facp smoke location

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HFD262

Member
Location
Huntington NY
If I'm installing a Single smoke detector in any area with a 40 foot ceiling Is there a specific height requirement for the smoke detector wall-mounted over the center of the panel?
 

HFD262

Member
Location
Huntington NY
I should be more specific I thought there was a standard or requirement that it was a single smoke a high warehouse ceiling just to make it we climate of a FACP smoke you didn't want to mounted on the way at the top of the ceiling I just remembered it from my nicet days was trying to look it up could not find info
 

luckylerado

Senior Member
I should be more specific I thought there was a standard or requirement that it was a single smoke a high warehouse ceiling just to make it we climate of a FACP smoke you didn't want to mounted on the way at the top of the ceiling I just remembered it from my nicet days was trying to look it up could not find info

I am not sure I understand. What good is a smoke detector that is not close to the ceiling?
 

mgookin

Senior Member
Location
Fort Myers, FL
Smoke will likely never rise to 40' inside the building. Theory is that it rises, begins to cool, and stops rising. OP has a good question but I think he's in the wrong forum. I have lots of education in fire protection but haven't used it in over a decade.

Let's get back to the big picture. Does code require a smoke detector over the FACP? If yes, what code & section/ article is it? (can you paste it here?)
 

gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
I am not sure I understand. What good is a smoke detector that is not close to the ceiling?

At 40 feet and a low intensity fire, the smoke plume will cool off and achieve neutral buoyancy before it reaches the ceiling. The detector never sees the smoke and doesn't warn of the fire.

You can try making a 3 foot or so "L" bracket and hang the smoke detector on it over the panel at 8 foot high or so. That way as the smoke rises past the detector enough may make it into the detection chamber to set it off.
 

luckylerado

Senior Member
Does code require a smoke detector over the FACP? If yes, what code & section/ article is it?

NFPA 72 2013


10.4.4* In areas that are not continuously occupied, automatic smoke detection shall be provided at the location of each fire alarm control unit(s), notification appliance circuit power extenders, and supervising station transmitting equipment to provide notification of fire at that location.
 

mgookin

Senior Member
Location
Fort Myers, FL
NFPA 72 2013


10.4.4* In areas that are not continuously occupied, automatic smoke detection shall be provided at the location of each fire alarm control unit(s), notification appliance circuit power extenders, and supervising station transmitting equipment to provide notification of fire at that location.

Thanks for the post luckylerado

At 40 feet and a low intensity fire, the smoke plume will cool off and achieve neutral buoyancy before it reaches the ceiling. The detector never sees the smoke and doesn't warn of the fire.

You can try making a 3 foot or so "L" bracket and hang the smoke detector on it over the panel at 8 foot high or so. That way as the smoke rises past the detector enough may make it into the detection chamber to set it off.

This is a common solution but I'd run it by the fire marshal first. They may want specific dimensions & distances.
 
Smoke over FACP

Smoke over FACP

I'm sure you already got this figured out but with a ceiling that high, you will probably need to suspend a smoke down like you would for stratification. Like he said above, though, run it by the AHJ.
 
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