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A few years back I was sent to change a fire alarm panel at a factory the day before I was to fly out on vacation. I had everything finished, panel powered back up and all zones cleared except for 2. (Different size EOL's). For the life of me I could NOT find those end of line's. One of them was about 20 feet up on a steel column right below a bell that was totally inaccessible with an extension ladder. Shelving unit had to be moved so I could be sent up in a forklift cage to get to it. Second one was found mounted to a wall above a ceiling in the office space. I got out of there at 10 pm. I was cursing whoever was lazy enough to install those things where they did. There is a reason for that 1800 rule!!!
 
A few years back I was sent to change a fire alarm panel at a factory the day before I was to fly out on vacation. I had everything finished, panel powered back up and all zones cleared except for 2. (Different size EOL's). For the life of me I could NOT find those end of line's. One of them was about 20 feet up on a steel column right below a bell that was totally inaccessible with an extension ladder. Shelving unit had to be moved so I could be sent up in a forklift cage to get to it. Second one was found mounted to a wall above a ceiling in the office space. I got out of there at 10 pm. I was cursing whoever was lazy enough to install those things where they did. There is a reason for that 1800 rule!!!
Good reason to call it class "B" wiring. :thumbsup:
 
Discussion starter · #26 ·
DO FA guys test the smokes on the annual as well. If so they are mounted at more than 1800 mm above the floor.

Just to clarify we were planning on putting the EOL in the ceiling tile next to the last horn.
 
Code or not code there's some common sense when putting these things in.

Case in point - 3 years ago, we (HVAC) had to throw a relay into a fan's Telemecanique starter box for DDC control in a mechanical room. The base electricians mounted the box on the 20' ceiling above two runs of 2-4" pipe and just to access the thing you need two guys, two ladders two pieces of plywood and closest parking is a block and half away with no loading zone (this is underground rail on a major route)

Long story short, we didn't install control on that box, the building had not been handed over yet, the engineer/general freaked and we pointed it right back at the sparky and won.

Code says what? 1 meter or box in sight? They didn't violate the CEC, don't know about the building code, but common sense said it was BS and they had to drop the box to 5' on the wall.
 
It's a building code thing not CEC thing. Where in building code I don't know. However I know in a bell cct where it's the only device the Eol can be in the box with the device. Just has to be labelled as such
Not necessarily,
NBC/OBC requires that an EOL be installed no higher than 1800mm from grade. Plate or no plate. If your bell/horn/strobe is at 2300-2400mm, the EOL has to be located in a separate enclosure, at a max height of 1800mm, to be acceptable. If the circuit had only one bell, and was at 1800mm, then it would be deemed acceptable. Audible devices cannot be installed at 1800mm, this you should never find an EOL in one.
Hope this clarifies everything.
 
Not necessarily,
NBC/OBC requires that an EOL be installed no higher than 1800mm from grade. Plate or no plate. If your bell/horn/strobe is at 2300-2400mm, the EOL has to be located in a separate enclosure, at a max height of 1800mm, to be acceptable. If the circuit had only one bell, and was at 1800mm, then it would be deemed acceptable. Audible devices cannot be installed at 1800mm, this you should never find an EOL in one.
Hope this clarifies everything.
This is not correct.

First off, the NBC/OBC does not give height requirements for EOL’s or any other fire alarm device other than manual pull stations. All installation requirements are in CAN/ULC-S524.

And secondly, the height requirement stated in CAN/ULC-S524 of 1800mm is overridden when the EOL is located in a device if it's the only device on a circuit. Clause 10.1.1 starts with "except as permitted by clause 10.1.2" meaning that everything following in that clause does not apply if you are applying clause 10.1.2 . So no height requirement and no separate enclosure. We only have to label the device saying that the EOL is inside it as per 10.1.4.

Here is the actual verbiage of the standard.

10.1 END-OF-LINE DEVICES
10.1.1 Except as permitted by Clause 10.1.2
, end-of-line devices for electrical supervision shall be
located in a separate enclosure, installed less than 1800 mm above finished floor level measured from the
centre of the end-of-line device, and located beyond the last device in the circuit or terminated in a control
unit or transponder.
10.1.2 End-of-line devices for one field device on a circuit may be located within that field device provided
that the end-of-line voltage can be tested.

10.1.3 End-of-line devices shall have an identifying label securely attached to the front of the cover plate,
listing the zone served.
10.1.4 Where end-of-line devices are located within a field device, as permitted by Clause 10.1.2, an
identifying mark visible after installation shall be affixed to the field device.
 
I used to mount EOLs wherever it was convenient for me till an Enginerd failed me with the CanUL s524 rule about below 1800mm. This is a legit rule and it actually makes sense when you think about it. putting EOLs above Tbar is like splicing 80 #12s in a jb and not labelling anything. F#&*.... for the guy after you!. even if you pass VI its wrong and just means engineer did it wrong by allowing it.
 
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