North Road Academy, an Islamic primary school in Stoke-on-Trent, has upgraded its fire detection and alarm system by converting existing conventional wiring to an addressable architecture with C-TEC’s FastConvert, rather than replacing the system outright.
The school initially considered a complete replacement of its fire system. Specialist electrical company W R Fire & Security carried out a site survey and identified the potential to enhance the existing conventional system by converting it to addressable using FastConvert.
Three alternatives were considered before FastConvert was selected. A new conventional panel would have allowed zones to be separated and additional zones created, but it would have required extra cabling and still left the school with a conventional system able to report only zonal fire and fault information. A full re-cable was ruled out on budget grounds: it was estimated to add £10,000 in materials and additional labour, with greater disruption and a longer installation timetable. Converting the remaining six zones into loops was estimated to add about a week of work for two engineers, plus additional cabling, materials and disruption, at an extra cost of £3,000–£4,000.
According to the project description, FastConvert was the only option that avoided all three drawbacks at once. It reused the existing wiring, delivered a genuine loop-based addressable system rather than a conventional one, and avoided the extra cost, labour and disruption associated with the alternatives.
Using the old system’s wiring, the converter was used to upgrade the legacy conventional system to an open-protocol CAST addressable system. The resulting system is described as capable of lockdown alert functionality and internet connectivity, and able to accommodate C-TEC’s CAST-PRO false-alarm-resistant combined fire detection and alarm devices. For the project, two radials were combined into a single loop, with a dedicated two-loop panel installed for FastConvert.
Installer cites time and cost savings
Wayne Riley, managing director of W R Fire & Security, said the company was impressed by FastConvert’s capabilities. He compared it with a full rewire, which he said would have added around £10,000 to the job, and with converting the remaining zones into loops, which he said would have cost an extra £3,000–£4,000 plus a week’s additional labour for two engineers.
Riley described FastConvert as the clear winner for the project. He said it massively reduced installation time, site disruption and labour costs, and saved approximately £3,500. He added that he considered the new CAST-PRO devices far superior to other manufacturers’ products because the sounder/VADs and multi-sensors are built into the heads, removing the need for separate sounder bases.
The case highlights the choice between replacing a legacy fire system and adapting existing infrastructure. According to the project account, the FastConvert route allowed North Road Academy to gain addressable functions without the cabling, labour and disruption associated with the other options.