smoke alarms

[puckman]

i get calls from time to time from people who want their smokes tested because the town or fire dept.wants them tested either for a yearly test or because of a call to the property for what ever reason. what is the best way to test them ? and is there any permit or paper work that has to be pulled for this type of work? i haven't taken any jobs because of not kbnowing how it should be done.

 

[bphgravity]

Follow the manufacturer's instructions that come with the smoke alarm. In most cases, the only "test" is the test button on the device itself. Many alarm manufacturers do not recommend smoke can tests.

A permit would not be required in the State of Florida for this type of work.

 

[cowboyjwc]

If this is for commercial work, our fire department requires a smoke test and no permit from Building and Safety would be required.

 

[kkwong]

Both John and Bryan have hit it on the head. The only thing that I will throw in to the mix is that if this is a commercial building, some brands do allow canned smoke and have the option of magnetic testing. Try not to use the magnetic test since all it does is shunt the power to the device. The idea is to test the detection ability of the device, not to test to see if a power shunt will send the building in to alarm.

 

[mdshunk]

I try to make a big dog and pony show out of testing smokes (and em lights too). Physical removal and cleaning with canned air. Reinstallation. Testing with the test button. Testing with canned smoke. Station by station written report, complete with hr:mm:sec times of testing of each station. Sell the sizzle, brother. You can make some dough on these. If they see you come in and just press the test buttons, they might feel gypped.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Most of the test buttons on currently available smokes don't really test the device...they test a parallel part of the IC that runs the smoke detector on the assumption that both parts of the IC will fail at the same time. I like the old photo detetors where the test button move a small piece of metal into the smoke chamber to simulate smoke. That was a real functional test of the device.
Don

 

[wbalsam1]

i get calls from time to time from people who want their smokes tested because the town or fire dept.wants them tested either for a yearly test or because of a call to the property for what ever reason. what is the best way to test them ? and is there any permit or paper work that has to be pulled for this type of work? i haven't taken any jobs because of not kbnowing how it should be done.

In NY, the AHJ is responsible for conducting 2 inspections having to do with smoke detectors. The first is a system rough wire inspection usually referred to as an "installation" inspection. This is commonly done by third-party electrical inspectors or governmental electrical inspection departments within the community. The second inspection is usually done by the building official and is commonly referred to as the "performance" inspection. This is where the AHJ actually directs the installer to test the system(s). Building officials are instructed early on in their training to "cause the inspection testing to take place but do not create the liability of conducting the actual test, just oversee it"...