Do I need to buy BS 5839 & BS 5839 for Fire Alarm Installations?

You may be better to find another one man band that does fire alarms, and work along side, at least until you get confident, and or look at specific courses on alarms, perhaps by the makers.

 It is not uncommon for one person to do the paper design and another to do the actual wiring.

 As a more general note,  the British standards are not really written to be an easy learning or  teaching aid, more of a reference book for those who already know.

Mike

I don't recall any detail during my training course, but there certainly was a smoke detector in the training bay.

My personal view is that it is perfectly in order to install a circuit to supply the smoke and heat detectors as required by the householder. Use 3 core & earth with the third core for linking them.

What you have to be careful about is design and certification. If you are intending to do design, you need to do an appropriate course, but I understand that they may be available free from some manufacturers. (Sparkingchip will doubtless say more.) If you are going to certify to BS 5839, you need to be competent and I would suggest, have a copy.

The biggest problem is that if you get involved in the remotest way with design and certification, you will need professional indemnity insurance and the rate for alarms is substantially more than for without.

I suggest leave the design to the architect or main contractor and don't issue BS 5839 certificates.

Get yourself a copy of the Aico Handybook. It is a free download, and if you register with them, they will send you a hard copy.

It has all of the requirements for domestic properties, rental, and HMO's. It doesnt go deep into the design, but gives the basic requirements, a bit like the OSG. There are some omissions, but for domestic customers, it is fine.

I used to fit alarm systems in commercial properties. Up to 4 zones, we never had a copy of BS5839, but it is easy enough to comply with the varying requirements by reading various guidebooks.

Jimi: 
 

Hi, just starting out on my own. I'm only ever going to be working on domestic electrical installations and will only install basic standard interlinked smoke and heat detectors/alarms (one on each floor etc.). The ‘IET guide to the building regulations’ gives decent information on installing these. It says that one fire alarm installation can be included on an EIC or additionally on a MEIWC. But it also says that “The fire alarm installation is to be designed, installed and tested in accordance with BS 5839-6" and that in all cases “a fire system certificate for the design installation and commissioning shall be completed and given to the person ordering the work”. 

Do I need to purchase BS 5839 Part 1 and Part 6: for Fire Alarm Installations?

Thanks!

No you don't.  All the instructions you need with the aico detectors are with them.   you should provide certification with each install though to say what type of system you have installed and that it has been tested etc.  

Gary

 

Thanks for the replies. So I don't need to complete a ‘fire system certificate for the design installation and commissioning’ as the IET guide to the building regs says? The EIC should be enough? Talking about domestic here. Basic minimum requirements (1 smoke on each floor etc.)