Free Article: Fire Alarm Box

You are here:
Directory | Fire Alarm |

Fire Alarm Box Important Part Of Alarm System
By Arthur Sneddon

You may think of a fire alarm box being a relic of the past that has gone out of use with the introduction of heat sensors installed as fire alarm components. However, the fire alarm box is not just a nostalgic decoration and it plays an important role in protecting your property from the ravages of fire.

You may remember the fire alarm box that stood like a silent sentry in the hallways of your school and possibly, a few times when someone pulled the alarm just to disrupt classes for a while. This allowed students to be able to stand around on the sidewalk while the only smoke detected was from the school officials' ears for having another false alarm. Usually placed at each end of any hallway, and always near an exit door, the fire alarm box could be activated manually as you left the building.

Even with automatic fire alarms, many commercial and public buildings also still have the fire alarm box in working order as another means of fire notification. Since most fire alarms depend on the heat from the fire to activate the alarm, quicker notification is possible with the use of a manual fire alarm box as someone can activate it at the first sign of smoke or flame.

Rechargeable Operating Batteries Often Recommended

Many batteries in the fire alarm box are rechargeable, wired into the building's electrical system to maintain a full charge in the typically 12-volt battery that keeps the alarm working in the event of a fire with electrical failure. In the event of a fire, it is not unusual for the electricity to go out and without working batteries, the fire alarm box would be rendered useless.

The condition of these batteries should be checked frequently to insure they are in working order and if there is any doubt about their condition, they should be replaced. Maintaining a fire alarm box in working order should be a priority as they can provide significant timesavings in fire notification.

Many of the older types had a thin glass covering along with the instruction to break glass to activate. While this may have prevented a few false alarms from being activated simply by someone brushing against the fire alarm box, it also provided an unnecessary step in fire notification. Many have redesigned to remove the glass covering and rely on legal penalties to help prevent false alarm pulls from being conducted.

Author Details:
Arthur Sneddon, writes for various web sites, such as The A to Z of Home Improvement, about home security, fire alarms etc.

Article Source: Free Article Directory

NOTE: This article may be reproduced ONLY if this note, the author details, source and ALL links remain in place and active.

More articles about fire alarms :

Older articles about fire alarms: See also: Home security