FCC Admin Tasks - Handling Simplex Fire Panel Issues

Handling Simplex Fire Panel Issues

Our outdated fire alarm system was installed as part of the renovation of the North end of the church building in 1991. The system should eventually be replaced. When an alarm sounds or a trouble indication is detected, Johnson controls issues email messages and phone calls to key individuals (see Changing Johnson Controls Notifications).

You may choose to read up on some history below to handle particular situations outlined here. For panel details, refer to the Simplex Grinnell 4005-9824 Fire Alarm Panel manual. If you feel up to more complicated programming, refer to the Simplex 4005 Fire Alarm Panel Programming Instructions.

A bit of history about our fire panel

Johnson Controls is the only company that services these Simplex fire panels. They have been unable to address some non-critical issues claiming that they can no longer source parts for it. They are actively trying to sell us an upgrade, but our experience with Johnson Controls has not been good so our preference would be to change vendors.

The system does not extend to the South end of the building since, not being involved in the 1991 renovation, it was ""grandfathered" from the building codes in effect at the time. If we replace the fire alarm system, it is possible that we may have to extend it to the entire building and we may have to install a fire suppression fire sprinkler system to meet current standards. This being a very expensive proposition, we have worked out practices to continue using our Simplex Fire Panel.

Since about 2020 it has been reporting "Battery Not Charging" even after new batteries are installed. The system is providing ample power to charge the batteries and the batteries have never failed to cover utility power outage situations. The issue is with the detection circuit and our vendor, Johnson Controls, has tried to to resolve it by swapping out the power board. They indicated that they have to replace the main board, but insist that they can't source parts for such an old system.

Replacing the system being cost prohibitive, we have worked out methods outlined below to delay the options.

When the vendor schedules their annual inspection

On several occasions, Johnson Controls has come out for their annual inspection when the system displayed the false "Battery Not Charging" status and they red tag the system insisting that we need to replace the batteries. We save money by replacing the batteries ourselves, but we still have to incur an $800 expense to call them out to remove the red tag.

In scheduling the appointment for the annual inspection, you should create a calendar event to notify you on the day before the inspection. We avoid the expense of the false battery trouble by following this procedure one day day prior to the inspection:

Disconnect the battery wire by pulling apart the in-line fuse holder and wait till the system issues a continuous beep.
Reconnect the in-line fuse holder on the battery wire.
Touch "SYSTEM RESET" and wait for the reset complete message
Touch "EXIT CLEAR" and the panel will eventually display "** SYSTEM IS NORMAL **" (see Figure 3) and the system should pass the annual inspection barring another issue they might find.
A day or so after the inspection, the system will beep and indicate a "BATTERY NOT CHARGING" status (see the section below).

Figure 3: System Normal Status

When system beeps and the display indicates " TROUBLE "

This situation occurs about 2 days after we experience a utility power failure or the fire panel is reset to a normal status. The panel beeps every few seconds and the display indicates a "** Trouble **" status (see Figure 1).

Touch "SUPV ACK" which will silence the beeps
If the panel displays the trouble is "Battery Not Charging" (see Figure 2), simply touch "EXIT CLEAR" and stop this procedure
If the trouble is not "Battery Not Charging" refer to the Simplex Grinnell 4005-9824 Fire Alarm Panel manual instructions to resolve the issue.

Figure 1: "** Trouble ** Status

Figure 2: "Battery Not Charging" Trouble Point

When an alarm sounds

Any time you determine that it is not a false alarm, vacate the premises immediately and wait for the fire department!

We have had several false alarms over the years. Non-emergency events like a smoking oven or someone brushing up against a smoke alarm will set off an alarm. If the fire department makes it to our property more than once in a 12 month period before a false alarm is cancelled, we are assessed a $100 charge.

When an alarm sounds, key individuals receive emails and phone calls, but they may not be in a position to act. If someone on-site determines that it is a false alarm, following the steps outlined below in a timely manner may avoid a fire department response.

If the situation warrants the fire department, leave the alarm going and evacuate the building. DO NOT CONTINUE TO THE NEXT STEP.
Touch "ALARM SILENCE" to silence the alarm.
Notify Johnson Controls monitoring center at (888) 746-7539 that it is a false alarm. If done in time, the fire department will abort their response.
Touch "ALARM ACK" to scroll through the fire conditions. Take note of the locations called out and inspect each location to determine next steps.
If problems have been resolved, you can touch "SYSTEM RESET" to reset the system and wait for the reset complete message.

Handling Simplex Fire Panel Issues

A bit of history about our fire panel

When the vendor schedules their annual inspection

When system beeps and the display indicates "** TROUBLE **"

When an alarm sounds

When system beeps and the display indicates " TROUBLE "