Dumb FA question

[e57]

Anyone work with GE EST? Got to move some announciators - building as-builts aren't completed by the original installer yet. I'm gonna have to go look for the loop through in the unit I'm working in - map it out - re-pipe and re-pull it. Since my X-ray vision is on the fritz - I'm trying to limit the amount of searching I'll have to do.

Question is:
If you were wiring it - would you run the announciators through smoke locations - or would you keep all of them separate from initiating devices? (If it were you...)

Problem - I have to relocate 3 announciators - circuit comes in - hits my 3 announciators - then goes out. Silencing and re-pulling etc. not a problem - but the building engineer is yet to get as-builds back, so I'm gonna have to go exploring in other units.

 

[brennan]

Don't worry about keeping it separated.

 

[e57]

Should have mentioned this is all ENT in slab... Not worried about keeping it seperate - just trying to glimps what other people might do...

I often walk into buildings I'm remodeling, and say to my self - "If it were me - how would I have done it. And often I'm pretty good at that. But with FA - since I don't do many, I have to ask myself twice after the first point I looked in is wrong. I'm just trying not to have to say that little hidden line under my signature....

 

[benaround]

Is this whole thread just a pomo for your hidden words of wisdom ?

 

[e57]

Is this whole thread just a pomo for your hidden words of wisdom ?

No....

Maybe I phrase it another way. :wink:

If you were to pipe a whole floor of FA in cheapo ENT - would you further cheese it out and and run box to box of mixed devices - or would you have done all the announciators seperate?

I know I'm gonna have to open a bunch of boxes - but i'm looking to limit it to a 1/2 dozen as opposed to two dozen.

As mentioned I don't do much FA - just trying to get an idea of other peoples practice.

 

[quogueelectric]

Should have mentioned this is all ENT in slab... Not worried about keeping it seperate - just trying to glimps what other people might do...

I often walk into buildings I'm remodeling, and say to my self - "If it were me - how would I have done it. And often I'm pretty good at that. But with FA - since I don't do many, I have to ask myself twice after the first point I looked in is wrong. I'm just trying not to have to say that little hidden line under my signature....

Some systems need separation between annunciation and initiation loops. Ithink most comonly would be if speakers instead of horns are used. Some of the comm loops put unwanted noise on the speakers. Just call the rep and ask a tech they could tell you in 2.5 seconds.

 

[e57]

Some systems need separation between annunciation and initiation loops. Ithink most comonly would be if speakers instead of horns are used. Some of the comm loops put unwanted noise on the speakers. Just call the rep and ask a tech they could tell you in 2.5 seconds.

Thanks - thats the type of thing I'm looking for.

In three months or so I could get the as builds out of them... I have three days. The plans that they do have are only typical riser diagrams - no pathways, no addressing. And since the base building EC is still digesting it (and that they didn't get any of the TI's) they're not cooperative....

 

[benaround]

e57,

I just looked on the Web for your system, do you have an EST2 or EST3 ? If your system

has a 2 SDU component, it will print out 'as builts' for you, including tee taps!!

To answer your original question, I run the NA devices in there own conduit, any loop

or programable stuff will go together in another conduit.

 

[mistabass]

here in r.i. we have to run seprate pipe or cable try using toner to trace it out

 

[quogueelectric]

T taping is always a bad idea. Follow the plans to the letter and troubleshooting becomes a breeze. Or take the time to make as builts NEATLY!!!! No splices if you know what you are doing this is how I keep it from getting boring.

 

[e57]

Turned out to be looped box to box in two seperate runs - initiating and announciators seperat - except for EOL - the only place they came together.

After bugging the building Engineer for nearly a month - I finally, by pure chance bumped into the guy who ran it all in the elevator this morning who over-heard me bitching to my guys about us having to go search every box today, and not getting the as-builds for the system. "Hey - I was the foreman for the FA system - what do you want to know?" :grin:

(Had I not bumped into this guy I would have had to get 4 occupied units opened and arranged for access, and had to search through everything from smokes to dampers tugging on wire to find it.)