A primary school in Stoke-on-Trent has upgraded its fire detection and alarm system by converting an existing conventional installation to an addressable loop, rather than replacing the system outright.
North Road Academy, an Islamic primary school in Stoke-on-Trent, had initially considered a complete replacement of its fire system. Specialist electrical contractor W R Fire & Security carried out a site survey and identified an alternative: using C-TEC's FastConvert, a conventional-to-addressable zone converter, to enhance the existing system.
Three upgrade options considered
Before choosing FastConvert, three upgrade routes were examined. A new conventional panel would have allowed zones to be separated and additional zones created, but it would have needed extra cabling and would still have been limited to zonal fire and fault reporting.
A full recable was ruled out on budget grounds. It was estimated to add about £10,000 in materials and labour, as well as greater disruption and a longer installation programme.
The third option was to convert the remaining six zones into loops. This would have added around a week to the installation for two engineers, plus additional cabling, materials and disruption, at an estimated extra cost of £3,000 to £4,000.
Existing wiring retained
FastConvert avoided the drawbacks of all three alternatives. It reused the old system's wiring and delivered a loop-based addressable system rather than a conventional one, without the extra cost, labour or disruption associated with the other options.
The converted system is an open-protocol CAST addressable system. It can support lockdown alert functionality and internet connectivity, and can accommodate C-TEC's CAST-PRO combined fire detection and alarm devices, which are described as false-alarm resistant.
To complete the upgrade, two radials were combined into a single loop, and a dedicated two-loop panel was installed for FastConvert.
Installer reports savings
Wayne Riley, managing director of W R Fire & Security, said the contractor was impressed by the converter's capabilities. He compared it with a full rewire, which would have added around £10,000 to the job, and with converting the remaining zones into loops, which would have cost an extra £3,000 to £4,000 and required a week's additional labour for two engineers.
Riley said FastConvert was the clear choice because it reduced installation time, site disruption and labour costs. He estimated that it saved approximately £3,500 on the project.
He also welcomed the CAST-PRO devices, saying they were superior to other manufacturers' products because the sounder/VADs and multi-sensors are built into the heads, removing the need for separate sounder bases.