Self-storage is an industry where storage space is rented to tenants. These spaces can be rooms, lockers, containers and/or outdoor space. Self-storage space is usually rented on a short-term, month-to-month basis to both businesses and individuals.
Self-storage can be rented for any number of reasons. Individuals may need space to store their belongings after or during a house move, following a bereavement or if they simply don’t have enough space to store all their belongings at home. Businesses, on the other hand, may use them to store excess inventory or archived records.
Either way, whether it’s monetary or sentimental, self-storage units can contain items of significant value and, therefore, it is essential that they remain safe from fire. However, doing so can prove challenging for fire alarm system designers.
What are the Challenges?
There are several challenges that are presented when designing a reliable fire detection solution for self-storage units. These can include:
- Unmanned Properties
- Self-storage units are often seldom visited by their tenant. Even when the tenant does visit, it is usually for short periods before the unit is locked up again and left unattended. This means the alarm installed must have the ability to monitor each individual unit and alert the unit’s security or responsible person in the event of a fire.
- Access for Maintenance
- As above, in many cases, tenants rarely visit their units. In some cases, they may even live some distance from the unit and returning to it regularly is impractical. Therefore, access for maintenance can be extremely restricted.
- Rapid Spread Of Fire
- Quite often, self-storage units are used to store household items such as soft-furnishings. If a fire was to break out, these items can catch alight very quickly and cause a fire to spread throughout the entire facility.
- Dust and Dirt
- As self-storage units can be left for long periods, dust and dirt can gather making traditional type spot detection unable to operate reliably.
What is the Solution?
FyreLine Digital Linear Heat Detection provides the ideal solution for protecting self-storage units from fire. It provides fast and reliable, low-maintenance, fixed temperature detection that is impervious to dust and other airborne contaminants.
FyreLine’s linear nature means that sensing cable can be installed longitudinally in each building. Therefore, one cable can cover each individual storage unit. FyreLine Digital is available with rated temperatures of 68°C, 88°C, 105°C or 185°C. Once the cable reaches it’s rated temperature, a signal is sent to the fire alarm control panel.
Location Reporting
A FyreLine Digital Interface Monitor Module (DiMM) can monitor up to two zones of digital linear heat cable. If an overheat or fire situation triggers either zone of the cable, the DiMM calculates the distance along the cable to the location of the trigger. This distance can be matched to an individual unit, allowing the area at risk to be quickly identified.
Remote and convenient testing
Testing and maintenance can most often be conducted remotely and without disruption by installing a FyreLine Digital End of Line and Test Switch unit to terminate the heat sensing cable. This innovative end of line unit has an incorporated test switch that allows the user to simulate trouble, fault and alarm conditions. This means that access to each individual unit is not required.
Wireless Interconnectivity
Due to FyreLine’s switch-like nature, a Wi-Fyre input/output device can be used to relay the signal from the FyreLine system wirelessly, via a Wi-Fyre wireless transponder, to the control panel. This means that upgrading or expanding the fire detection system can be done with little disruption to the operation of the facility. A wireless survey must be conducted to ensure that the signal between the I/O unit and the transponder is strong enough for the system to operate efficiently.
Recommended Products
FyreLine Digital Controller
The Digital Interface Monitor Module (DiMM) is a dual-zone module for monitoring up to two zones of Digital Linear Heat Detection (DLHD) Cable.
FyreLine Digital End Of Line (EOL) & Test Switch
FyreLine Digital End of Line Units with Incorporated Fitted Test Switch are suitable for use with FyreLine Digital linear heat detections systems, can monitor up to two LHD cables or zones and offer hassle-free functional testing of the system.
FyreLine Digital Heat Sensing Cable
FyreLine Heat Sensing Cable is available with rated temperatures of 68°C, 88°C, 105°C or 185°C. A number of outer coatings are also available, making it suitable for a wide range of applications.
Wi-Fyre Transponder
The Wi-Fyre Transponder has been designed to communicate with up to 30 mixed field devices such as smoke and heat detectors, manual call points, sounders, LED indicators and input/output devices.
Wi-Fyre Wireless Input/Output Unit
The Wi-Fyre Wireless Input/Output Module has been designed to provide a means to trigger an alarm or fault from ancillary input operations and/or to switch remote equipment in the event of an alarm condition.
Wi-Fyre Site Survey Solution
To make the wireless survey process even more simple, Eurofyre has put together a survey kit that is available for hire. This reduces overheads and eliminates the need to hire a third-party organisation to conduct the survey on your behalf.
For more information about Linear Heat Detection, or to discuss any of the other products that Eurofyre have to offer, please feel free to get in touch either by phone on +44 (0) 1329 835 024, by email to [email protected] or via the online enquiry form situated on our contact page.
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