Question:
BRK Electronics Smoke Detector problem My partner has a problem with an installation involving 3 BRK Electronics AC powered Photoelectric smoke detectors which are hooked up to a DSC 1550 panel through a BRK 5959A relay. They have an annoying habit of coming up after a power loss (which happens often) in a test mode, where they beep like crazy for a short period of time and then reset themselves. These folks live in an area where the power is up and down a lot, and these things going off at 3AM in the morning don't do anything for their continued good humour !! Does anybody familiar with this model know if there is a way to safely disable this beeping function on power up without affecting their operation, and without affecting the relay function which trips the alarm panel.

Answer: -I have a solution: Try installing a UPS on the circuit that feeds the smoke detectors. This will prevent them from going off. I don't know how feasable this would be, or whether the local building codes or wiring of the detectors may be an issue.

-I'd caution against this, friend. Typical UPS units only last a few minutes to an hour or so. Power outages may last substantially longer than that. You want your smoke detectors to continue functioning, at a minimum, for at least the code required period. This varies from 4 to 72 hours depending on application and location. Also, it is important to use only equipment that is both UL listed for the application and manufacturer certified as compatible with the other elements in a fire alarm application.