Fire System Troubleshooting
What happens if my Commercial Fire Alarm System is tripped?
From the fire alarm panel, make note of any lights (yellow or red) or on the newer systems, messages displayed on the LCD screen.
This will help tremendously in restoring your alarm system to 100%. Most problems are minor and can be handled over the phone.
If the power has failed for any reason, your system may have went to battery backup power, and discharged the batteries slightly.
This will cause a trouble condition while the batteries recharge to normal levels. Once fully charged, the trouble signal will resound requiring the trouble switch to be moved back to NORMAL.
Contact Sun Ray Fire & Security & a technician can come to check the battery voltages.
The alarm systems are designed to operate over 24 hours on battery power.
Check to make sure all switches for the alarm panel in the proper position!
If your alarm panel is sounding the trouble indicator and/or showing a yellow general trouble light only, check the TROUBLE SILENCE switch. It may be signaling that no true trouble condition exists, and the switch just needs turned back off.
Fire code requirements state that the trouble switch must not be in the trouble silence position if no trouble actually exists; this causes the “trouble ringback” signal.
This is the source of many service calls which are not needed.
Assume any alarm indication is valid and follow the facility’s fire notification procedures!
Until an alarm condition is determined a ‘false alarm’, do not silence the alarm notification signals!
Checking The Fire Alarm Panel
- Open the alarm panel door if you have not done so already.
DO NOT PRESS RESET! - Make note of any lights or messages displayed on the alarm panel before pressing any buttons or moving any switches.
- Locate on the control panel a button or switch labeled “ALARM SILENCE” or “ALARM ACKNOWLEDGE”, and press this button or switch now. The signaling circuits should now silence.You will still see alarm lights lit or messages displayed.
- Using a zone map, find the area of the building that the alarm zone occurred.
You should now walk through this area, looking for what caused the alarm.Manual pull boxes do not close completely when activated, and will need to be reset before clearing the alarm condition at the alarm panel.
Most smoke detectors have a red light that blinks about every 10 to 15 seconds. If this light is lit solid, this detector is in alarm.Air handler units (AHU) may have duct detectors that have a remote annunciation that displays a solid light (usually RED) that indicates an alarm condition.
- Once you’ve determined which device is in alarm, write the device’s location and the alarm panel’s zone number that lit up so that the technician can inspect the zone.
- You may now choose to reset the panel; find the RESET button or switch, and press or switch it now.Make sure all switches are in their normal state.
If the alarm re-occurs immediately, you most likely have a manual pull box open in the zone that is in alarm. Try to find it and restore it before resetting the panel again.If the alarm re-occurs 15 seconds or more after resetting, it is probably a smoke detector device in the zone that is in alarm. Call American Alarms to advise that a detector is false-alarming.
Most states have very rigid laws regarding how the Central Station handles Commercial Fire Alarms. Therefore, if a Commercial Fire alarm system transmits a code, the following should happen.
- Central Station will not call the premises for verification, but will call the Fire Department immediately.
- You should contact the Central station immediately and indicate the cause of the alarm. 1-919-460-5995
- The Central Station will put you in touch with the Fire Department, so that you can indicate the cause of the alarm and answer any other questions they may have.
- Most Fire Departments will choose not to cancel their dispatched run to the premises.
- Attempt to reset the system. Should alarm continue, press the silence button. A alarm light will stay lit will be silenced until the system can be serviced.