xDetect fire panel from Eaton emboldens safety regime at Parcevall Hall

Acorn Fire & Security, the international supplier of fire and security products and solutions, was appointed to implement a brand new fire system for the premises located within the Yorkshire Dales.

Team members from the Blackburn-based business were called to Parcevall Hall after reports of repeated issues and call-outs due to the prior fire alarm panel, which had led to considerable costs in terms of system upkeep.

Parcevall Hall encompasses 17 bedrooms, a chapel and quiet spaces for guests and business meetings, while also playing host to an impressive 24 acres of gardens. Due to the nature of the structure (the earliest parts of which date from 1586) and its many rooms, it would have been difficult to implement a new fire panel and re-wire it.

Subsequent to an inspection, the Acorn Fire & Security team members found that Parcevall Hall was using a legacy panel coupled with old field devices (both over 20-plus years old). While these are usually not a problem to replace, in this case, the entire system was flush-mounted behind century-old walls and thick wooden beams. As such, most solutions on the market were off-limits.  

To ensure the safety of guests, occupants, visitors and the building itself, Acorn Fire & Security was tasked with providing a solution that not only integrated seamlessly with the environment, but also brought the historic building into line with current safety technology and regulations.

Perfect opportunity

Having discussed the project with fire safety systems specialists at Eaton, Acorn Fire & Security decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to try a new solution, namely Eaton’s xDetect system.

The xDetect system, which is not only easy to deploy, but also offers high-level cyber security protection of both data and assets from hackers, has brought Parcevall Hall’s fire security system into the 21st Century.

The panel’s easy programming and installation saved the Acorn Fire & Security team members considerable time and money and doesn’t compromise Parcevall Hall’s aesthetics in any way. Maintenance has also been simplified thanks to the tablet-like interface, which allows for on-site troubleshooting to be performed very rapidly should the need arise.

Dave Randle, technical design and support specialist at Acorn Fire & Security, commented: “We decided to use Eaton’s new xDetect range simply because it fitted the requirements of our project in every way. The project brief was very thorough. We couldn’t adversely impact the integrity of Parcevall Hall in any way. The xDetect system was the best option on the market due to how easy it was to install and also because it allowed the use of already installed infrastructure, which saved us a good deal of time and money.”

*Further information is available online at www.eaton.com/uk