UL 985

Household Fire Warning System Units

UL 985

1 Scope

1.1 These requirements cover household fire warning system control units intended to be installed in accordance with the National Fire Alarm Code, ANSI/NFPA 72, and the National Electrical Code, ANSI/NFPA 70.

1.2 A household fire warning system control unit consists of a unit assembly of electrical parts having provision for connection of power supply and initiating device circuits. Provision for connection of a notification appliance circuit is also required unless an alarm sounding device is integral with the control unit. Additional terminals may be provided for the connection of supplementary devices, such as annunciators, remote switches, and the like. A secondary supply, consisting of a rechargeable battery, shall be provided integral with the control unit or provision may be provided for its connection to the control unit.

1.3 Provision for the connection to the control unit of at least one smoke detector is required unless reference is made on the installation diagram for the use of a self-contained smoke detector, such as a single- or multiple-station fire alarm device.

1.4 These requirements also apply to the use of combination systems, such as a combination fire-burglar alarm system control unit, which uses circuit wiring common to both systems. When common wiring is used for combination systems, it shall be connected in such a manner that internal fault conditions (shorts, opens, grounds) in the nonfire alarm (burglary) system circuit wiring, or faults between the fire and nonfire alarm system circuits, will not interfere with the supervision of the fire alarm system or prevent intended alarm signal transmission.

1.5 These requirements do not cover single- or multiple-station fire alarm devices, automatic fire detectors, or alarm notification appliances, such as bells, horns, carbon monoxide alarm devices, emergency initiating devices, non-emergency initiating devices, and the like. They do cover accessories which are external to the control unit and are dependent upon the control unit function, such as end-of-line devices, annunciators, and remote switches.

1.6 If a digital alarm communicator transmitter is used to transmit signals to a remote location and it is to be included as a component of the system, it shall comply with the applicable requirements in the Standard for Digital Alarm Communicator System Units, UL 1635. Otherwise the user must be notified that the off-premises transmission method has not been so investigated.

1.7 Where a unit employs security functions, it shall comply with the Standard for Household Burglar-Alarm System Units, UL 1023. Units employing medical alert functions shall comply with the Standard for Home-Health Care Signaling Equipment, UL 1637. A unit utilizing non-fire and/or non-carbon monoxide emergency and/or non-emergency signaling functions shall meet the requirements of the Standard for General-Purpose Signaling Devices and Systems, UL 2017.