North Road Academy, an Islamic primary school in Stoke-on-Trent, has upgraded its fire-detection system by converting the existing conventional infrastructure to an addressable set-up rather than replacing it outright. The project used FastConvert, C-TEC's conventional-to-addressable zone converter, and was carried out by specialist electrical contractor W R Fire & Security.
The school had initially considered a complete replacement of its fire system. After a site survey, W R Fire & Security identified an alternative: retain the existing conventional system and convert it into an addressable architecture using FastConvert. The installer says the approach avoided the cost, labour and disruption associated with the other options examined.
Three alternatives assessed
Before selecting FastConvert, the project team reviewed three upgrade routes. One was to install a new conventional panel, which would have allowed zones to be separated and additional zones created, but would also have required extra cabling. It would still have left the school with a conventional system able to report only zonal fire and fault information.
A second option, a full re-cable, was ruled out on budget grounds. The installation company estimated it would add about £10,000 in materials and labour, as well as greater disruption and a longer installation period.
The third option was to convert the remaining six zones into loops. That route was estimated to add around one week to the installation for two engineers, along with additional cabling, materials and disruption, at an extra cost of £3,000 to £4,000.
Reusing existing wiring
FastConvert was selected because it avoided all three disadvantages, according to the project account. It reused the old system's wiring and delivered a loop-based addressable system rather than a conventional one, without the additional cost, labour or disruption associated with the alternatives.
The conversion turned the school's legacy conventional system into an open-protocol CAST addressable system. According to C-TEC, the resulting system is capable of lockdown alert functionality and internet connectivity, and can accommodate its CAST-PRO combined fire detection and alarm devices. The company describes those devices as false-alarm resistant and notes that sounder/VADs and multi-sensors are built into the heads.
To implement the upgrade, two radials were combined into a single loop, and a dedicated two-loop panel was installed for FastConvert.
Installer's assessment
Wayne Riley, managing director of W R Fire & Security, said the contractor was impressed by FastConvert's capabilities. He compared it with a full rewire, which he said would have added around £10,000 to the job, and with converting the remaining zones into loops, which he said would have cost an extra £3,000 to £4,000 plus a week's additional labour for two engineers. In that comparison, he described FastConvert as the clear winner.
Riley said the approach substantially reduced installation time, site disruption and labour costs, and saved the project approximately £3,500. He also welcomed the CAST-PRO devices, saying the installer considered them superior to other manufacturers' products because the sounder/VADs and multi-sensors are integrated into the heads, removing the need for separate sounder bases.
The figures cited are project-specific and attributed to the installer, rather than a general benchmark for other sites.