Fire Alarm Wiring

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dnbob

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Rochester, MN
Curious what people are using for fire alarm wire when ran in conduit. Solid or stranded for the horn/strobe circuits. 24v. DC systems
 
dnbob said:
Curious what people are using for fire alarm wire when ran in conduit. Solid or stranded for the horn/strobe circuits. 24v. DC systems
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Here in Rhode Island, we are required to use 14AWG solid in conduit. Blue/white for annunciation, black/red for detection. One fire marshal failed us for using stranded green for grounding conductor, and a different marshal failed us for using wire nuts on the grounds. He made us take them all out and replace them with crimp connectors. Mind you, we had already used those cursed terminal strips on the other joints. Pain in the ass.
 
We use solid also. It's kind of horrible when you have a speaker/strobe device with 8 solid conductors terminated to it and try to push it back into the box.
 
ArcNSpark said:
Here in Rhode Island, we are required to use 14AWG solid in conduit. Blue/white for annunciation, black/red for detection. One fire marshal failed us for using stranded green for grounding conductor, and a different marshal failed us for using wire nuts on the grounds. He made us take them all out and replace them with crimp connectors. Mind you, we had already used those cursed terminal strips on the other joints. Pain in the ass.
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Ya, Whats up with those guys! Everything down there is a PITA! Brown & purple for aux power?

Most of the FA in conduit Up here (Ma-NH) is stranded. Unless specd' out otherwise. I find mostly the "older" EEs spec it. Even the Government has loosened up on solid.
 
keesha said:
Ya, Whats up with those guys! Everything down there is a PITA! Brown & purple for aux power?
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Brown and purple for 24 volt power and solid wire are both requirements from the Rhode Island state fire code, among many other local rules. Like any local code, some times those rules get "exported" to neighboring areas by contractors doing work out of state thinking that's how things are done everywhere.
 
Not a problem with the color codes or the termination requirements.
What to do when useing FPL, or MC? Or is that not allowed.
(I'm more involved from the service end,not the install side)
 
keesha said:
Not a problem with the color codes or the termination requirements.
What to do when useing FPL, or MC? Or is that not allowed.
(I'm more involved from the service end,not the install side)
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In RI you can use MC or FPL cable as long as it's color coded right. And all FA circuits have to be in metal raceway and/or MC cable. It makes tons of work for electricians but it's really hard on business owners who have to lay down $20,000 or more to have a fire alarm installed in their building. Don't get me started on that....
 
Using both on Long Island, I prefer the stranded myself, Few # 16's and # 14's in 3/4 emt what could be better? The fire alarm cable usually clp3 seems to damage very easily, especially when shielded is required. If I wasn't paying for it I would put everything in pipe and use thhn, as mentioned, being able to use a entire scope of colors makes trouble shooting a lot easier, I'll ask for red\/black, blue/yellow- feed and return for data loop and same for horn strobe and if the system has a speaker circuit i'll use black/white to distinguish it from the data loop.


Rhode Island Boys - What's the argument for solid over stranded in conduit? Any reason behind the code?
 
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Wiring?

Wiring?

I am just curious, i need to run power to the fire alarm sytem, and I was going to do it in 12/2 MC cable. However, coming out of the system itself, i was going to use either 14/2 or 18/2 red wire to the strobes and pullstations, as well as the actual alarms themselves.

Am i on the right track here? Just looking for some input.

Thanks
 
LLSolutions said:
Using both on Long Island, I prefer the stranded myself, Few # 16's and # 14's in 3/4 emt what could be better? The fire alarm cable usually clp3 seems to damage very easily, especially when shielded is required. If I wasn't paying for it I would put everything in pipe and use thhn, as mentioned, being able to use a entire scope of colors makes trouble shooting a lot easier, I'll ask for red\/black, blue/yellow- feed and return for data loop and same for horn strobe and if the system has a speaker circuit i'll use black/white to distinguish it from the data loop.


Rhode Island Boys - What's the argument for solid over stranded in conduit? Any reason behind the code?
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No idea....maybe to make it harder to pull through 1/2" EMT?

Either way, it is what it is. No choice but to comply, right?
 
mmarro said:
I am just curious, i need to run power to the fire alarm sytem, and I was going to do it in 12/2 MC cable. However, coming out of the system itself, i was going to use either 14/2 or 18/2 red wire to the strobes and pullstations, as well as the actual alarms themselves.

Am i on the right track here? Just looking for some input.

Thanks
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Check the manual that comes with the fire alarm control panel. They always contain tables for reccomended wire sizes and how far you can run each size. Also, you need to check your local codes as well.

Generally speaking you can use 18/2 minimum for your initiating loop and 14/2 minimum for your horn strobes. But check the manual first.
 
ArcNSpark said:
Here in Rhode Island, we are required to use 14AWG solid in conduit. Blue/white for annunciation, black/red for detection. One fire marshal failed us for using stranded green for grounding conductor, and a different marshal failed us for using wire nuts on the grounds. He made us take them all out and replace them with crimp connectors. Mind you, we had already used those cursed terminal strips on the other joints. Pain in the ass.
Click to expand...

Yeah, isn't it ridiculous what you have to go through. A wire nut on a ground wire...oh, the horror. :roll:
 
fire alarm wiring

fire alarm wiring

as far as i'm concerened in nyc you need to use 3/4" conduit (emt is fine) #12(stranded is fine as well) for 110 vac input & #10 solid green for ground in
"conduit" only no greenfeild
hope it's gonna help you out a little
 
he1029 said:
as far as i'm concerened in nyc you need to use 3/4" conduit (emt is fine) #12(stranded is fine as well) for 110 vac input & #10 solid green for ground in
"conduit" only no greenfeild
hope it's gonna help you out a little
Click to expand...

Um, ok. :confused:

How about a code reference?
 
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