Re: Far Side Chat -- Fire Alarm Code Issue

["Frank Olson" <feolson@xxxxxxxxxx>]

"Robert L. Bass" <robertlbass@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:18adnYpy381xC_LfRVn-qA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Who's going to be the wiser??  In most new homes,
>> the alarm system is usually completed after the
>> electrical inspection is and the place is "cleared
>> for occupancy".
>
> That might be true in some places but where I worked it was not.  We had
> to pull electrical permits for low voltage work in most CT towns.  With
> new construction the alarm wiring was inspected along with the electrical
> system.

In my experience the alarm wiring is rarely questioned or even looked at.
It falls into the same category as Cat 5, telephone, and TV cable wiring.
All "low priority" stuff.  What the inspector looks for is proper placement
of the 110VAC smoke alarms and that's about as far as he goes with anything
to do with "alarms".


> On completion of new construction jobs, if there were smokes involved, the
> alarm system was also inspected.  On retrofit jobs some towns would
> inspect the installation and some did not.

Inspectors here don't even inquire what the alarm wiring's for.  We  run
18-5 fire cable to the smoke alarm locations on every pre-wire, then, when
the homeowner elects to install his security system we can replace the
110VAC units with supervised 12VDC photo-electric ones if the customer so
desires.  This, of course is done with the "blessing" of the AHJ, but even
if we didn't have it, I seriously doubt any would complain as what we're
providing far exceeds the 110V "cheapies".