Horn strobes in bathrooms in residential units?

[shortcircuit1]

Hello,

Just wondering if we need to have horn strobes in residential unit bathrooms?I dont see any requirement in NFPA for this but just wondering if anyone has other opinions.

 

[gadfly56]

Hello,

Just wondering if we need to have horn strobes in residential unit bathrooms?I dont see any requirement in NFPA for this but just wondering if anyone has other opinions.

No residential unit is required to have a horn/strobe installed in the bathroom(s) under any national code that I am aware of. That covers single family detached, two-family, apartments, hotel/motel, and dormitories. Local amendments may apply. If this is a voluntary install, don't put a horn/strobe in a bathroom, especially one with a lot of tile, unless you really are trying to make the customer's ears bleed. A strobe-only unit would be more than sufficient. If there is a shower, tub, or combo in the bathroom you might consider an outdoor rated unit.

 

[steve66]

I agree with the previous reply.

Someone in the bathroom could normally hear a horn or alarm that is mounted somewhere outside but close to the bathroom.

An ADA unit might also need a strobe in the bathroom.

 

[gadfly56]

I agree with the previous reply.

Someone in the bathroom could normally hear a horn or alarm that is mounted somewhere outside but close to the bathroom.

An ADA unit might also need a strobe in the bathroom.

Possibly, although I've never seen the requirement. Usually the mandatory strobe goes in the bedroom, 177 or 185 cd depending on ceiling or wall mount.

 

[69gp]

Hello,

Just wondering if we need to have horn strobes in residential unit bathrooms?I dont see any requirement in NFPA for this but just wondering if anyone has other opinions.

Depends on what type of residential unit you have.As others have stated if its an ADA unit you need to have a strobe in the bathroom, bedroom and the living room.
Typically this would be in a housing complex and a whole building fire alarm system would be installed. In a lot of installs now we use system relay bases with combo piezo alarm / strobe

 

[gadfly56]

Depends on what type of residential unit you have.As others have stated if its an ADA unit you need to have a strobe in the bathroom, bedroom and the living room.
Typically this would be in a housing complex and a whole building fire alarm system would be installed. In a lot of installs now we use system relay bases with combo piezo alarm / strobe

In NJ the International Residential Code forbids the use of building-wide fire alarm systems for most "R" occupancies. You can't have your neighbor burn popcorn and ring the notification appliances in your unit. If you have an alarm panel, each resident must have access to the one covering his unit, making a single panel solution a non-starter. I found this out to my sorrow on a multi-building renovation project.

 

[69gp]

In NJ the International Residential Code forbids the use of building-wide fire alarm systems for most "R" occupancies. You can't have your neighbor burn popcorn and ring the notification appliances in your unit. If you have an alarm panel, each resident must have access to the one covering his unit, making a single panel solution a non-starter. I found this out to my sorrow on a multi-building renovation project.

I agree with you on your statement. With the system I was talking about if a detector went off in one apartment it would only alarm in that unit. But if there was a detector in a common area that went off or a water flow then it would trip the apartment notification units.

 

[Strathead]

Possibly, although I've never seen the requirement. Usually the mandatory strobe goes in the bedroom, 177 or 185 cd depending on ceiling or wall mount.

Actually NFPA 72 requires full coverage in an ADA suite. [edit] ADA requires the coverage, per NFPA 72 I think is a more accurate statement. The 177 requirement is just for the sleeping area and is required to be within 15 feet of the pillow or the place where the head rests. However, bathrooms and separate living spaces within the ADA suite are required to have visual and adequate sound coverage.

 

[shortcircuit1]

No residential unit is required to have a horn/strobe installed in the bathroom(s) under any national code that I am aware of. That covers single family detached, two-family, apartments, hotel/motel, and dormitories. Local amendments may apply. If this is a voluntary install, don't put a horn/strobe in a bathroom, especially one with a lot of tile, unless you really are trying to make the customer's ears bleed. A strobe-only unit would be more than sufficient. If there is a shower, tub, or combo in the bathroom you might consider an outdoor rated unit.

Thanks!

 

[gadfly56]

I agree with you on your statement. With the system I was talking about if a detector went off in one apartment it would only alarm in that unit. But if there was a detector in a common area that went off or a water flow then it would trip the apartment notification units.

That's the solution we proposed and it was shot down. The key provision in the IRC is that the alarm system becomes a permanent part of the premises and is in the possession of the owner (314.4.7.3). The owner is responsible for maintenance, hook up to central station, etc. What could be done is a monitor module that ties into the building system in each unit and sends a signal back to the building system when any device in the unit goes into alarm. Two modules if you need to distinguish fire from CO.

 

[gadfly56]

Actually NFPA 72 requires full coverage in an ADA suite. [edit] ADA requires the coverage, per NFPA 72 I think is a more accurate statement. The 177 requirement is just for the sleeping area and is required to be within 15 feet of the pillow or the place where the head rests. However, bathrooms and separate living spaces within the ADA suite are required to have visual and adequate sound coverage.

Are you sure you aren't confusing the IBC/IRC with NFPA 72? We're on the 2013 edition and there is nothing about residential bathroom coverage in it, and it barely mentions the ADA.