Can You Help Me Connect Devices to a Loop?

Greetings Douglas,

I'm J K from another country. Can you please help me connect devices to a loop? Can you install detector and a pull station on the same loop as a sounder, or are they separate loops?

Thank you, J K

There are many types of fire alarm system loops. The loops are meant to carry signals from the devices to the panel, or the loops are meant to carry signals from the panel to the devices. With many fire alarm systems, though, the loop is meant to carry signals both directions: from the devices to the panel and from the panel to the devices.

Often, the detectors and pull stations are connected to one loop and the sounders are connected to another loop, but how the devices are connected is determined by the manufacturer.

What kind of loop it is and how to connect to the loop will be different from one manufacturer and model of fire alarm system to the next. The way the equipment is connected will be determined by how the manufacturer has designed the panel, how the manufacturer has designed the loop, and how the manufacturer has designed the devices that connect to the loop.

With the fire alarm panel and with each device, the manufacturer has included an installation sheet or installation manual. These sheets and manuals show how the system is to be installed. This installation information material even has diagrams showing how to wire in the devices and the panel to the loop.

Thoroughly read the installation sheets and the installation manual. Not only does this material have wiring diagrams, but this material has explanations and specifications on each piece of equipment and device used in the fire alarm system.


If you are still having problems understanding the system, you can send me the make and model of the fire alarm panel, as well as the devices. When I know more, I can explain what's going on further.

Douglas Krantz

Further Question

Mr. Krantz

This is the panel. Please take a look at it.

Thank you, J K

This is a conventional fire alarm panel. It came with an installation manual.

You need to get the installation manual and read the manual because it shows you how to connect the detectors, the pull stations, and the sounders.

Did you install the panel in the wall? Whoever installed the panel in the wall will have the installation manual. If they lost the installation manual, or need to keep the manual themselves, they are the ones that can get a new instruction manual from Notifier (the name of the company that made the panel).

The detectors and the pull stations are what cause the panel to sound the alarm. They send signals to the fire alarm panel, so they are input devices.

The sounders receive signals from the panel, so they are outputs from the panel.

The inputs to the panel are on separate loops. The outputs from the panel will be on separate loops.

You can get more information on the loop wiring by looking at:

This wiring will be used for both the input and output wiring. Below the article itself is a button to get a free Class B Wiring diagram.

The drawings in the instruction manual will also show you how the loops should be wired.

Douglas Krantz