- Author
- National Board of Fire Underwriters
- Title
- Fire Alarm Thermostat Tests. Comparison of Operation of Fire Alarm Thermostats Under Smooth Ceilings and Open Joisted Construction.
- Coporate
- National Board of Fire Underwriters, New York, NY
- Keywords
- fire alarm systems | sensitivity | fire tests | ceilings | temperature effects | spacing
- Abstract
- Fire Alarm Thermostats listed by Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc. are required to possess a requisite degree of sensitivity for fire protection service. The method of determining the requisite heat sensitivity of automatic thermostats is discussed below. The original method was based upon accumulated experience with automatic sprinklers at 10 ft. spacings. This experience had indicated a generally acceptable sensitivity of response to heat. A series of tests involving fires of different sizes were conducted in rooms of different volume. The operating times of sprinkers and the temperature-rise conditions in these tests were studied. Subsequently, a set of conditions existent in a medium size room with one size fire was adopted as a basis and the performance of sprinklers under these conditions was established.