Painting Fire Alarm Cables
- Thread starter jusme123
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- Massachusetts
Interesting, but in the other thread I was clearly talking about post inspection. 
Interesting, but in the other thread I was clearly talking about post inspection.
I just discovered you are correct, some states/counties do allow painting of the FA cable. They also require the cable to be field evaluated by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory, or replace painted cables. Their reason is this, painting fire alarm cable will alter it's tested flame exposure characteristics and may even contribute to more rapid spreading of a fire
If you wouldn't mind, where did you find such information? I would like to see the scientific basis for those requirement. Are there cases in which this has been an actual fire in which significant flame propagation was accelerated by paint on a cable? (Not the cable itself causing fire spread such as the las vegas hilton) I am in the fire service, and cannot recall of one, but I am willing to rethink my opinion if there is even anecdotal evidence that is a problem.
So we are talking about the same thing: Flame spread and smoke development characteristics are the metrics involved for interior finishes, at least for the IBC (coatings less that 36 mils is one exception)
"Flame exposure characteristics"
--If, this mattered, then every painted surface would require reevaluation. Gypsum board is rated for a flame resistance, exposure time etc. When you add paint, it would change, ever so slightly. When the cable passes through a fire rated assembly, the cable isn't painted in it, therefore the flame spread is unaffected between the spaces. (unless you paint the cable then pass it through the wall, this is illogical, IMO)
"may even contribute to more rapid spreading of a fire" (flame spread)
The ENTIRE surface is covered in paint. The ratio of paint on the cable is insignificant to the remaining surfaces. If the paint would lead to an unacceptable smoke release rate, then its not suited to be used inside anyway. If, the spread of fire with the cable is an issue, it would be through a rated partition (see above). Fire does not spread faster on the surface of a cable, including the jacket, than the other materials in typically found in a building PVC piping, which the jacket of nonplenum cable is made of.
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