A/V Fire Alarm device in small Bathroom

M

mce eng

New User
Location
NY
Occupation
Designer
I was recently flagged by the local AHJ for installing strobe devices instead of speaker/strobe devices in a small single user bathroom located in a dormitory. The single user bathroom is located in the core of the building, surrounded by corridor. The corridor contains speaker/strobe devices. Most resources online indicate an audible device should not be installed in such a small space because it could get amplified and cause hearing damage. My argument is the single user bathroom is located adjacent to the corridor and the audible alarm in the corridor is sufficient to meet the requirement of 15db above ambient noise level. Is there a section in NFPA 72 which would clearly support not locating an audible device in this small bathroom? Everything I read online supports not putting the audible devices in small bathrooms but i would like a reference in the code. Thanks
 
I agree with you 100%.

The specific code section would be in NFPA 72 - where requirements for sound dBa levels are listed. (But I don't know what paragraph or required dBa levels off the top of my head).

The 100% proof it meets code would be to measure the background and audible sound levels in the restroom and verify there is enough dBa (decibel level above ambient) to meet the code.
 
The person in the bathroom needs to hear the audio. You will need to show a sound calculation to "prove" that during design or do a sound test after it is built. It is a performance issue, not prescriptive unless you put the combo device in the bathroom.
 
ron said:
The person in the bathroom needs to hear the audio. You will need to show a sound calculation to "prove" that during design or do a sound test after it is built. It is a performance issue, not prescriptive unless you put the combo device in the bathroom.
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I don't disagree, but I have never performed such a calc, and have never been asked to perform one. And as far as I am aware, nobody on any of my projects have ever been asked to actually measure the sound levels.

Leaving a horn out of a restroom that is directly off a corridor, is very routine when the corridor has a horn. I think I have even seen a statistic for the average reduction in sound level through one door - and it was pretty low.

Kinda like emergency lighting - there is supposed to be 1 FC average, with min. levels and a certain max/min ratio. But most people just design off the typical spacing provided by manufacturer cutsheets. I'm never seen anyone actually survey the lighting levels and try to figure out all the statistics.

The closest I have ever come to that was one inspector who just walked around with the em. lights on and said "Well, it seems a little dark."
 
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