Denver Fire Alarm

Test Prep

Initiating Devices and Notification

Appliances
Ted Smitty Smith 2013

17.4

Initiating devices shall be protected from mechanical

damage
Protective guards must be listed for use with the
device
Duplicate terminals provided for the express purpose
of supervising the wire
Detectors installed in concealed locations above 10
AFF shall be provided with remote alarm indicators
Remote alarm indicators must in an accessible
location and clearly marked for function and
associated detector

17.5

General Requirements for Smoke and Heat

Detectors
Can not be recessed unless specifically listed
for recessed mounting.
Partitions and walls that extend to 15% of the
ceiling height effective divide the room and the
locations on each side shall be considered
separate rooms

17.5.3.1

Total or Complete Coverage includes

All rooms
Storage areas
Attics and lofts
Other subdivisions of the building
Inside all closets
Enclosed stairways

17.5.3.1

Total coverage does NOT include inaccessible

areas
Exception: Not required in a blind inaccessible
area if one of the following apply:

Ceiling is attached to the underside of a

combustible roof
Space is entirely filled with non combustible
insulation
Spaces over room which do not exceed 50 square
feet
Spaces between facing studs which are closer
than 6

17.5.3.1

Total coverage does not require detectors below

open grid ceilings if:
Grid openings are or larger
Material thickness does not exceed least dimension
Openings account for at least 70% of the surface
area

Total coverage does not require detectors in

plenums above suspended ceilings when each
connection from the plenum to the HVAC system
has a detector.

17.5.3.1

Total coverage does not apply to under open

loading docks and shall not be required in
accessible under floor spaces when:
The space is not accessible for storage or
entrance
The space contains no equipment, pipes, wires
or conveyors
Floor over the space is tight
No flammable liquids are on the floor above the
space

17.5.3.2 and 17.5.3.3

Partial, Selective and Non0required coverage

Intent is to protect against special hazards
When installed must comply with NFPA 72
requirements as if it was a required area

HEAT DETECTOR
GENERAL

17.6.1

Heat Detectors- General

Heat detection design docs has to include the
performance objective of the system
Must be marked with a color code or numerals
at least 3/8 to indicate temperature
Temperature of the detector shall be at least 20
degrees F above the maximum expected
temperature at the ceiling.

17.6.3

Heat Detector Location and Spacing

Can not exceed their listing
Detectors shall be located their listed spacing from walls
and partitions within the top 15% of ceiling height
All points on the ceiling shall have a detector within .7 of
the listed spacing
Ceiling mount detectors shall NOT be mounted within 4 of
the sidewall
Wall mounted heat detectors shall be mounted between 4
and 12 of the ceiling
Line type heat detectors shall be mounted within 20 of the
ceiling unless mounted on the bottom of joists and beams

17.6.3.2

Solid Joist Construction

Joists project down more than 4 and are
spaced 3 or less
Requires heat detectors be mounted on bottom
of joists

Spacing perpendicular to the joists shall be

reduced by 50%

17.6.3.3

Definition: Beam project down more than 4

and spaced more than 3
A ceiling is considered to be a smooth ceiling
if the beams project no more than 4 from the
ceiling
Spacing at right angles to beam travel not
more than 2/3 listing for 4.1 to 18
More than 18 and more than 8 on center:
Each bay considered a separate area

17.6.3.3

Beams less than 12 and less than 8 on

center detectors can be mounted to the
bottom of the beam
Ratio rules: D/H Beam depth to Ceiling Height
greater than .10 in Beam Pocket, Less than .
10 on beam bottom
W/H Beam spacing to Ceiling Height greater
than .40 in Beam pocket, less than .40 on beam
bottom

17.6.3.4

Sloped Ceiling (Peak and Shed type)

Less than 30 degrees, all detectors spacing
using height at ceiling
30 degrees plus: all detectors, except those at
peak, spaced using average slope height or
height of peak
Row of detectors first placed at or within 36 of
the peak

17.6.3.5

Ceiling Heights up to and including 10 shall

use heat detector listed spacing
Ceiling Heights above 10 and up to and
including 30 shall reduce spacing using table
Minimum spacing for heat detectors shall not
be required to be less than .4 times the height
of the ceiling

SMOKE
DETECTORS

17.7.1.11

During construction if installed for signaling

shall be cleaned and verified to be within
listed sensitivity
During construction if not operational must be
protected and then verified to within listed
sensitivity or replaced
Where detection is not required during
construction they should not be installed until
AFTER clean up

17.7.3

Detectors installed on the sidewall shall have

some portion of the detector within 12 of the
ceiling
Smoke detectors installed under raised floors
shall be mounted in their listed orientation
Default spacing listing is 30 unless otherwise
marked
All points on the ceiling shall a detector
within .7 times the selected spacing

17.7.3.2

Solid Joists and Beams

Beam depth less than 10% of ceiling height
shall be considered a smooth ceiling
Detectors permitted either on ceiling or on
bottom of beam
10% or greater
40% or greater detectors in pockets
Smooth ceiling in parallel to beam
smooth ceiling perpendicular to the beams

17.7.3.2

Sloped Ceiling with Beam Parallel

For sloping ceilings with the beams running
parallel up the slope
Detectors shall be located within the pocket
The ceiling height is the average height over
the slope
Smooth ceiling shall be permitted within the
beam pocket parallel to the beams

17.7.3.2

For beam depths less than or equal to 10% of the ceiling

height detectors shall be located with smooth ceiling
spacing perpendicular to the beams
For beam depths greater than 10% of the ceiling height the
following applies for perpendicular spacing to the beams:
Where beam spacing is equal to or greater than 40% of the
ceiling height, detectors shall be located in each pocket
Where beam spacing is less than 40% of the ceiling height
detectors shall not be required to be in the pocket but shall
be spaced not greater than 50% of smooth ceiling spacing

17.7.3.3

Sloped Ceiling (Peaked and Shed)

For sloped ceilings with solid joists, smoke detectors
shall be located on the bottom of the joists
For peaked ceilings, smoke detectors shall be
located within 3 of peak
For shed ceilings, smoke detectors shall be located
within 3 of the high side
For both peaked and shed ceilings, spacing shall be
based on a horizontal projection of the ceiling
(measured horizontally, not down the slope)

17.7.3.4

Raised Floors and Suspended Ceilings

Spaces above suspended ceilings and beneath
raised floors shall be considered separate
areas for smoke detector spacing
Smoke detectors located in concealed areas
shall not be a substitute for open air detectors

17.7.3.6

Air sampling Detectors

Each port of an Air Sampling type smoke
detector shall be treated as a spot type smoke
detector for the purposes of location and
spacing
Max transport time from the farthest sampling
point shall not exceed 120 seconds
Air sampling detectors shall give a trouble
signal when air velocity is outside
manufacturers specified range

17.7.3.6

Air sampling system piping shall be labeled

with SMOKE DETECTOR SAMPLING TUBE. DO
NOT DISTURB
Air sampling tubes shall be labeled:
At changes in direction or branches of piping
At each side of penetrations
At intervals of piping not greater than 20 feet

17.7.3.7

Projected Beam Detectors

Projected beam detectors using mirrors shall
be installed according to the manufacturers
instructions (normally reduce spacing by 1/3)
A projected beam-type detector shall be
considered equivalent to a row of spot-type
smoke detectors
***On smooth ceilings, spacing of not more
than 60 feet between beams and 30 feet from
a sidewall should be used as a guide

17.7.3.7

***Projected beams may be suspended from

the ceiling instead of wall mounted, with the
transmitter and receiver no more than the
selected spacing from the end walls

17.7.4

Heating, Ventilating, & Air-Conditioning (HVAC)

Plenum areas require the use of smoke
detectors listed for such use, (HVAC)
Smoke detectors in ducts or plenums are not a
replacement for open area detection
***Detectors should not be located closer than
36 from an HVAC supply or return opening

17.7.5.5

Duct Smoke Detectors

Detectors installed in the air duct systems
shall not be a substitute for open air detectors
NFPA 90A Detectors approved for air duct
use shall be installed on the supply side of the
air handling system per NFPA 90A (greater
than 2000 cfm supply), return side duct
detectors for greater than 15,000 cfm (return
serving 2 or more floors)

17.7.5.5

Detectors installed in air ducts hall obtain a

representative sample of airstream
Detectors may be mounted:
Rigidly with the duct
On the wall of the duct with the sensing
element protruding into the duct
Outside the duct with sampling tubes
protruding into the duct, through the duct using
projected light beam

17.7.5.5

The location of all detectors installed in HVAC

duct system shall be clearly and permanently
recorded
Detectors mounted outside the duct shall
allow verification of airflow through the
detector
All penetrations of the air duct in the vicinity
of a detector shall be sealed

17.5.5.6

Door Release Detectors

Open area detectors can be used for door
release service
When door release is accomplished directly
from the smoke detectors, they shall be listed
for door release service
For door release service, when the door header
is 24 or less from the ceiling 1 ceiling mounted
or 2 wall mounted detector(s) shall be required

17.5.5.6

For door release service, when the door header is

greater than 24 on one side only 1 ceiling
mounted (on higher side) or 2 wall mounted
detectors shall be required
For door release service, 2 ceiling or wall mounted
detectors shall be required 1 on each side of the
door when the door header is more than 24, on
both sides, from the ceiling
For door release service when using detectors
specifically listed for door frame mounting; only
one detector shall be required

17.5.5.6

When using integral door closer/smoke

detectors 1 detector shall be required
When door release is intended to prevent
smoke transmission in one direction only, 1
detector shall be required on the side of
smoke confinement
Where multiple doorways exist and the
distance between them exceeds 24, they
shall be treated separately

17.5.5.6

Where ceiling mounted detectors are installed

for single or double doorways they shall be
installed:
On the centerline of the doorway
No more than 5 measured along the ceiling and
perpendicular to the door
Away from the door a distance equal to or
greater than the depth of the door header or
12 whichever is greater

18.3

Nameplates for notification appliances shall

include electrical requirements
Nameplates for appliances shall include rated
audible or visible performance or both
Nameplates for appliances shall include their
operation parameters or reference their
installation documents which have that
information

18.3

Appliances used in special environments shall

be listed for such use
Appliances used for signaling other than fire
shall not have the word FIRE or any fire
symbol on it
Appliances shall be mounted and supported
independently of their conductors
Appliances shall be provided with terminals or
leads such that connections are monitored for
integrity (supervised)

18.4.1

An average ambient sound level of 105 dBa shall

require a strobe
The total sound pressure shall not exceed 110 dBa
anywhere in the occupied area
Sounds from normal or permanent sources lasting
more than 60 seconds shall be included in ambient
sound level measurement, sounds from temporary
or abnormal sources are not required to be included
Voice/comm. Systems shall be prerecorded,
synthesized , or live and have voice intelligibility