Installation

Non-Addressable (or Conventional) fire alarm systems 

The hardware associated with a conventional fire alarm tends to be much cheaper than the other types of alarm, however they are more difficult to install because they require more wiring, which in turn means more time is needed from the fire alarm installation 

A conventional system won't be able to tell you the precise location of the fire, however if they are wired correctly they will be able to divide your premises into zones. 

This means they can still be used as a cheaper solution even in premises with multiple floors or areas as long as the arrangement is fairly simple. However we wouldn't recommend them for more complex buildings. 

Addressable fire alarm systems 

Addressable alarm systems are a little more sophisticated than the more basic conventional type. Every device connected to the addressable system has its own unique address -hence the name.  This means that when a fire is detected, the fire alarm control panel is able to tell you exactly which device has been activated, whether it1s a detector or a call point. This in they can be easier to install than conventional systems because all of the devices are connected to one, wire 'loop', rather than by individual cables. 

They also have the potential to save your business money over time as they are less prone to false alarms and more effective in the case of actual fire.

Wireless fire alarm systems 

Wireless fire alarm systems are great for premises that need to take appearances into account, such as high-end retail outlets, or who are restricted from doing much with the fabric of the property, such as listed or heritage buildings. As the name suggests, they require no wiring to be installed, so are very quick and simple to install. However the systems themselves are expensive and have a number of ongoing costs associated with them. 

Primarily this ongoing cost is the regular replacement of batteries. These need to be frequently checked and replaced if 

Because of the ongoing cost, we would recommend wireless systems in specialist cases as mentioned above, or as a temporary fire safety solution, such as a building site.