Elect2011
Member
- Location
- Reston, VA
Dose the fire alarm wiring should be installed and enclosed inconduits? The building is a multifamily 4 story building.
Thanks,
Thanks,
Fire alarm wiring
- Thread starter Elect2011
- Start date
- Status
Strathead
Senior Member
- Location
- Ocala, Florida, USA
- Occupation
- Electrician/Estimator/Project Manager/Superintendent
The short answer is no.
B4T
Senior Member
- Location
- Long Island, N.Y.
You really need to check with Fire Marshall in case they have more requirements than NFPA 72..
peter d
Senior Member
- Location
- New England
I agree with the answers provided but I would not assume anything when it comes to fire alarm wiring. Unlike premises wiring covered by the NEC, fire alarm rules vary widely and extremely from state to state and even between municipalities in the same state. In my state, all fire alarm wiring has to be in metal raceway and/or MC cable, even in residential.
But, barring any local codes, conduit is not required for what you describe.
Sounds almost like Chi-town rules.
peter d
Senior Member
- Location
- New England
Yeah, very similar. Actually they are worse than Chicago rules. No die cast EMT fittings, no splices in fire alarm circuits unless they are in a lockable hinged cover box, no class B loops with the EOL at the last device...I could go on but it's already absurd enough. :roll:
absurd/ or more money?
peter d
Senior Member
- Location
- New England
Sure, more money for the EC. But remember, the consumer ultimately pays for everything so when a landlord or business owner is faced with a fire alarm system installation that costs ten or hundreds of thousands to install to comply with all these rules, guess who that cost gets pass down to?
shortcircuit2
Senior Member
- Location
- South of Bawstin
Would the fire alarm wiring have to be in conduits in a article 547 horse barn?
gadfly56
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
No, but based on personal experience, the rodents love it, so you best be putting it in conduit anyway.
shortcircuit2
Senior Member
- Location
- South of Bawstin
The UL listing for fire alarm cable seems to imply that sections over 10ft need to be in conduit. Any comments regarding this?
POWER-LIMITED FIRE ALARM CABLE (HNIR)
USE AND INSTALLATION
This category covers power-limited fire alarm cable intended for use in power-limited circuits in accordance with Article 760 of ANSI/NFPA 70, "National Electrical Code" (NEC).
Unless a higher temperature rating is marked on the cable, power-limited fire alarm cable is intended for use where operating temperature does not exceed 60?C. The voltage rating is 300 V but is not marked.
Power-limited Fire Alarm Cable HNIR PRODUCT MARKINGS
Power-limited fire alarm cable is identified by a marking on the surface of the jacket or on a marker tape under the jacket. This marking includes one of the following Type designations:
FPL ? Indicates cable intended for use within buildings in accordance with Section 760. 154 (C) of the NEC. This cable does not spread flame to the top of the tray in the Vertical-Tray Flame Test in ANSI/UL 1685, "Vertical-Tray Fire-Propagation and Smoke-Release Test for Electrical and Optical-Fiber Cables."
FPLP ? Indicates cable intended for use within buildings in ducts or plenums or other spaces used for environmental air in accordance with Section 760. 154 (A) of the NEC. This cable exhibits a maximum peak optical density of 0.5, a maximum average optical density of 0.15, and a maximum flame spread distance of 5 ft when tested per ANSI/NFPA 262, "Standard Method of Test for Flame Travel and Smoke of Wires and Cables for Use in Air-Handling Spaces."
FPLR ? Indicates cable intended for use within buildings in vertical shafts in accordance with Section 760. 154 (B) of the NEC. The flame propagation height of this cable is less than 12 ft when tested per ANSI/UL 1666, "Test for Flame Propagation Height of Electrical and Optical-Fiber Cables Installed Vertically in Shafts."
Power-limited Fire Alarm Cable ? Indicates cable suitable for use within buildings (1) where the cable is enclosed in a raceway, or (2) in nonconcealed spaces where the exposed length of cable does not exceed 10 ft, in accordance with Sections 760. 154 (C)(2) and (3) of the NEC. This cable complies with the VW-1 Flame Test requirements in ANSI/UL 1581 .
Listed Type FPLP cable that is additionally marked "Also Classified NYC CERT Fire Alarm Cable" has been evaluated in accordance with the requirements of the Fire Alarm Code of the Department of Buildings of the City of New York.
Cable that complies with the requirements for "Limited Combustible" specified in ANSI/NFPA 90A, "Installation of Air Conditioning and Ventilating Systems," is surface marked "Limited Combustible."
Cable marked "direct burial," "for direct burial" or "dir bur" has been investigated and found suitable for direct burial in the earth.
Cable marked "sunlight resistant" or "sun res" may be exposed to the direct rays of the sun.
Cable marked "CI (max voltage ___)" is suitable for use as circuit integrity cable at the maximum voltage to ground indicated, in accordance with Section 760. 179 (G) of the NEC.
Cable marked "wet" or "wet location" is suitable for use in wet locations.
Cable marked "-30C," "-40C," "-50C," "-60C" or "-70C" complies with a cold bend test conducted at that temperature.
It is not listed for a corrosive enviroment either?
shortcircuit
POWER-LIMITED FIRE ALARM CABLE (HNIR)
USE AND INSTALLATION
This category covers power-limited fire alarm cable intended for use in power-limited circuits in accordance with Article 760 of ANSI/NFPA 70, "National Electrical Code" (NEC).
Unless a higher temperature rating is marked on the cable, power-limited fire alarm cable is intended for use where operating temperature does not exceed 60?C. The voltage rating is 300 V but is not marked.
Power-limited Fire Alarm Cable HNIR PRODUCT MARKINGS
Power-limited fire alarm cable is identified by a marking on the surface of the jacket or on a marker tape under the jacket. This marking includes one of the following Type designations:
FPL ? Indicates cable intended for use within buildings in accordance with Section 760. 154 (C) of the NEC. This cable does not spread flame to the top of the tray in the Vertical-Tray Flame Test in ANSI/UL 1685, "Vertical-Tray Fire-Propagation and Smoke-Release Test for Electrical and Optical-Fiber Cables."
FPLP ? Indicates cable intended for use within buildings in ducts or plenums or other spaces used for environmental air in accordance with Section 760. 154 (A) of the NEC. This cable exhibits a maximum peak optical density of 0.5, a maximum average optical density of 0.15, and a maximum flame spread distance of 5 ft when tested per ANSI/NFPA 262, "Standard Method of Test for Flame Travel and Smoke of Wires and Cables for Use in Air-Handling Spaces."
FPLR ? Indicates cable intended for use within buildings in vertical shafts in accordance with Section 760. 154 (B) of the NEC. The flame propagation height of this cable is less than 12 ft when tested per ANSI/UL 1666, "Test for Flame Propagation Height of Electrical and Optical-Fiber Cables Installed Vertically in Shafts."
Power-limited Fire Alarm Cable ? Indicates cable suitable for use within buildings (1) where the cable is enclosed in a raceway, or (2) in nonconcealed spaces where the exposed length of cable does not exceed 10 ft, in accordance with Sections 760. 154 (C)(2) and (3) of the NEC. This cable complies with the VW-1 Flame Test requirements in ANSI/UL 1581 .
Listed Type FPLP cable that is additionally marked "Also Classified NYC CERT Fire Alarm Cable" has been evaluated in accordance with the requirements of the Fire Alarm Code of the Department of Buildings of the City of New York.
Cable that complies with the requirements for "Limited Combustible" specified in ANSI/NFPA 90A, "Installation of Air Conditioning and Ventilating Systems," is surface marked "Limited Combustible."
Cable marked "direct burial," "for direct burial" or "dir bur" has been investigated and found suitable for direct burial in the earth.
Cable marked "sunlight resistant" or "sun res" may be exposed to the direct rays of the sun.
Cable marked "CI (max voltage ___)" is suitable for use as circuit integrity cable at the maximum voltage to ground indicated, in accordance with Section 760. 179 (G) of the NEC.
Cable marked "wet" or "wet location" is suitable for use in wet locations.
Cable marked "-30C," "-40C," "-50C," "-60C" or "-70C" complies with a cold bend test conducted at that temperature.
It is not listed for a corrosive enviroment either?
shortcircuit
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