POWER-LIMITED FIRE ALARM CABLES CONTINUED Birmingham AL

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DIGGING FOR AN ANSWER TO UNDERGROUND CABLE

Q As a follow up to last month's questions on Power-Limited Fire Alarm Cables (FPL), is there a requirement to use FPL in conduit that is installed underground from one building to another building? The Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) says I always have to use "fire alarm cable."

A No. Type FPL is meant to be installed exposed in a building, and when following the rules from Article 760.15, Part B, conduit isn't necessary. To be given the FPL designation is to indicate that the conductor's insulation/jacket will be "resistant to the spread of fire," which is not a factor with buried cable.

Therefore, since FPL is not approved for "wet locations" and there is no such thing as "direct burial FPL cable," you are left with choosing one of three methods. Which method you choose will probably depend on how much you like to dig:

METHOD #1.	METHOD #2.	METHOD #3.
Use Direct Burial Cables or Conductors.	Use Nonmetallic Raceways Listed for Direct Burial Without Concrete Encasement or Other Approved Raceways.	Use Rigid Metal Conduit or Intermediate Metal Conduit.
Only copper conductors are permitted for fire alarm use (stranded or solid).	Cables and insulated conductors installed in enclosures or raceways in underground installations shall be listed for use in wet locations.	Cables and insulated conductors installed in enclosures or raceways in underground installations shall be listed for use in wet locations.
310.7 Direct burial cables or conductors. Conductors used for direct burial applications shall be of a type identified for such use.	i.e. MTW, RHW, RHW-2, TW, THW, THW-2, THHW, THHW-2, THWN, THWN-2, XHHW, XHHW-2, ZW (or Direct Burial cables).	i.e. MTW, RHW, RHW-2, TW, THW, THW-2, THHW, THHW-2, THWN, THWN-2, XHHW, XHHW-2, ZW (or Direct Burial cables).
Bury it at least 24 inches deep.	Bury it at least 18 inches deep.	Bury it at least 6 inches deep.

GREG KESSINGER, SET, CFPS, president of an alarm installing company since 1981, teaches NICET training classes to fire alarm system designers and installers and continuing education seminars for Ohio's fire alarm inspectors. You can reach him at 888-910-2272; e-mail: Greg@firealarm.org; or visit his website at www.FireAlarm.org.

author: By Greg Kessinger

ADS Security

205-532-4064
100 Oxmoor Blvd.
Birmingham, AL
http://www.adsalarms.com

Headquartered in Nashville, ADS Security, L.P. is ranked the 21st largest electronic security alarm firm in the nation according to the 16th annual Top 100 rankings compiled by "Security Distributing & Marketing" (SDM), a leading industry publication.

Through its 13 offices, ADS Security provides a full range of burglar and fire alarms, closed circuit TV (CCTV) systems, access control systems, process and environmental monitoring systems, audio and video intercoms, and music systems.

ADS Security operates the only UL-listed and CSAA Certified Central Station monitoring operation in Middle and East Tennessee. Each Central Station Operator at ADS has earned the Five Diamond Central Station Certificate, the highest training certification available in the industry.

The ADS Central Station and the ADS Centralized Services group in Nashville support the ADS field operations who have full-service sales, technical, and administrative people dedicated to serving the thousands of ADS customers in each location.