1. Denver Fire Alarm Test Prep
Initiating Devices and Notification Appliances
Ted “Smitty” Smith 2013

2. 17.4 Initiating devices shall be protected from mechanical damage
Protective guards must be listed for use with the device
Duplicate terminals provided for the express purpose of supervising the wire
Detectors installed in concealed locations above 10’ AFF shall be provided with remote alarm indicators
Remote alarm indicators must in an accessible location and clearly marked for function and associated detector

3. 17.5 General Requirements for Smoke and Heat Detectors
Can not be recessed unless specifically listed for recessed mounting.
Partitions and walls that extend to 15% of the ceiling height effective divide the room and the locations on each side shall be considered separate rooms

4. 17.5.3.1 Total or Complete Coverage includes All rooms Storage areas
Attics and lofts
Other subdivisions of the building
Inside all closets
Enclosed stairways

5. 17.5.3.1 Total coverage does NOT include inaccessible areas
Exception: Not required in a blind inaccessible area if one of the following apply:
Ceiling is attached to the underside of a combustible roof
Space is entirely filled with non combustible insulation
Spaces over room which do not exceed 50 square feet
Spaces between facing studs which are closer than 6”

6.
Total coverage does not require detectors below open grid ceilings if:
Grid openings are ¼” or larger
Material thickness does not exceed least dimension
Openings account for at least 70% of the surface area
Total coverage does not require detectors in plenums above suspended ceilings when each connection from the plenum to the HVAC system has a detector.

7.
Total coverage does not apply to under open loading docks and shall not be required in accessible under floor spaces when:
The space is not accessible for storage or entrance
The space contains no equipment, pipes, wires or conveyors
Floor over the space is tight
No flammable liquids are on the floor above the space

8. 17.5.3.2 and 17.5.3.3 Partial, Selective and Non0required coverage
Intent is to protect against special hazards
When installed must comply with NFPA 72 requirements as if it was a required area

9. HEAT DETECTOR GENERAL

10. 17.6.1 Heat Detectors- General
Heat detection design docs has to include the performance objective of the system
Must be marked with a color code or numerals at least 3/8” to indicate temperature
Temperature of the detector shall be at least 20 degrees F above the maximum expected temperature at the ceiling.

11. 17.6.3 Heat Detector Location and Spacing Can not exceed their listing
Detectors shall be located ½ their listed spacing from walls and partitions within the top 15% of ceiling height
All points on the ceiling shall have a detector within .7 of the listed spacing
Ceiling mount detectors shall NOT be mounted within 4” of the sidewall
Wall mounted heat detectors shall be mounted between 4” and 12” of the ceiling
Line type heat detectors shall be mounted within 20” of the ceiling unless mounted on the bottom of joists and beams

12. 17.6.3.2 Solid Joist Construction
Joists project down more than 4” and are spaced 3’ or less
Requires heat detectors be mounted on bottom of joists
Spacing perpendicular to the joists shall be reduced by 50%

13.
Definition: Beam project down more than 4” and spaced more than 3’
A ceiling is considered to be a smooth ceiling if the beams project no more than 4” from the ceiling
Spacing at right angles to beam travel not more than 2/3 listing for 4.1” to 18”
More than 18” and more than 8’ on center: Each bay considered a separate area

14.
Beams less than 12” and less than 8’ on center detectors can be mounted to the bottom of the beam
Ratio rules: D/H Beam depth to Ceiling Height greater than .10 in Beam Pocket, Less than .10 on beam bottom
W/H Beam spacing to Ceiling Height greater than .40 in Beam pocket, less than .40 on beam bottom

15. 17.6.3.4 Sloped Ceiling (Peak and Shed type)
Less than 30 degrees, all detectors spacing using height at ceiling
30 degrees plus: all detectors, except those at peak, spaced using average slope height or height of peak
Row of detectors first placed at or within 36” of the peak

16.
Ceiling Heights up to and including 10’ shall use heat detector listed spacing
Ceiling Heights above 10’ and up to and including 30’ shall reduce spacing using table
Minimum spacing for heat detectors shall not be required to be less than .4 times the height of the ceiling

17. SMOKE DETECTORS

18.
During construction if installed for signaling shall be cleaned and verified to be within listed sensitivity
During construction if not operational must be protected and then verified to within listed sensitivity or replaced
Where detection is not required during construction they should not be installed until AFTER clean up

19. 17.7.3
Detectors installed on the sidewall shall have some portion of the detector within 12” of the ceiling
Smoke detectors installed under raised floors shall be mounted in their listed orientation
Default spacing listing is 30’ unless otherwise marked
All points on the ceiling shall a detector within .7 times the selected spacing

20.
Solid Joists and Beams
Beam depth less than 10% of ceiling height shall be considered a smooth ceiling
Detectors permitted either on ceiling or on bottom of beam
10% or greater
40% or greater detectors in pockets
Smooth ceiling in parallel to beam
½ smooth ceiling perpendicular to the beams

21. 17.7.3.2 Sloped Ceiling with Beam Parallel
For sloping ceilings with the beams running parallel up the slope
Detectors shall be located within the pocket
The ceiling height is the average height over the slope
Smooth ceiling shall be permitted within the beam pocket parallel to the beams

22.
For beam depths less than or equal to 10% of the ceiling height detectors shall be located with smooth ceiling spacing perpendicular to the beams
For beam depths greater than 10% of the ceiling height the following applies for perpendicular spacing to the beams:
Where beam spacing is equal to or greater than 40% of the ceiling height, detectors shall be located in each pocket
Where beam spacing is less than 40% of the ceiling height detectors shall not be required to be in the pocket but shall be spaced not greater than 50% of smooth ceiling spacing

23. 17.7.3.3 Sloped Ceiling (Peaked and Shed)
For sloped ceilings with solid joists, smoke detectors shall be located on the bottom of the joists
For peaked ceilings, smoke detectors shall be located within 3’ of peak
For shed ceilings, smoke detectors shall be located within 3’ of the high side
For both peaked and shed ceilings, spacing shall be based on a horizontal projection of the ceiling (measured horizontally, not down the slope)

24. 17.7.3.4 Raised Floors and Suspended Ceilings
Spaces above suspended ceilings and beneath raised floors shall be considered separate areas for smoke detector spacing
Smoke detectors located in concealed areas shall not be a substitute for open air detectors

25. 17.7.3.6 Air sampling Detectors
Each port of an Air Sampling type smoke detector shall be treated as a spot type smoke detector for the purposes of location and spacing
Max transport time from the farthest sampling point shall not exceed 120 seconds
Air sampling detectors shall give a trouble signal when air velocity is outside manufacturers specified range

26.
Air sampling system piping shall be labeled with SMOKE DETECTOR SAMPLING TUBE. DO NOT DISTURB
Air sampling tubes shall be labeled:
At changes in direction or branches of piping
At each side of penetrations
At intervals of piping not greater than 20 feet

27. 17.7.3.7 Projected Beam Detectors
Projected beam detectors using mirrors shall be installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions (normally reduce spacing by 1/3)
A projected beam-type detector shall be considered equivalent to a row of spot-type smoke detectors
***On smooth ceilings, spacing of not more than 60 feet between beams and 30 feet from a sidewall should be used as a guide

28.
***Projected beams may be suspended from the ceiling instead of wall mounted, with the transmitter and receiver no more than ¼ the selected spacing from the end walls

29. 17.7.4 Heating, Ventilating, & Air-Conditioning (HVAC)
Plenum areas require the use of smoke detectors listed for such use, (HVAC)
Smoke detectors in ducts or plenums are not a replacement for open area detection
***Detectors should not be located closer than 36” from an HVAC supply or return opening

30.
Duct Smoke Detectors
Detectors installed in the air duct systems shall not be a substitute for open air detectors
NFPA 90A – Detectors approved for air duct use shall be installed on the supply side of the air handling system per NFPA 90A (greater than 2000 cfm supply), return side duct detectors for greater than 15,000 cfm (return serving 2 or more floors)

31.
Detectors installed in air ducts hall obtain a representative sample of airstream
Detectors may be mounted:
Rigidly with the duct
On the wall of the duct with the sensing element protruding into the duct
Outside the duct with sampling tubes protruding into the duct, through the duct using projected light beam

32.
The location of all detectors installed in HVAC duct system shall be clearly and permanently recorded
Detectors mounted outside the duct shall allow verification of airflow through the detector
All penetrations of the air duct in the vicinity of a detector shall be sealed

33. 17.5.5.6 Door Release Detectors
Open area detectors can be used for door release service
When door release is accomplished directly from the smoke detectors, they shall be listed for door release service
For door release service, when the door header is 24’ or less from the ceiling 1 ceiling mounted or 2 wall mounted detector(s) shall be required

34.
For door release service, when the door header is greater than 24” on one side only 1 ceiling mounted (on higher side) or 2 wall mounted detectors shall be required
For door release service, 2 ceiling or wall mounted detectors shall be required 1 on each side of the door when the door header is more than 24”, on both sides, from the ceiling
For door release service when using detectors specifically listed for door frame mounting; only one detector shall be required

35.
When using integral door closer/smoke detectors 1 detector shall be required
When door release is intended to prevent smoke transmission in one direction only, 1 detector shall be required on the side of smoke confinement
Where multiple doorways exist and the distance between them exceeds 24”, they shall be treated separately

36.
Where ceiling mounted detectors are installed for single or double doorways they shall be installed:
On the centerline of the doorway
No more than 5’ measured along the ceiling and perpendicular to the door
Away from the door a distance equal to or greater than the depth of the door header or 12” whichever is greater

37. 18.3
Nameplates for notification appliances shall include electrical requirements
Nameplates for appliances shall include rated audible or visible performance or both
Nameplates for appliances shall include their operation parameters or reference their installation documents which have that information

38. 18.3
Appliances used in special environments shall be listed for such use
Appliances used for signaling other than fire shall not have the word “FIRE” or any fire symbol on it
Appliances shall be mounted and supported independently of their conductors
Appliances shall be provided with terminals or leads such that connections are monitored for integrity (supervised)

39. 18.4.1
An average ambient sound level of 105 dBa shall require a strobe
The total sound pressure shall not exceed 110 dBa anywhere in the occupied area
Sounds from normal or permanent sources lasting more than 60 seconds shall be included in ambient sound level measurement, sounds from temporary or abnormal sources are not required to be included
Voice/comm. Systems shall be prerecorded, synthesized , or live and have voice intelligibility