and thats all?
 

MisterCMK

Member
Location
Twin Cities, MN
So I need some help figuring this out.
How do the fire hat, priamary recall, alternate recall, and shunt trip modules get tied into the elevator controls?
Or do they not?
Are there a set of contacts that each of the modules tie into and thats all?

The contacts are provided to the elevator contractor. They take it from there.
 

bgelectric

Senior Member
So basically i need to get my FA modules in the vicinity and come off the contacts to the elevator controller...
 

gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
So basically i need to get my FA modules in the vicinity and come off the contacts to the elevator controller...

"Vicinity" being defined as "within 36 inches". The architect should have defined the primary and secondary recall floors. You'll have to program the elevator lobby detectors into the appropriate groups, along with the elevator machine room and top/bottom of shaft smoke detectors. The top/bottom of shaft heat detectors and elevator machine room detectors are programmed into the shunt trip group. I forget exactly which inputs trigger the fireman's hat, and sometimes there is both steady and flashing hat for the system. Double check with the elevator installer for which goes to what, and PUT IT IN WRITING. That can be just an e-mail to the architect, engineer, elevator contractor, and the owner or whomever you are contracting with describing exactly what you're doing.
 
Assuming you have sprinkler heads in the elevator shaft and machine/control room, you will need (5) relays:

1. primary level recall
2. alternate level recall
3. flashing fire hat
4. shunt trip
5. shunt trip power monitor

Items 1/2/3 will require a wire pair to interface to the elevator controls. The elevator tech. will land these on the elevator controls, then they'll need to be landed on the contacts of your addressable relay module. You'll need to map the appropriate detectors to the appropriate relay--review the matrix of operations on your approved prints and familiarize yourself with ASME A.17.1 and NFPA 72--they both have detailed sections explaining how initiating devices are to be mapped and the theory behind it. Phase 1 recall will turn on a "steady" fireman's hat from the elevator controls side when item 1 or 2 is activated--this is the case for most detectors. Phase 1 recall initiated from shaft or machine/control room smokes will initiate recall also, but need to activate item #3--this input activates a "flashing" fireman' hat.

Shunt trip is a slightly different operation. Item #4 relay will be mapped to shaft and machine/control room heat detectors. Your relay will control the power to the coil of the shunt trip breaker--an alarm condition will close your contacts and energize the coil. The coil power must be monitored by the FACP and initiate a supervisory condition--this is item #5 (NFPA72 2007/ 6.16.4.4).

As noted above, your relays need to be mounted within 3' of the device they are controlling--see NFPA 72 2007/ 6.16.2.2. Hope this simplified version helps.
 

Simplex

Member
Location
nowhere
Elevator controls...

Elevator controls...

Relay #1 - Primary Recall... activates when any smoke in any elevator lobby other than the primary floor (floor 1) detects smoke. Sends the car to floor 1.

Relay #2 - Alt Recall... activates when the smoke in the floor 1 elevator lobby detects smoke. Sends the car to Alternate floor (floor 2).

Relay #3 - Hat Flash... activates when there is smoke in the shaft or elevator machine room.

Relay #4 - Shunt... activates when the heat detectors at the top and/or bottom of the shaft (as long as it is sprinkled) detech heat, OR the heat detector in the elevator machine room detects heat. This relay will trip a coil in your cutoff panel which will thrip the main 480V breakers to the elevator controller. This is the part an electrician is responsible for.

Input Module - Shunt power monitor... Monitors the contact closure of a RIB, which is energized by the 120VAC which is responsible for tripping the aforementioned 480V breakers. Again, the electrician provides this line and the FA contractor monitors it.

Simple electricians should only concern themselves with the 120VAC circuit required to interrupt the 480VAC circuit to the elevator.

Connections to the elevator are made by the elevator contractor or the FA guy if he's familiar with the elevator in question. We typically run a 4-wire to the controller and terminate it ourselves if it's a Thyssen or Otis elevator. Otherwise we let the Elevator guy land it. FA is also not reponsible for programming or testing elevator recall functions. As long as our relay fires, we're done.
 

jewellfish

Member
Location
Indiana
You terminate the wiring on the elevator controller? That seems like an invitation for trouble. Wouldn't that make it your problem/ you liable if (1) you blow up the controller (2) it doesn't work?

I mark the wires and say "There you go"
 
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