BSEE


We’ve all heard the phrase “doing more with less”; it seems like a mantra for our mes. In our current economic climate, we’re expected to deliver more but oen with less resources and smaller budgets. Life safety systems, such as fire detecon systems, are designed to specific regulaons and should never be compromised, but that doesn’t mean to say you can’t reduce your costs


FIRE SAFETY & SECURITY


How quality fire detection saves time and money


Lee James, General Manager – Product Marketing, Nittan Europe Ltd


products. But this is a rooky mistake! A cheap – or let’s be kind and call them ‘lower cost’ – fire detection system has been built down to a price rather than up to a high quality standard. A misconception exists that an alarm device manufactured to the relevant standard is an endorsement of the quality of that device. In theory that would render all alarm devices comparable. But conformance only means that it meets the minimum to comply with criteria set down in the standard; this doesn’t necessarily mean that the product is of high quality. In fact, there are some major differences in system quality between manufacturers. Often a manufacturer has just done the bare amount of work needed to make the alarm meet the requirements of the standard i.e. “the minimum to comply”.


W


hen trying to look for savings the most


obvious first port of call is to opt for cheaper


But does any of that really matter as long as the system works? Well yes, because a quality fire detection system is indeed more expensive in terms of capital outlay, but could actually save you time and money, and not just in the long run. There are three key reasons for this which I’m going to cover here.


Time is Money


Firstly, let’s take a look at installation. A good quality fire detection system, especially one that has evolved over time, has seen substantial R&D investment incorporating feedback from customers. A sizeable portion of that feedback comes directly from installers and relates to installation practices. A reputable


manufacturer will feed that back into product design, making for a system that is quicker and easier to install. This clearly saves time and, as the saying goes, time is money! Good quality control panels, which are at the heart of a commercial fire detection system, have been engineered to be easy to install by


incorporating a number of features, from simple 'select & click' programming for engineer configuration through to installer friendly Auto-learn, Loop Detection and On-board Scope facilities for ease of commissioning and fault finding. Panels should not only be fully programmable on-site, but also have the ability to be accessed remotely for quick and convenient diagnostics saving you a costly trip to site.


System expansion with quality fire detection systems is also hassle free. Different manufacturers have different approaches, but one of the most effective ways to expand a system with minimal work is by using a panel that allows a peer-to-peer network. Panels that use this can easily expand the system to enable the panel to communicate with any other compatible fire panel, remote terminal or network peripheral.


16 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER MAY 2020


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