Changed the system? What NFPA 72 says you retest
One added horn is a one device test. One added horn plus a programming change is not. How the scope of reacceptance follows what changed.
Every new system gets an acceptance test, and the AHJ is told before it happens. After that, every change to the system brings its own reacceptance test, and NFPA 72 Chapter 14 ties the scope of that test to what changed.
Match the test to the change
| What changed | What gets tested |
|---|---|
| Added an initiating device, notification appliance or control relay | That device is functionally tested. |
| Removed one | Another device on the same circuit is operated. |
| Modified or repaired control equipment hardware | The control equipment is retested. |
| Changed the site specific software | 100 percent of the functions known to be affected, plus 10 percent of the initiating devices not directly affected, up to 50 devices. The record of completion is revised to show the change. |
| Changed the executive software (firmware) | A 10 percent functional test of the system, including at least one device on each input and output circuit. |
From the field
Adding one device is not a one device test once the programming changed with it. Programming changes are invisible on a walkthrough, and they are the trigger most often skipped.
Two kinds of software, two different tests
Site specific software is the program for this building. Executive software is the panel's own firmware. They are separate triggers with separate test scopes. Testing the programming does not cover a firmware update, and the wide software sample is not the rule for a single added horn. Applying it there overstates the requirement. Applying only the single device rule after a programming change understates it badly.
Who is responsible
The building owner is responsible for inspection, testing and maintenance. If that responsibility is handed to a service company, the hand off is in writing. A verbal arrangement does not transfer it.
A written test plan sets the scope of the testing, and the plan and its results are kept with the test records.
Keep reading
Keeping the way out usable: egress doors, locks and obstructions
A clear corridor is not signed off once. One motion to open, doors that unlock before the horns, and the delayed egress condition most often broken.
Strobe mounting height and candela: how NFPA 72 sizes visible notification
Measure the lens, size the room correctly, and never drop a strobe below 80 inches without redoing the coverage.
Fire doors: self closing, latching and what actually voids the label
A door that closes but does not latch has lost its rating. Not every hole drilled on site has, and the listing laboratory is who decides.
Kitchen hood suppression systems: the hazard, the system and the inspection
The grease decides whether a hood needs a system. What happens when it discharges, where the pull goes, and the four changes that force an upgrade.
Secondary power and standby batteries: what NFPA 72 asks of them
24 hours quiet, then the alarm. Why the battery calculation matters more than a load test, and why an undated battery is the installer's problem.
Fire extinguisher inspections: the owner's monthly look and the service visit
The monthly check is the owner's job, and it is the one most often not happening at all. What NFPA 10 asks for, from placement to hydro.