Fire Alarm, classified as..low or high voltage?

[fyretek]

Here in Cal all fire alarm work falls under the electrical contractors scope of work, this goes back to the days when all f/a systems ran on 120vac and just used relays to singnal. Now of course we have the addressable and non addressable systems in use and all of them work on 24vdc. so the question is should this outdated law be changed to reflect the fact that it is low voltage, by the way in Cal low voltage has it's own contractor classification and l/v contractors can work with and install systems up to 90 volts ac, according to the law. so sine the only thing that has high voltage on the f/a systems is the main power connection, should this law be changed to allow not only the electrical classification but the low voltage one as well?

 

[frankc]

Re: Fire Alarm, classified as..low or high voltage?

You make a good point. I've been doing fire alarms for 15 years at a Cal University,have a valid C-10, and have seen a whole lot of new buildings show up with a wide range of quality in fire alarm wiring. Just having a C-10 contractor do the work doesn't guarantee alevel of quality. The nice thing about good pipe and wire contractors is the conduit and wire installation. The basic protection from damage that EMT and flex give over FPL cable in attics ,walls,and open spaces is worth it. One fire alarm dealer we work with has said that sending his techs out to do conduit costs too much, and he subs that to a C-10. What he sells is "parts and smarts",connection of the FA devices and panel after the wire is pulled in .
When I do FA jobs, I always use conduit,flex,or MC.
With a lot of other trades in the same spaces, FPL cable has been used too many times as a sidewalk,grab handle, or messenger line. The first problem this generates is those nasty ground faults that no one can find.
Low voltage electricians may be more aware of systems, like addressable backbones, and less apprehensive about working on them.
Fire alarms are a specialty that,in my opinion, need the talents of both sides of the voltage border.
We have lots of addressable backbones, and some 480 3 phase fire pumps. I like the variety