Skills required

Adding the skill of being able to install a commercial fi re alarm system to your

current skillset has the potential to double your earnings . Simply because you are able to do two different jobs . However , due to certain legal requirements and training that may be required , many electricians never consider this option . Yet those that do are miles ahead of the competition .

But how is being an installer of fi re alarms different to being an electrician ?

First off , fi re alarms are extra low voltage . Electricians deal with low voltage , between 500-50V . Extra low voltage is below 50V . All fi re alarms tend to work at less than 50V , typically around 40 or less .

There are transferrable skills between the two occupations , which means that it is reasonably easy to get started . However , the main difference is that electricians worry about the energy discharge , the trip times , the insulation , and the loop impedance in the installation system ; fi re alarm engineers worry about the way smoke reacts , and the integrity of the cables . Commercial fi re alarm systems are always separate from the electrical installation , partly because of the electromagnetic resistance , because it can interfere with the loop systems and the data going round . The other thing

that makes the job of an installer different is that you have to consider things like beams , lights and fi ttings that may prevent the smoke getting to the detector .

A fi re alarm system is a life safety system . Its purpose is to make sure that people are aware that there is a fi re in the building and escape . An electrical system is not really a life safety system but if you wire it wrong , you can damage someone ’ s life . Which is why learning about the requirements to do the job is so important .

To get you started , here are fi ve steps to increasing your potential :

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