Question:
I am hearing-impaired and have a need to be alerted by the fire alarm through visual methods rather than audio. I am aware of the ADA fire alarms, but they are big, bulky, and are expensive considering that they are single-purpose items ($150 a pop). I would like to find a reasonable-cost method to connect fire alarm leads to the lighting circuit. If it is not too complicated or expensive I would like to add the telephone and the doorbell with the lighting switch pattern differing for each signal (eg, flashing for fire alarm; toggle on and off once for the doorbell, twice for the telephone). I emphasize reasonable cost because I am aware of proprietary home automation systems such as Lutron, but they are obviously targeted towards luxury residences with their extremely high prices ($2000+).

Answer: There already exist fire alarm warning devices with a built in strobe. They are driven directly off the fire alarm and are available for 12 or 24 volt DC. I am sure there are 120v AC devices as well. This will allow you to keep your UL, NFPA and/or CSA certifications so long as you don't overload the circuits. Usually these devices connect to a standard jiffy box and provide both aural and visual warnings. I would recommend you do not attempt to use these for any other purpose. They aren't designed for it and could easily confuse you or others. I've tried strobes for telephones (my wife is hearing impaired) but so far I haven't found anything reliable. They usually work for a few months and then quit. For your doorbell, I'd suggest either a powerflash module with X-10 devices or simply a relay connected to some kind of lamp.