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UK 28, Aug 2014 VENTCROFT FIRE and LIFE SAFETY



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SITING FIRE / SMOKE DETECTORS

Open areas under flat horizontal ceilings
Maximum area covered by 1 heat detector: Heat 50m
2
Smoke 100m
2
The maximum distance between any point of an area to the detector, should be, 5.3m for Heat
detectors, 7.5m for Smoke detectors
Minimum distance between detector (other than beam detectors) and wall or partition should be
500mm
Maximum spacing between detectors is reduced when obstructions are present
Corridors
Detectors in corridors may generally be spaced more widely.

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This is NOT applicable to life safety applications unless all adjoining rooms have smoke
detection.
Corridors greater than 5 metres wide treat as for flat horizontal ceilings
Detectors may be placed at horizontal distances extended up to 50% of the difference between the
actual corridor width and 5 metres. E.g. for a corridor with a width of say 1.5m, the maximum distance
from a detector can be increased,
for a smoke detector by:- (5m - 1.5m)/2 = 1.75m + 7.5m = 9.25
for a heat detector by:- (5m - 1.5m)/2 = 1.75m + 5.3m = 7.05
Pitched roofs
A row of sensors should be installed along the apex of any pitched roof or "north-light"
roof. Smoke detectors should not be more than 600mm, and 150mm from the apex of
the roof, 150mm max for heat detectors. Horizontal spacing between sensors may be
extended when used under pitched roofs, by 1% per degree of slope, to a maximum
increase of 25%.

Heights
Maximum heights of detectors are dependant on the fire brigade response available.
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Detector/Sensor
type
General
Applications
(m)
Automatic link to a manned centre. Fire Brigade
response is normally within 5 minutes. (m)
Smoke 10.5 15.0
Heat Grade 1 9.0 13.5
Heat Grade 1 7.5 12.0
Heat High Temp 6.0 10.5
Beam 25 40
String Of Beam Detectors
As with point detectors, a beam detector must be sited in the apex of a pitched roof.

Minimum
(m)
Maximum
(m)
Height of optical beam of floor 2.7 25*
Optical beam length 5 100
Distance of optical beam from a flat ceiling or apex 0.3 0.6
Horizontal distance between optical beams measured at right
angles to the beam
- 14
Horizontal distance between optical beams and an adjacent
wall or partition
See Notes 8
*The height may be increased to 40m provided that the general height to which the combustible are
stored in the building does not exceed 5m and that the fire brigade can attend within 5 minutes.
Note: Generally the beam should not pass less than 500mm to a wall or partition, and not closer than
600mm to an obstruction. Where the beam detector is mounted in the apex of a pitched or 'north-light'
roof the horizontal distance can be increased by 1% for each degree of slope up to a minimum of 25%
(e.g. 20" slope of roof 20% of 7.5m = 1.5m increase).




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