Hello, needless to say I am new here and fairly new to fire alarm systems. I have taken a few fire alarm classes in the past in Sarasota and obtained my IMSA Level 1 certification.
I am in a 21 story office building with plenty of emergency generators and even UPS in many areas. We have an EST FCC with around 26 IRC panels scattered about. A couple of my superiors insist our Secondary power requirements are met with the generators and or UPS systems. These systems back up only the 120vac to the primary power supplies in the IRC panel assemblies. I maintain you still need the batteries that come in the panel assembly to back up the the primary power supply that is provided in the panel assembly. Is that clear as mud? The point being, if we don't need the batteries by code, why test, maintain and replace them? From what I can tell in NFPA72 4.4.1.5.1 and 4.4.1.6.1 I say we need them! If you lose a fuse or circuit board in the power supply in the fire alarm panel all the 120vac in the world coming to it is not going to do you any good. I am being told I am carrying it too far. Correct me if need be.
Of course with the few panels we may have on UPS the 10 second time frame woud be covered on those but I doubt we could get generators that quick!
Carl
I am in a 21 story office building with plenty of emergency generators and even UPS in many areas. We have an EST FCC with around 26 IRC panels scattered about. A couple of my superiors insist our Secondary power requirements are met with the generators and or UPS systems. These systems back up only the 120vac to the primary power supplies in the IRC panel assemblies. I maintain you still need the batteries that come in the panel assembly to back up the the primary power supply that is provided in the panel assembly. Is that clear as mud? The point being, if we don't need the batteries by code, why test, maintain and replace them? From what I can tell in NFPA72 4.4.1.5.1 and 4.4.1.6.1 I say we need them! If you lose a fuse or circuit board in the power supply in the fire alarm panel all the 120vac in the world coming to it is not going to do you any good. I am being told I am carrying it too far. Correct me if need be.
Of course with the few panels we may have on UPS the 10 second time frame woud be covered on those but I doubt we could get generators that quick!
Carl
