AS-1670.6-1997.pdf

AS 1670.61997 Australian Standard® Fire detection, warning, control and intercom systemsSystem design, installation and commissioning Part 6: Smoke alarms Accessed by UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA on 04 Sep 2008 ThisAustralian Standard waspreparedby Committee FP/2, Fire Detection, Warning, Control and Intercom Systems. It was approved on behalf of the Council of Standards Australia on 18 October 1996 and published on 5 January 1997. The following interests are represented on Committee FP/2: Audio Engineering Society Australian Building Codes Board Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Australian Chamber of Manufactures Australian Construction Services Department of Administrative Services Australian Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers Association Australian Fire Authorities Council Australian Fire Protection Association Building Owners and Managers Association of Australia Commonwealth Fire Board CSIRODivision of Building, Construction and Engineering Deafness Forum of Australia Department of Defence Fire Protection Industry Association of Australia Insurance Council of Australia National Electrical Contractors Association of Australia New Zealand Fire Equipment Association New Zealand Fire Protection Association New Zealand Fire Protection Industry Contractors Association Telstra Corporation Review of Australian Standards.To keep abreast of progress in industry, Australian Standards are subject to periodic review and are kept up to date by the issue of amendments or new editions as necessary. It is important therefore that Standards users ensure that they are in possession of the latest edition, and any amendments thereto. Full details of all Australian Standards and related publications will be found in the Standards Australia Catalogueof Publications;this information is supplementedeach month by the magazineThe Australian Standard, which subscribing members receive, and which gives details of new publications, new editions and amendments, and of withdrawn Standards. Suggestions for improvements to Australian Standards,addressedto the head office of Standards Australia, are welcomed. Notification of any inaccuracy or ambiguity found in an Australian Standard should be made without delay in order that the matter may be investigated and appropriate action taken. This Standard was issued in draft form for comment as DR 96002. Accessed by UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA on 04 Sep 2008 AS 1670.61997 Australian Standard® Fire detection, warning, control and intercom systemsSystem design, installation and commissioning Part 6: Smoke alarms PUBLISHED BY STANDARDS AUSTRALIA (STANDARDS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA) 1 THE CRESCENT, HOMEBUSH, NSW 2140 ISBN 0 7337 0814 5 Accessed by UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA on 04 Sep 2008 AS 1670.6 19972 PREFACE This Standard was prepared by the Joint Standards Australia/Standards New Zealand Committee FP/2 on Fire Detection, Warning, Control and Intercom Systems, to facilitate the installation and commissioning of smoke alarms in domestic residential situations and is the result of a consensus among the representatives on the Joint Committee to produce it as an Australian Standard. The term informative has been used in this Standard to define the application of the appendix to which it applies. An informative appendix is only for information and guidance. ©CopyrightSTANDARDS AUSTRALIA Users of Standards are reminded that copyright subsists in all Standards Australia publications and software. Except where the Copyright Act allows and except where provided for below no publications or software produced by Standards Australia may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or transmitted by any means without prior permission in writing from Standards Australia. Permission may be conditional on an appropriate royalty payment. Requests for permission and information on commercial software royalties should be directed to the head office of Standards Australia. Standards Australia will permit up to 10 percent of the technical content pages of a Standard to be copied for use exclusively in-house by purchasers of the Standard without payment of a royalty or advice to Standards Australia. 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Accessed by UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA on 04 Sep 2008 3AS 1670.6 1997 CONTENTS Page SECTION 1 SCOPE AND GENERAL 1.1SCOPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 1.2APPLICATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 1.3REFERENCED DOCUMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 1.4DEFINITIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 1.5COMPLIANCE WITH OTHER STANDARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 1.6INTERPRETATION OF SPECIFIED LIMITING VALUES . . . . . . . . . . . .4 SECTION 2 INSTALLATION AND COMMISSIONING 2.1LOCATION OF SMOKE ALARMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 2.2ALARM SIGNALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 2.3INTERCONNECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 2.4WIRING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 2.5MOUNTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 2.6COMMISSIONING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 APPENDICES AFIRE AND DETECTION CHARACTERISTICS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 BINSTALLATION GUIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 CMAINTENANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 First published as AS 1670.6 1997. Accessed by UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA on 04 Sep 2008 AS 1670.6 19974 STANDARDS AUSTRALIA Australian Standard Fire detection, warning, control and intercom systems System design, installation and commissioning Part 6: Smoke alarms S E C T I O N1S C O P EA N DG E N E R A L 1.1SCOPEThisStandardsetsouttherequirementsfortheinstallationand commissioning of smoke alarms which comply with the requirements of AS 3786. This Standard includes information on the selection, installation and maintenance of smoke alarms. 1.2APPLICATIONThisStandardappliestosmokealarmsinstalledinsingle dwellings. 1.3REFERENCED DOCUMENTSThe following documents are referred to in this Standard: AS 2706Numerical valuesRounding and interpretation of limiting values 3000Electrical installationsBuildings, structures and premises (known as the SAA Wiring Rules) 3786Smoke alarms SAA HB46Guide to residential fire safety 1.4DEFINITIONSFor the purpose of this Standard, the definitionsgiven below apply. 1.4.1Multiple station smoke alarma smoke alarm with interconnection facilities for common alarm communication. 1.4.2Single station smoke alarma smoke alarm not intended to be interconnected with other units for common alarm purposes. 1.4.3Smoke alarma device containing a smoke detector and an alarm sounding device. 1.5COMPLIANCE WITH OTHER STANDARDSThe smoke alarm installation shall comply with the appropriate electrical safety requirements specified in AS 3000. NOTE: To minimize false alarms caused by electrical interference and for ease of maintenance, it is recommended that smoke alarms connected to low voltage are wired to a dedicated circuit. 1.6INTERPRETATION OF SPECIFIED LIMITING VALUESFor the purpose of assessing compliance with this Standard, the specified values herein shall be interpreted in accordance with the rounding methoddescribed in AS 2706, i.e. the observed or calculated value shall be rounded to the same number of figures as in the specified limiting value and then compared with the specified limiting value. For example, for specified limiting values of 2.5, 2.50 and 2.500, the observed or calculated value would be rounded to the nearest 0.1, 0.01 and 0.001 respectively. COPYRIGHT Accessed by UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA on 04 Sep 2008 5AS 1670.6 1997 S E C T I O N2I N S T A L L A T I O NA N D C O M M I S S I O N I N G 2.1LOCATION OF SMOKE ALARMS 2.1.1GeneralSmoke alarms shall be locatedon or near the ceiling.On levels containingbedrooms a smoke alarm shall be located between each area containing bedrooms and the remainder of the dwelling. Where the bedroom area is served by a hallway, the smoke alarm shall be located in that hallway. NOTE: For information on fire and detection characteristics, see Appendix A. 2.1.2Multi-levelWhere the dwelling is multi-level, at least one smoke alarm shall be located on each level such that the egress path from each level is protected. All smoke alarms shall be interconnected. 2.1.3Sloping ceilingsSmoke alarms in rooms with ceiling slopes greater than 1 in 8 shall be located at the high side of the ceiling. 2.1.4Dead air spacesSmoke alarms shall not be located in the following areas: (a)Within 300 mm of a light fitting. (b)In dead air spaces as shown in Figure 2.2. 2.1.5Joists and beamsOn ceilings with exposed joists or beams with a depth not exceeding 300 mm, smoke alarms may be located on the underside of the joist or beam. 2.1.6StairwellsSmoke alarms installed in stairwells shall be located to ensure that smoke rising in the stairwell is not prevented from reaching the smoke alarm by a door or other obstruction. 2.1.7Forced air circulationIn areas provided with airconditioningor forced air ventilation, smoke alarms shall not be installed closer than 400 mm to any supply air opening. Smoke alarm locations shall be chosen to take account of the airflow towards return air openings. Where ceiling fans are installed smoke alarms shall not be installed within 400 mm of the blades of the fan. 2.1.8Environmental conditionsSmoke alarms shall not be located in areas where the environmental conditions exceed the manufacturers operating parameters. 2.2ALARM SIGNALS 2.2.1Aural alarm signalsSmoke alarms shall be installed to ensure that the aural signal is clearly audible in all bedrooms of the dwelling over the background noise normally encountered, with all intervening doors closed. For audible signals intended to arouse sleeping occupants, the sound pressure level of the signals shall be not less than 75 dBA when measured at the sleeping position. NOTES: 1A sound pressure level of not less than 75 dBA and 15 dB above expected ambient noise levels (air conditioners and the like) at the bed should be sufficient to awaken an average sleeping person (see Paragraph B5 of Appendix B). 2Appendix B provides a step-by-step guide to the selection of smoke alarms, and to the location in which they will achieve adequate performance. 2.2.2Visual alarm signalsVisual alarm signals shall be installed where it is required to alert persons who are hearing impaired or in areas of high ambient noise levels. 2.2.3Other sensory alarm signalsWhere the alarm signals specified in Clauses 2.2.1 and 2.2.2 are not adequate, other types of sensory stimulating alarm devices may be used. COPYRIGHT Accessed by UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA on 04 Sep 2008 AS 1670.6 19976 2.3INTERCONNECTIONSmoke alarms shall only be interconnected to compatible devices in accordance to the manufacturers requirements. Typical field wiring with interconnections are shown in Figure 2.1. FIGURE 2.1TYPICAL FIELD WIRING 2.4WIRINGField wiring for smoke alarms on dedicated circuits shall generally be carried out in 16/0.20 stranded wire for externally d.c. powered units and 1.0 mm2cable for 240 V a.c. powered units. Where connected to existing circuits the cable size shall be the same as the circuit to which the connection is made. 2.5MOUNTINGSmokealarmsshallbemountedinaccordancewiththe manufacturers instructions, with the aperture for smoke entry not less than 25 mm below the ceiling surface when mounted on the ceiling. 2.6COMMISSIONINGSmoke alarms shall be commissioned in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. The correct operation and adequacy of the sound intensity of each smoke alarm shall be checked. Where the smoke alarm system performs additional functions such as the alarm operation of interconnected devices and the operation of escape lights, the additional functions shall not adversely affect the operation of the system. NOTES: 1To enhance fire safety in the home refer to Handbook SAA HB46. 2Appendix C provides information on the maintenance of smoke alarms. COPYRIGHT Accessed by UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA on 04 Sep 2008 7AS 1670.6 1997 DIMENSIONS IN MILLIMETRES FIGURE 2.2DEAD AIR SPACES COPYRIGHT Accessed by UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA on 04 Sep 2008 AS 1670.6 19978 APPENDIXA FIRE AND DETECTION CHARACTERISTICS (Informative) A1GENERALFire is a leading cause of accidental death. Residential occupancies account for most fire fatalities and most of these deaths occur at night during the sleeping hours. Statistics indicate that a family will experience one serious fire every generation. Due to the variety of combustibles and conditions in the family home the nature of fires will vary widely. Following ignition, a fire may break out in flames almost immediately or smoulder for several hours before breaking out in flames. Some types of detectors are more appropriate than others for specific types of fires and consideration should be given to smoke alarm selection. A2FIRE GROWTHDuring the smouldering stage, a fire will release a small amount of heat, possibly toxic gases, and airborne matter in a variety of particle sizes. Particulate matter and toxic fume inhalation is the most common cause of death in house fires. Following the onset of flaming, the fire will grow in size and spread rapidly, fuelled by the surrounding combustible material and the heat produced by the fire. The rate of fire spread in any specific case will depend on the flammability of interior contents, including furnishings, the surface materials of ceilings, walls and floors, and the oxygen supply. During the flaming stage, with adequate air supply various gases and particulate matter released will be approximately proportional to the fire size. Where the air supply is restricted, as may be the case in a closed living unit, oxygen depletion will occ