Apollo outlines benefits of AlarmSense detection and alarm devices

AlarmSense’s two-wire design means less time spent pulling cables in comparison to a standard conventional system. Detectors, sounders and manual Call Points are all fitted to the same circuit. Less wiring equals less time installing and, as a result, cost savings.

Also known as ‘Localised Alarm Management’, priority switching is designed to reduce the number of full-site evacuations. Occupants are given two minutes to clear the smoke or ventilate the room. General and local alarm settings help to customise the system and adapt it to specific room types, while also preventing high numbers of false activations.

The AlarmSense sounder and sounder visual indicator base may be switched between ‘Priority’ and ‘Non-priority’ by means of a DIL switch to provide either a general (ie full) alarm or a local alarm. This feature is best showcased in a small block of apartments/flats, a small hotel or in an HMO environment.

General and local alarm in action

The sounders can be set to General (‘Priority’) or Local (‘Non-priority’) . Detectors set to ‘general’ will activate all alarms and prompt a full evacuation. This is because the communal areas are often unoccupied at certain times. As such, if a fire occurs it’s more than likely a real fire.

General alarm examples are stairways, hallways and communal living areas.

Localised alarm examples would be apartments/flats, bedrooms and kitchens.

With the flexibility to change the alarm criteria, the AlarmSense range can be used in a wider set of applications. A conventional system would end up causing too many false alarm evacuations: an unwanted nuisance for building occupants and building owners. The fire system would alert all residents, whether it was a piece of burning toast or a real fire, due to not being able to discern the difference between those occurrences.

A conventional system may be more appropriate for smaller and less complex applications. A corner shop with only a handful of detectors would be a good example. AlarmSense fits in that comfortable medium between conventional and addressable: added benefits without the added cost and complexity of a fully-fledged addressable system.

Is AlarmSense cost-effective?

Not only are the potential applications wider in scope, but the cost of installation for AlarmSense is much cheaper due to the sounders and manual Call Points being fitted on the same two-wire zone, in turn cutting back on cabling by up to 50%.

On a conventional system, the system installer would have to run cabling for the detectors, the manual Call Points and the alarm devices. All separately, as well. This takes time and money. Having the ability to fit most of the devices on the same zone reduces cabling costs and time on-site. With AlarmSense, the installation cost can be reduced by up to 25%.

The AlarmSense range is straightforward and provides everything needed to fit a system: detectors, sounders, bases and manual Call Points. AlarmSense was designed to meet the cost-effectiveness of conventional systems, while having the benefit of added functionality to widen its potential applications.

Cost-effectiveness, priority switching and a straightforward range outline the benefits of AlarmSense. Whether it’s a fire system for a small hotel, a low-rise apartment block or a larger HMO, AlarmSense will meet all of the requirements.

*Further information is available online at www.apollo-fire.co.uk