Hard wired smoke ALARMS

[dhalleron]

I still say they should not be interconnected between apartments.

Here is the requirement for the maximum of 12. It is referring to smoke alarms and does not say wired or wireless. I believe your wireless ones are still limited to 12 because they are not supervised.

NFPA 72 2010 Edition:
29.8.2.2* The interconnection of smoke or heat alarms shall
comply with the following:
(1) Smoke or heat alarms shall not be interconnected in
numbers that exceed the manufacturer?s published instructions.
(2) In no case shall more than 18 initiating devices be interconnected
(of which 12 can be smoke alarms) where the
interconnecting means is not supervised.
(3) In no case shall more than 64 initiating devices be interconnected
(of which 42 can be smoke alarms) where the
interconnecting means is supervised.

 

[JustWork]

Rob It does not say that we are required to interconnect the alarms from different apartments which is one of my issues concerning the smoke alarms. Smoke alarms are to be interconnected only to the ones in the individual apartments.

The officials said they wanted every smoke alarm that is installed in this residential building which has three apartments to be interconnected.

So I have three apartments at this site with a common stairwell and basement with what will now be 7 sd/co combos and 7 smoke alarms hard wired interconnected. The total interconnected devices are well within the requirements of what the Manufacturers have designed them for.

However according to code I have exceeded 12 hard wired interconnected alarms. Because I must count the combo unit as a smoke alarm.

My original drawing shows 10 interconnected devices but after inspections and request from them for me to add the extra devices the total is now 14 interconnected devices. As of this moment all inspections have passed except for the final c/o inspector.

I do want to say thank you to everyone that has commented on this post.

I knew what was/is required and did what was approved and as requested by them (AHJ) through out the submittal/permit and inspection process. I am a professional in a skilled trade as well as all of you and for the first time in 25 years of holding my license I'm just not happy with this whole thing.

 

[infinity]

Rob It does not say that we are required to interconnect the alarms from different apartments which is one of my issues concerning the smoke alarms. Smoke alarms are to be interconnected only to the ones in the individual apartments.

The officials said they wanted every smoke alarm that is installed in this residential building which has three apartments to be interconnected.

So I have three apartments at this site with a common stairwell and basement with what will now be 7 sd/co combos and 7 smoke alarms hard wired interconnected. The total interconnected devices are well within the requirements of what the Manufacturers have designed them for.

It was a while ago but from what I remember this is incorrect (information I received at a CEU class). Just because they want it done this way doesn't make it right. I'm pretty sure that requirment comes out of NFPA72 but that would only be a guess.

 

[JustWork]

I agree with you 100%

 

[gadfly56]

It was a while ago but from what I remember this is incorrect (information I received at a CEU class). Just because they want it done this way doesn't make it right. I'm pretty sure that requirment comes out of NFPA72 but that would only be a guess.

NFPA-72 (2007)
11.5.2.2
Unless otherwise permitted by the authority having
jursidiction, audible fire alarm signals shall sound only in an
individual dwelling unit, suite of rooms, or similar area and
shall not be arranged to operate fire warning equipment or
fire alarm systems outside these locations. Remote annunciation
shall be permitted.

So, yeah they can request it but it's a dumb idea. The appendix note explains why. Ask them this: What happens when someone burns the popcorn at 2:00 in the morning, waking up the neighbors' 3-month old? That's FAR more likely to happen than an actual fire. Everyone is going to be harrassed by each and every false alarm, leading to ... what? You guessed it, disabling of the interconnected smoke detectors.

 

[JustWork]

That was my topic of concern when I talked to them prior to submitting the drawings.