UL and NFPA mandate not allowing Ground Fault Function to be bypassed on Fire Panels is putting lives in danger because other faults get missed

Yes the idiots at UL and NFPA in their quest to build a better fire panel have actually caused panels to be less safe. How?

By not allowing a problem that frequently happens on fire panels a Ground fault.

A ground fault indicates that a wire on one of the circuits has been pinched and is touching earth ground some where in the system  typically occurs as buildings get older and expand and contract and while  a ground fault can interfere with a panels operation its a very rare occurrence. I have never seen one do it in 40 years of fire work on all kind of systems big small new and old  and all kinds of buildings .

In older panels you could temporarily bypass the feature so you could find it which some times takes months to find especially when its a floater where wire only touches on hot days when the building is expanding . Bypassing the feature allowed time to find it and fix it with out the trouble sounder constantly coming on and driving people nuts  .

tape placed over sounder to muffle it 

But no the Morons at NFPA and UL decided alarm techs can not be trusted they will find and fix this ground fault so not more bypassing.

The result the trouble sounder coming on several times a day to point individuals damage or otherwise make the piezo unit which makes the sound be muffled.

So now especially if you have a local only system which does not report  which there are many of these type of systems  or  a system which reports just a simple trouble  to central station which there are many out there ,  when a real dangerous problem comes in like a circuit to the horn strobes is broken or circuit to smoke detectors is broken it gets ignored everyone thinks its the dam ground fault.  and then when firefighters need to use the remote stations they can not they have been damaged.

BOTTOM LINE LIVES ARE PUT AT RISK BECAUSE OF THIS UL- NFPA MANDATE

Because UL and NFPA never ever thinks a problem or issue thru before issuing a mandate .
and then has to keep changing rules and codes and panel features.

Yes that time bomb clock keeps ticking and guarantee some where a building is having a ground fault the trouble sounders have been broken or cut off and their is a serious issue with panel no one knows is going on and there will be a fire and system will fail to operate .

Thank You UL ad NFPA for once again putting lives in danger

Like I always say  NFPA really stands for Not For Practical Application 

A Very dangerous designed safety rail on Sissor Lifts how was this even allowed on the market

In 40 plus years of working on various lifts and hoists I encountered one of the most dangerous designs I have ever seen on a Optimum 1930 Sissor lift made by Haulotte
These are typically rented thru home improvement stores which is why OSHA probably has not gotten them off the market.

The units have a solid steel bar which goes across where other lifts use a piece of chain it sildes up and down on rollers and can get stuck in up posistion and then thats when its dangerous when I went to get on lift not realizing flimsy way the bar was staying up it came down and struck me on the head.

Bar Lowered

roller mechanisim

As you can see bar is pushed up and down but can easily catch and the fall  in picture below

Bar now in up stuck position bump it it comes down hard .

To make matters worse because this bar is such a pain in the ass to get under and on to lift it is often tied up with tape or zip ties and now the safety is bypassed. Who ever cam up with such a poorly designed safety feature need fired and not allowed to design another piece of equipment.
I contacted manufacture but never got a reply back which is typical . when some one gets seriously hurt and they get sued then maybe they will recall these units and put safety chain on them. 

I will be notifying CPSC as this is rented to consumers

You can not make a 4 wire smoke detector work on a 2 wire Fire Alarm loop but that did not stop this installer from doing it and leaving half an apartment building with out proper fire protection for over 30 years

In 1984 the Pa. fire and Panic Act was passed and it required the vast majority of apartment buildings to install Fire Alarm Systems unless you where in a community using the BOCA Code  but some followed both like Monroeville  a very good ideal that unfortunately was never properly enforced by the state  and has lead to hundreds if not thousands of inadequate and improper systems to be installed in apartment buildings all over the state.

One such building I encountered in the  south Hills of Pittsburgh is just such a case the system was installed but never inspected and passed by any fire official and up until it was purchased by my customer this past year and I rebuilt it never properly worked in fact half of the smoke alarms and pull stations never functioned since the day they where installed  .

So how could something like this happen ? Unfortunately it still goes on to this very day.
Back then community's who did not have a local Fire Marshal or Official to inspect left it up to the state to do it. In too many cases the state approved the drawings and got the required completion paper work the system was installed but never verified the systems or inspected them.
This lead to a host of violations from non approved burglar alarm equipment being used to pull stations mounted at 6 ft .

In this 22 unit 3 story apartment they installed an ESL 1500 Fire Panel but then never field installed the resistors which supervise the wiring on the end of the circuits this resulted in the south end of stair tower with smokes and pull stations to fail to operate when a wire fell off a heat detector in basement
so it never worked for god only knows how long .
Then to make matter worse they tried installing 4 wire detectors on 2 wire loops.
yes it can be done but you must install 2 extra wires to provide power to the units they did not which means they never worked. Despite how they tried to make the wiring work.

By jumping 2 wires over to power side of detector sorry that does not work so these detectors never worked.
Now to make matters worse this system up till 96 was regularly inspected by a big famous 3 initial fire company whose inspectors passed it every year and never found any of these issues in effect they where committing fraud signing the reports and ripping off the building owner and more importantly
they where putting lives at risk all for the almighty buck. Of course so much time has passed the people who installed the system are long out of business and dead and the people inspecting it are probably long gone and probably dead as well so who you going to go after.

I rebuilt the system installing a new Silent Knight 5208 Panel  all new system sensor  smoke and heat detectors plus carbon monoxide detectors and supervising as much of the wiring as I could and installed a Cellular Sole Path Communicator to notify fire dept and this time had it inspected by the towns new chief who is now going back over and rechecking all the property's in the town for proper compliance .
Good for Him and he has implemented The Compliance Engine to help keep track of things. Of course your still going to have the raggers and taggers but all the tracking helps to catch them. 
But finnaly the good people of this community will have proper fire protection.

NFPA gets it wrong and confuses public and fire officials when they say replace smoke alarms after 10 years.

Yes it never cease to amaze me how UL and NFPA screws with the public and fire officials. take the
whole ideal you must replace smoke alarm / detectors after 10 years ..

I had a corporate customer call me other day all worried he had to change everyone of his 154 smoke detectors in his complex  he was relieved to know he did not have to after I explained to him the differences between smoke alarm and smoke detector 

Smoke detectors must be changed after 10 years
This is 100% false statement what you should be replacing is Smoke Alarms  not Smoke Detectors so whats the difference?

A Smoke Alarm is a single or multi connected unit either using Ionization or Photo Electric  or both technologies  which has a built in sounder and is powered by 120 vac or 9 volt battery or both .
these are found primarily in residential settings  and only units utilizing ionization need replaced if it is straight photo electric and passes tests it is still safe to use

 Kidde Battery powered smoke alarm

as you can see from date smoke alarm is past 10 years old needs replaced

A Smoke Detector is a unit which is connected to a Fire Alarm or combination Burglar/Fire Alarm
some times has a built in sounder and  is powered and supervised by  the panel .
These units only need replaced when they no longer pass sensitivity tests I have customers with smoke detectors going on 30 years and they still work as good as day they where installed but I highly recommend they change them when they are that old and most do few at a time when annual testing is done.  thou these units where at one time sold with ionization features they have not been made by manufacturers in many years  still same rule if they pass testing they do not need replaced only smoke alarms after 10 years.

 commercial hardwired smoke detector with optional sounder

So should you be concerned if a smoke detector or smoke alarm needs replaced after 10 years absolutely if they are smoke alarms of ionization type and a smoke detector which fails sensitivity testing.

This is why Fire Alarm systems require annual testing of detectors to make sure they are working
and records should be avalable upon request of the building owners representative .

You should also know you could have both types of units particularly in apartment buildings . Generally the units in hall ways are smoke detectors  tied to a system but not always some smaller buildings use daisy chained smoke alarms which need changed after 10 years  if they are ionization and usually inside the individual apartment you will find a smoke alarm which needs replaced  after 10 but again not always as some units inside the apartment are actually smoke detectors which have a local sounder in apartment  which sounds and heat which activates main fire  panel this help prevents false alarms while cooking  etc.
 So yes it can be very confusing and uninformed fire officials on the matter does not help.
It also does not help that unscrupulous alarm dealers are telling customers they need to replace there combo fire/ burg systems  smokes after 10 years when they only need tested.

Unsure what you have protecting your home or apartment building ask a professional  alarm technician or fire official..

Below is 2 examples of correct and incorrect wording of Public Service Announcement PSA adds 

Example of PSA with wrong incorrect  wording 

PSA with correct wording 

Home Fire Sprinklers a good Idea . The question is will they even work when you need them 20-30 years from now ? Is this whole home sprinkler thing nothing more than a panacea ?

Lets face facts . Yes home sprinklers do save lives.

Lets also face the fact that sprinkler systems require proper maintenance if not they do notwork properly

Yes the NFPA banters about the fact there has never been a multi fatality in a proper maintained building with sprinklers the main words being proper maintained.

Well In the 40+ years I have been working in buildings which have sprinklers systems I have seen both well maintained and poorly maintained systems and even in buildings properly maintained the amount of corrosion and mold  in pipes even plastic pipes is amazing .

I have seen systems put in 15 years ago where they went to add heads to a system and watched them open up piping and the water comes out like maple syrup to point the sprinkler installer  has to use a coat hanger to clear the pipe.
and these are systems well maintained and corrosion checked .I just worked in a building with 3 year old piping and you should already see the corrosion starting in that system.

http://www.buildings.com/article-details/articleid/20594/title/safety-corroded-why-your-fire-sprinkler-system-may-be-at-risk/viewall/true

The problem is the hard water we have in the Tri-state area. To add to the problem systems where pressure or storage tanks are used which is many of them also have significant mold and slime  issues in the tanks if additives are not put into the tanks.

So if we see these issues in commercial systems you will see them in plastic or copper piping used in residential systems as well.

Lets face it even thou today's lighter construction does not hold up as well in a fire like older construction today's homes from a fire safety stand point are safer than ever .

Codes mandate Daisy chained smoke alarms and Arc Fault Breakers AFCI and Ground Fault Circuit  Interrupters GFCI and solid 2 point grounding systems so electrical fires are greatly reduced. walls are foamed or insulated and there is blockage in the walls to stop fire spread unlike old homes which are balloon constructed.

So chances of having a fire are greatly reduced but what about 20 to 30 or more years down the road when you may have a real need for that sprinkler system will it work ?

See thats the problem all this lets put in sprinklers for saving lives and not telling you all the issues of having sprinkler systems in your homes and the responsibility to make sure they stay operational.

Believe me I have seen 20 year old plastic piping and what it looks like inside when water is sitting in it and not moving from all the years of work I have done around swimming pools and in the oil industry and working on water wells. .

In commercial buildings  piping can be easily removed and replaced for the most part but a home that means tearing open walls   if the piping can not be properly flushed and cleaned.

Now yes we can filter and treat water before putting it in the system or add nitrogen etc to get PH up or down but that adds to the cost  and that also means testing system to make sure water is still treated.

You see its real easy to say put in sprinklers but no one wants to talk about the downfalls of it and complications lets talk about it.

In some cases putting in sprinklers your insurance goes up due to the water damage potential and while some states have passed laws to keep this from happening some have not .

You may be required to put in a separate metered line to house this can cost thousands

You may have to add a storage pressure tank which needs to be kept heated  this means in the basement and mold prevented and monitored for pressure loss  all of a sudden the myth that sprinklers cost no more than good carpet just exploded.

The cost of some one annually coming and testing your system if you want to make sure its working any where from $150-300  each time.

Having to keep your house above 40 degrees  at all times to keep sprinklers from freezing even when your away for extended periods and now having to worry pipes do not burst

Having to have either a small stand alone fire panel or combo burglar panel to monitor your system and  monthly monitoring fees $30-60 a month

Plus eventually you need to replace the heads after so many years they loose sensitivity just like heat detectors on a fire system  also which how many places i go in they have not been changed on 30 or more years.

Yes sprinklers are a great idea if your willing to take on the responsibility to maintain them if not they are just as useless as the smoke with out a battery. All these model community's with sprinkler rules lets see what they look like in 20-30 wont that be interesting

You should be able to get 15 Amps out of a 120 volt 15 Amp Wall outlet WRONG UL and NFPA once again cause confusion for public

I have a customer who  distributes and delivers various oils and fluids to customers such as repair garages and industrial users of oils.

One of the products they deliver is DEF or Diesel Exhaust Fluid used in modern diesel vehicles to keep soot down.
 They have a pump which draws 14.5 amps so there maintenance man who looked at it and see it draws 14.5 amps would think OK I can plug it into a 15 amp electrical outlet and be OK
except when he does he keeps tripping the breaker . Thats when they called me in and I had to explain to him the idiocy of the NFPA and National Electrical code and show him where he was wrong
 because 99% of the population  who are not electricians would get it wrong  as well Because when NFPA and UL sat down and designed 15 amp Outlets they designed those circuits to only be used at 80% of its rated name plate . so that means no more than 12 amps continuous can be drawn thru the outlet not the full 15 which is for short bursts when a motor starts up.

In realty this motor must be run on a 20 amp circuit using number 12#gauge wire instead of 14# guage which is used for 15 amps.

because of this confusion the NFPA and  UL has blood on its hands by not fully explaining to the public that 15 amps from a receptacle can not be used continuously and it gets plenty of people killed yearly when they plug in electric  space heaters.

So why all the confusion good question you would think when an organization publishes safety standards they would take into account the general public's safety and NFPA and UL have failed miserably doing so. Just Like with the new close your bedroom door which if you do not have daisy chained smokes will get you killed.

Of course NFPA and UL blows off the whole code thing with its for professionals to use and educate the public. Wrong you make the code you should be the one informing people.

Before you shut off your 24/7 Security System Professional Monitoring to save money . Does it effect your Homeowners Insurance ?

OK so you put in a burglar alarm 3-5 years ago your contract for monitoring and or maintenance is over and you want to not be monitored or you want to self monitor using something like Eyezon.
before you do this and make a major mistake which could cost you thousands of dollars in grief

Better check with your insurance carrier before shutting it off.

Why your insurance rate you pay is discounted on the fact you have a monitored system  turning off monitoring means

1# you have to pay the higher rate which could be more than what you pay for monitoring

2# If you have an intrusion and because you failed to maintain your 24/7 monitoring you are in violation of your insurance agreement which means the insurance company could ruse to pay anything or reduce what they will pay. 

So what are my options ?

Look around and find a small independent alarm dealer like myself(sorry not taking new customers)  who offers discounted monitoring. which is some times half or less what you pay the big company's.
Just make sure its a legitimate company and insurance approves.

it takes effort but there are cheaper alternatives out there .

The Pa. Firefighter Cancer Presumption Law its turned into a complete Joke and waste of time and not helped one Firefighter

Aprox. 5 years ago Pa. passed the Firefighters Cancer Presumption Act

With an ever rising amount of firefighters Career and volunteer like myself getting cancer the law was suppose to help those of us with fire related cancer to get compensation with out having all the burden of proving firefighting caused our cancer. None of us was looking for Million Dollar pay offs we where looking for compensation to take care of our wives and family's should we not survive cancer I was fortunate I did

THE TRUTH

Not one firefighter including my self out of the 100 plus firefighters I personally know who got cancer  have gotten any help from the law in fact no firefighter in Western Pa has gotten help have not been able to find any one helped by this law  it is a total and complete sham and scam this law why was the effort ever put into it in the first place if it throws up more road blocks than helps  and Ohio just passed one and same thing is going to happen.

The Problem

Is the Oncologists who treat us not one is willing to sign off saying we got our cancer from Firefighting even thou there are many compelling arguments that inhaling diesel and other toxic  fumes and wearing of radios is causing problems . They all blame our cancer on family history even if that history is very spotty and inconclusive

No one wants to do studies on the correlation of Firefighters carrying radios on their hips and Colorectal cancer being caused by those radio and pager signal waves

Until Oncologists are willing to sign off not one firefighter will get help. Which was supose to be the whole point of the bill in the first place automatic presumption.

So as my friends are slowly dying off who will help take care of their familys.?

Thats right in many cases no one if your a volunteer chances are your lucky you even have a life insurance policy most volunteers are blue collar  and many are not making any kind of real money
yes some do  but thats the exception not the rule  and even if you do survive like me you often end up filing bankruptcy because of all the time you had to take off from work. Some who survive can go back to what they love most like me can not go back into firefighting.
So all the hand shaking and back slapping and ballyhoo about passing this law and not one person helped. why was it even passed.

One of the Cheifs I know who passed from Colon cancer  just like I had   and we went thru treatment at same time ,said it right why bother attemting to get help its going to be too little too late .