Duct Detectors by Div 13,15 or 16 need advice

[LGENE]

Much of the time Duct Detectors are provided by Div 16 and installed by Div 15 and monitored by Div 13851 now being the Fire Alarm Contractor. A concern when specifying who is to provide the duct detector arises from the new technology. Analog Addressable panels and devices give you more infomation that Fire Panels have ever done before. Sensitivity levels and remote adjustment are available on newer and more expensive panels. This being the case, should not all Engineers specify that Div 13851 should provide the Duct Detectors when Analog equipment is involved so they match the Fire Alarm Panel equipment? Installing a conventional zoned Duct Detector provided by Div 16 or 15 and monitoring it with a monitor module that will only report open closed seems to be a waste when you are specifying a state of the art Fire System. How do other Engineers handle this issue?

 

[RonShap]

We always specify for the addressable fire alarm vendor furnish the duct detectors to the HVAC contractor for installation.
The only time we monitor an HVAC mounted detector with a module, is when they come pre-installed in a computer room AC Unit.

 

[rbulsara]

what ronshop said..

 

[FireRanger]

Even if the HVAC contractor has installed a conventional duct det., I always install an addressable one and remove the other one.

 

[LGENE]

FireRanger, it sounds like you install Fire Systems rather than Engineer them. It is comendable that you can just replace the conventional ones but most contractors would need to be paid for this type of expense, especially if you had 18 or 20 of them and the Electrical Engineer knew that Div 15 had provided them, how do you get an order change for this type of thing? Thank you for your comments.