Fire alarm conductor color

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gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
For a initiating loop, a signaling loop.

The black is negative and the red or white is positive?

Where does it say that in the FA code?

You won't find it there, or anywhere, because it doesn't exist in the codes and standards, AFAIK. Local amendments may change that (Rhode Island is one particular example of insanity), or there may be a project specification spelling it out. It is a common industry practice, but not a requirement otherwise.
 

peter d

Senior Member
Location
New England
You won't find it there, or anywhere, because it doesn't exist in the codes and standards, AFAIK. Local amendments may change that (Rhode Island is one particular example of insanity), or there may be a project specification spelling it out. It is a common industry practice, but not a requirement otherwise.

:happyyes::thumbsup:

Having worked extensively under RI fire alarm code rules, I can say all of them are a pointless waste of time.
 

shputnik

Senior Member
Location
Utah
Occupation
Expert wirenut installer
:happyyes::thumbsup:

Having worked extensively under RI fire alarm code rules, I can say all of them are a pointless waste of time.


But in Massachusetts and Rhode island

Black is negative red/white is positive.
Generally?
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
We always use the black as the negative which is common for DC circuits. Why would you use anything different?
 

peter d

Senior Member
Location
New England
But in Massachusetts and Rhode island

Black is negative red/white is positive.
Generally?

In the RI code:
SLC - red is positive, black is negative

NAC - blue is positive, white is negative

There are other codes for speakers, door holding circuits, 24 volt aux power, etc but those are the main ones.
 
In MD the common LV rule of thumb is the darker wire is the negative. I have had situations where I have splices black to red and red to white in the same box. I try to stay consistant with wire suppliers for the entire job but on a retro fit, you gotta do what you gotta do.
 

Strathead

Senior Member
Location
Ocala, Florida, USA
Occupation
Electrician/Estimator/Project Manager/Superintendent
In MD the common LV rule of thumb is the darker wire is the negative. I have had situations where I have splices black to red and red to white in the same box. I try to stay consistant with wire suppliers for the entire job but on a retro fit, you gotta do what you gotta do.
That is generally what we try to do on the jobs I work. The darker color is negative. So, brown orange, brown negative, blue yellow, blue negative, etc.
 
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