Is anyone here a Fire Alarm (low voltage) tech?

[punkncat]

I have been involved in fire safety for the past 6+ years and have a background in low voltage/alarms since '96.

I have run into an issue with a host FACP and it's power supplies losing sync and would love to bounce some ideas off someone who knows the field.

Panel is a Silent Knight, but of the Intelliknight variety that I cannot get tech support for.

 

[Ralston18]

FACP:

Something like this:

https://www.silentknight.com/catalogdocuments/5820iman.pdf

https://www.silentknight.com/CatalogDocuments/151295.pdf

Do not (full disclosure) "know the field" but I am curious about such things.

Makes me think outside of the box. Sometimes I fall out but no harm in that.....

If you are willing, just add some more information about the alarm system, more about the problem(s), and what ideas you wish to bounce about.

Two potential benefits:

1) You might have some "Eureka" or "Aha" moment.

2) Letting others read and learn what you are considering and thinking may encourage other suggestions and ideas.

 

[punkncat]

^ It's actually quite neat that the first one you linked is the FACP on site.

What is going on is this. All notification devices in the field (horn/stobes) have to visually sync when in sight of one another. We have a site that is 10 floors. That panel and (6) SK branded 6amp power supplies running the notification devices. We have inspected it several years and this year ALL of the notification devices powered directly from the power supplies themselves are out of sync. Not one floor, not one area. ALL (8 of 10) floors.
The FACP is syncing the devices connected to it correctly. The power supplies "see" this sync (they also have the same ability to sync) and follow it. The panel does ~6 manufacturers sync march automatically and in that manual linked above are the specific devices that will operate to that sync.

So, one might assume that a device was changed that does not match that sync. It would totally make sense if one or two floors, or more commonly, if all the devices after the mismatch were out of sync. It does not make ANY sense at all that every single one of the power supplies that have been working all along suddenly went out of sync. There are reasons this CAN happen over time including the age of the devices and wiring related to voltage and amperage drop, but don't think this facility and the lack of devices on each power supply meet this criteria.

We can call Silent Knight, but the division which is Intelliknight is proprietary and you have to be a dealer or authorized service center for official tech support. Those dealers are SUPER expensive, so we are trying to keep that as a last resort to the customer if we have any good leads to follow.

 

[Ralston18]

Am I correct in my understanding that the sync is necessary to avoid/prevent epileptic seizures for those who are so affected?

And likewise correct (or not) in that the sync applies only to devices "in sight " of each other?

Which means, in some sense, that between floors sync does not matter.

So the problem narrows down to that the devices on different floors were originally in sync (even if not required) but now are no longer in sync.

Being:

" It does not make ANY sense at all that every single one of the power supplies that have been working all along suddenly went out of sync."

Agree (just as a matter of convenience) but will wonder if "working all along" may have just been coincidence. Is that possible?

If not, fine. Leads me to the next questions and considerations:

So what is common to "all floors"? Or to word it differently, where would such a problem originate in order to affect 8 of 10 floors? Reverse engineer the problem.

Do you have a good floor by floor map/schematic of all devices and connections? Is the schematic up to date? Any known renovations or changes at the first(/) affected floor? Or link in the proverbial chain.....

In many buildings there are utility closets that house any number of devices and components for security, safety, communications, networks, etc.. Do you have access to all those closets and can check the relevant physical condition of your devices to ensure that all are as expected or should be?

Not uncommon that Mr. Tech X (needing a more convenient power outlet) unplugs some device "Y" and re-plugs it in somewhere else not knowing that the interim loss of power to device "Y" (however brief) may wreak havoc elsewhere.

Or whacked a couple of wires and then just reconnected them as what was believed to be correct. Locks closet, leaves, believing no harm, no foul.....

= = = =

Dealers are one "thing". Tech support is another.... Especially if lives are possibly at risk.

Who is paying for the system you are supporting? That person is the "customer" and they should be entitled to tech support. Get that person/ customer on the line to open the technical conversations.

Bad news: no direct solution to offer. Good news: you still have lots of leeway to use.