Student accommodations provide living spaces for university and college students, often in shared buildings or purpose-built complexes. They include individual rooms or apartments supported by communal kitchens, lounges and study areas. These environments experience constant occupancy, frequent turnover and high activity levels.
Fire protection systems in student accommodations must respond quickly, operate quietly and be easy to maintain without disturbing residents or daily operations.
Risks
Common fire risks in student accommodations include the following:
- Cooking incidents
- Unattended cooking or misuse of kitchen appliances is the leading cause of fires in shared housing.
- Electrical faults
- Overloaded sockets, damaged cables and personal devices increase the chance of overheating or arcing.
- Smoking and candles
- Improper disposal of cigarettes or the use of open flames can ignite nearby materials.
- Portable heaters
- Improper placement or blocked ventilation can cause overheating and ignition.
- Human behaviour
- Negligence, tampering with detectors or failing to follow safety rules heightens overall fire risk.
Challenges
Designing fire detection for student accommodation presents several challenges:
- Building layout
- Complex layouts with shared and private areas make full coverage difficult without excessive wiring or disruption.
- Constant occupancy
- Rooms are rarely empty, so installation and maintenance must cause minimal disturbance to residents.
- False alarm reduction
- Cooking, steam and aerosols can trigger unwanted alarms, leading to complacency or disabled detectors.
- Aesthetic and space constraints
- Devices must blend with interiors and fit within compact rooms and corridors.
- Cost and scalability
- Systems must remain affordable while supporting future expansion and easy integration with building management systems.
Wi-Fyre Xenos
Wi-Fyre Xenos is a fully wireless fire detection system designed for fast installation and minimal disruption. It connects a range of wireless detectors, call points and sounders through translator and expander modules that communicate directly with the fire alarm control panel. The system provides reliable two-way communication, long battery life and strong signal coverage, making it ideal for occupied buildings such as student accommodation.
Each translator supports up to 128 wireless devices with a transmission range of over one kilometre. Signal strength can be extended with expanders, creating a robust mesh network across large sites. Dual-channel redundancy ensures communication stability, while advanced monitoring provides constant supervision of device status and battery life.
Wi-Fyre Xenos is certified to EN54 standards and can operate as a fully wireless or hybrid system. Devices can be pre-programmed off-site to reduce time on installation, and configuration tools simplify commissioning and maintenance. The system delivers dependable protection where speed, flexibility and minimal disruption are essential.
Design Considerations
Panel Placement
Xenos translators and expanders should be positioned to achieve clear, reliable wireless communication between all devices and the main fire panel. Translators are best mounted centrally within the device network, ideally on solid walls clear of metal obstructions or large electrical equipment. Expanders extend coverage in multi-storey or complex layouts, maintaining strong signal paths and redundancy.
The Wi-Fyre Xenos system integrates seamlessly with Advanced and Haes control panels, providing full addressable communication, event logging and system monitoring. When correctly placed and configured, translators and expanders ensure stable performance, wide coverage and quick response across all areas of student accommodation.
Detector Placement
Xenos detectors should be installed to give complete coverage while minimising false alarms. In student halls, smoke or heat detectors are best positioned in bedrooms, corridors and communal areas, mounted centrally on the ceiling at least 500 mm from walls or obstructions. In kitchens or kitchenette areas, heat detectors are preferred to reduce unwanted alarms from cooking vapours.
Detectors should be placed to maintain clear air movement around the sensing chamber and avoid locations near ventilation outlets, windows or direct heat sources. Consistent spacing between devices ensures even coverage throughout the accommodation. Proper placement provides fast, accurate detection and reliable protection for residents at all times.
Call Point Placement
Manual call points (MCPs) should be installed at all building exits, corridor junctions and key escape routes to ensure quick access during an emergency. They should be mounted 1.4 metres above floor level and clearly visible, unobstructed by doors or furniture. In student halls, MCPs near stairwells and communal areas provide the fastest response and best evacuation efficiency.
Wall Sounder Placement
Wall sounders and sounder VADs should be installed to ensure clear, even alarm coverage throughout all occupied areas. In student halls, units should be positioned along escape routes, within bedrooms and in communal spaces so the alarm is both audible and visible from any point.
Sounders are typically mounted at 2 to 2.4 metres above floor level on solid walls, avoiding corners or behind doors where sound may be muffled. Sounder VADs should be placed where the flash is clearly visible, particularly in noisy environments or where occupants may have impaired hearing. Proper spacing and alignment ensure alarms meet audibility and visibility requirements for life safety compliance.
Typical Wiring Diagram
The Xenos mesh network allows all wireless devices to communicate through multiple signal paths rather than relying on a single connection. Each expander acts as a repeater, creating a self-healing network that automatically reroutes signals if interference or obstruction occurs. This design improves reliability and signal strength across large or complex buildings.
Because communication is wireless, the need for cabling between detectors, call points and sounders is removed. Only the translators and expanders require a wired connection to the fire panel for power and data. The mesh network therefore reduces installation time, minimises disruption and provides flexible coverage without extensive wiring infrastructure.
Why Choose Eurofyre?
- Wi-Fyre Xenos Support
- Eurofyre’s team of fire detection specialists are experts in wireless fire detection. We offer a Xenos Survey Kit to buy or hire to make conducting a Wi-Fyre Xenos site survey quick and easy. We also provide Xenos programming support to help with off-site programming.
- Complete System Supplier
- Eurofyre supplies all aspects of fire detection and its associated safety products, including Wi-Fyre Xenos, and can provide expert advice and consultation.
- Demonstration and Training
- We offer demonstrations and expert training on a range of systems, including Wi-Fyre Xenos, in our very own sophisticated training facility.
- After-Sales Support
- Eurofyre offers both on-site and telephone support to assist you in ensuring that your system is fully functional and operating at maximum efficiency. Our after-sales care and support are second to none.
For more information about Wi-Fyre Xenos, 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 sales@eurofyre.co.uk or via the online enquiry form situated on our contact page.
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