Fire alarm cables are placed into three broad categories: plenum, non-plenum, and riser. Each of these corresponds to another standardized category. Plenum cable, to be used in ducts or other enclosed air spaces, is called FPLP; non-plenum cable, to be used in applications such as surface wiring, is......

There are many safety precautions like voltage, abrasion resistance, chemical resistance, etc., that should be considered in choosing any kind of electrical cable, including that for fire alarms. However, there are some notable fire-related safety precautions to consider as well.

Firstly, it is important to isolate the installation from the mains supply before attempting to check or repair flooded cables. For obvious reasons, the sooner the flood recedes and action is taken the more likely it is that the cables will not be adversely affected. Find out what to do when the wat......

•Corrosive and acid gas
•Mass of zinc coating for galvanised wire armour
•Smoke emission
•Flame propagation test for multiple cables
•Shrinkage test on insulation
•Abrasion test

The voltage rating of a cable is the highest voltage that may be continuously applied to a cable construction in compliance with the relevant cable standard or specification.
Voltage rating figures for cables are normally expressed in A.C. RMS. (Alternating Current Root Mean Square) and are wri......