Fire alarm systems are kinda weird. All fire alarm systems, including the Notifier brand, use a "special fire alarm method" of detecting that the wires are broken, or a wire has come loose from a connector.
Inputs to Automation Systems versus Inputs to Fire Alarm Systems
The Inputs to Automation Systems have two conditions: Normal and Alarm
Normal: When the automation system input circuit is normal, that is the automation system is operating as it should, there is electrical current passing through all of the wires.
Alarm: When the automaton system input circuit is in alarm, the circuit opens up. It will open up when the device opens its switch (actual alarm), and it will open up when a forklift accidently breaks a wire (false alarm).
Bottom Line: No matter what the cause, whenever the wires open up, the automation system circuit is in alarm. Except in a few life safety circumstances, an alarm (or false alarm) stops production, and not much more.
The Inputs to Fire Alarm Systems have three conditions: Normal, Alarm, and Trouble
Normal: When a fire alarm input circuit is normal, that is no fire is detected, there is a small electrical current passing through all the wires. The small electrical current is not passing through any of the fire detection devices like switches and relays.
Used to complete the circuit so the small electrical current can pass through all the wires is an end of line resistor. The control panel (like the Notifier panel) senses this small current and considers the circuit is normal.
This is how the panel supervises the wires. It uses the small electrical current to check continuity of the wires.
Alarm: All fire alarm devices, including the flame detector and the heat detector, are across the two wires of the circuit. When there is no fire, all fire alarm input devices do not conduct electricity; their contacts are open.
When there is a fire, fire alarm devices close the circuit; when there is a fire, the devices short out the wires of the circuit.
That is how a fire alarm input device sends an alarm.
Trouble: When a wire breaks, or comes loose from a connector, the circuit has opened up. But just because a wire came loose from a connector in a fire alarm system, it is not a good idea to sound a fire alarm (in this case it would be a false alarm).
A false alarm will evacuate a building, and call the fire department. After a few false alarms, people ignore all fire alarms, and the fire department gets really annoyed. False alarms are not good.
Instead of sounding the fire alarms because a wire came loose or broke, the panel turns on its trouble light and buzzer. In essence, the fire alarm panel is saying "Fix It". All fire alarm panels, including the Notifier panel, have that feature.
Class B Wiring System
In the installation manuals for the Notifier panel and Flame Detector is the exact wiring diagrams that need to be used. I follow these diagrams, you should to.
Flame Detector and Notifier Panel Connections
The flame detector has trouble contacts that are meant to send a trouble indication to the fire panel. Also, the Notifier fire alarm control panel looks like it is meant to be used with some sort of releasing agent.
Whereas it's a simple doorbell wiring for the system (flame detector, heat detector, fire panel, and releasing agent), the consequences of not following the exact wiring, along with the proper testing procedures, can be very costly. The costs are both in terms of money and in terms of injury and life safety.
Douglas Krantz
