FastConvert, C-TEC’s innovative new conventional to addressable fire alarm zone converter, is designed to save time and money on retrofit installations.
Replacing an established fire detection and alarm system with a more modern one presents a familiar challenge for installers. The existing devices may have reached the point where replacement is necessary, while much of the cabling serving them can remain operational. Moving from a conventional system to an addressable alternative can therefore involve significant additional work if the existing circuit configuration requires new cabling before modern devices and controls can be introduced.
C-TEC has developed FastConvert to address this particular retrofit challenge. The technology enables existing conventional zones to be converted for use with the manufacturer’s CAST addressable fire detection and alarm systems devices while retaining suitable existing wiring. Rather than extending conventional zone circuits to create new loops, installers can replace the existing devices and bases with addressable alternatives and connect the system to a compatible C-TEC CAST protocol control panel.
The approach is intended to reduce the additional cabling, installation time and disruption associated with upgrading legacy systems, particularly across occupied buildings where extensive new cable installation can complicate a refurbishment programme. Schools, care homes, hotels, residential properties and local authority buildings are among the environments where this type of retrofit approach could have practical relevance.
However, retaining existing infrastructure places an obvious emphasis on establishing whether that infrastructure remains suitable. Existing cabling must be appropriately assessed before reuse, while the resulting system still needs to satisfy the fire strategy, relevant standards and requirements of the individual premises.
FastConvert also reflects a wider shift in fire detection towards systems capable of providing more detailed information and flexible control. Addressable technology can identify individual devices, support more complex cause and effect programming and enable additional system management capabilities.
C-TEC’s Marketing Director, Andy Green, discusses FastConvert, the North-West based manufacturer’s latest CAST-protocol powered innovation and explains how it can be used to convert conventional systems to powerful addressable systems easily and extremely cost effectively.
What is FastConvert?
FastConvert is a clever solution C-TEC has designed to facilitate the fast and cost-effective upgrade of a conventional fire system to an addressable fire system using a site’s existing wiring. It is the brainchild of our Managing Director, an electrical engineer with a talent for creating innovations that solve issues faced by installers out in the field. FastConvert is a nicely packaged product that can quickly convert a conventional system with ageing devices to a powerful CAST addressable system with ease.
How does it work?
FastConvert is an addressable loop-based device that allows you to convert four to eight conventional zones on an old fire detection and alarm system into addressable zones. The original zone circuit integrity is maintained and there is no need to extend the zone wiring into loops or to add end of line devices. In the past, converting conventional circuits into addressable loops would often require extra cabling but, with FastConvert, you simply replace all of the conventional devices and bases with addressable ones and connect a ZFP or XFP CAST panel to create a powerful new addressable system. The fact you can also cascade FastConvert interfaces in four to eight zone steps means the conversion of a 32-zone system or more is easily achievable.
Another big advantage is you can use our award-winning CAST-PRO combined fire detection and alarm devices on the new addressable system to free up space for lockdown devices and remove the need for a separate lockdown system.
Can you use it to upgrade any conventional fire system or just C-TEC’s?
You can use FastConvert to upgrade virtually any conventional system including many two-wire or bi-wire systems to a C-TEC CAST addressable system. We estimate over 50% of all fire systems in the field are conventional so potentially FastConvert could become a real go-to product especially with the advent of Martyn’s Law. This new legislation means premises with a capacity of 200 or more are looking to add lockdown functionality to existing sites, something which is easily achievable using our CAST addressable systems, especially those controlled by our ZFP fire panel as it allows multiple voice messages to be played via our hi-output voice sounders.
What is the benefit of addressable systems over conventional?
Conventional systems are adequate for many shops, offices, restaurants, and other similar buildings where a simple system with limited fire zones is required. Indeed C-TEC’s early success was built on the popularity of our conventional systems and they still account for a fair bit of our business. However, when it comes to medium and large sized projects, an addressable system is usually desired for precision, flexibility and futureproofing. They can pinpoint the exact location of a fire or fault, facilitate complex cause and effects, are easier to connect to the internet and include devices which are generally highly resistant to false alarms.
What other benefits does having a CAST addressable system bring?
CAST is a soft-addressed system which helps minimise installation time. You can either use the panel’s auto-address function to sequentially program all of the system’s devices automatically or address devices individually using our handheld programmer and then do a loop learn. All of our CAST-powered systems can also be connected to ENVISION, our cloud-based Fire IoT remote access, service and site management software package which allows all kinds of reports on system activity to be generated, flagged on smartphones or desktops on or off site. There has been lots of interest in it at UK and overseas exhibitions too.
There have been lots of interest in it in UK and overseas exhibitions too. was lots of interest in it at the recent Fire Safety Event in Birmingham too.
How do I know if a site’s existing cabling is good enough to use?
In most cases, a site’s wiring far outlasts the lifespan of the devices connected to it. There are simple tests that can be done to confirm this, and we can provide guidance on how to do this if needed. Another benefit of retaining the existing cabling and not having to extend it to form loops is that it is very good for the environment.
How do you think it will be received by the market?
Hopefully as a problem solver and money saver that improves life safety. Although fire detection and alarm technology has advanced rapidly in recent years, some organisations still put off upgrades due to budget restraints and the sheer cost of replacing a legacy system with a new addressable system. FastConvert helps eliminate this barrier as it allows conventional zones to be converted to addressable zones without the need to replace or extend the existing wiring which in most cases is fine to use. It reduces installation time, site disruption and labour costs and ultimately results in a far superior system. It is a smart, tidy solution for retrofit projects in schools, care homes, hotels, council buildings and more.
The installation companies we have introduced it to so far work with local authorities and housing associations and they are excited by its potential. One of our customers said using FastConvert had saved them almost 40% on the cost of a typical system conversion because of the reduced cabling and time savings.
Do you provide technical support on FastConvert?
Yes, and we also offer free tech and sales support on all of our other CAST powered life-safety systems including our EVAC-ALERT evacuation alert system and Hush-Pro residential fire alarm solution. We have got a team of CAST technical support specialists headed up by our Technical & Engineering Support Manager, Terry Gordon, who are only too happy to assist with things such as cause and effects and system programming. We also operate an open-door policy at C-TEC to encourage visits to our manufacturing plant in Wigan, so if anyone wants to come and see demos of FastConvert, or any of our other life-safety systems and enjoy a factory tour with lunch, all they have to do is contact their account manager or send an email to [email protected].
