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Fire Alarm Kits

Fire alarm kits box a control panel or controller with the devices that work with it, so a small system can be ordered as one item. The page has ESP MAGFIRE conventional kits, Fike TwinflexPro2 two-wire kits in 2-zone and 8-zone versions, an Aico RadioLINK strobe and vibrating-pad kit for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and a C-TEC Hush-ActiV Grade C kit for flats.

Choosing Fire Alarm Kits

Pick a kit by the building it protects: small commercial or communal premises, a single flat, or a home where someone may not hear an alarm.

Two-wire kits for small premises

Fike's TwinflexPro2 kits let detectors, manual call points and sounders share the same two-core zone wiring, which cuts cable runs. The 604-0002 kit has a 2-zone panel and the 604-0008 kit an 8-zone panel; alongside the panel, the 604-0002 and 604-0008 each contain 7 Twinflex Multipoint detectors, 2 manual call points and a detector head removal tool. The Multipoint detectors can be set to smoke, heat, rate-of-rise or combined modes.

Panel features

Both panels support alarm confirmation, which Fike calls Checkpoint, and RS-485 repeaters. The 604-0008 panel adds a 4×20 character backlit LCD and an event log of up to 500 events. Neither Fike kit lists standby batteries in its contents, and the 604-0008 notes that its panel needs 2 × 12 V sealed lead acid batteries, so plan for them.

Grade C kit for a flat

The C-TEC HAK/1 is a conventional stand-alone Grade C domestic system that complies with BS 5839-6 (2019) and suits individual flats and apartments. Its Hush-ActiV controller has a 72-hour rechargeable battery, and the devices are monitored for head removal and circuit faults.

Alerting people who cannot hear an alarm

The Aico Ei170RF is an alerting kit rather than a detector. When a linked RadioLINK smoke, heat or carbon monoxide alarm triggers, its control unit flashes a Xenon strobe and drives a vibrating pad placed under the pillow or mattress.

KitModelTypeSuited to
Fike TwinflexPro2604-0002Two-wire, 2 zonesSmall commercial and residential installations
Fike TwinflexPro2604-0008Two-wire, 8 zonesMulti-dwelling or small commercial communal sites
C-TEC Hush-ActiVHAK/1Grade C, stand-aloneIndividual flats and apartments
Aico RadioLINKEi170RFStrobe and vibrating padOccupants who are deaf or hard of hearing

Brands we stock in Fire Alarm Kits

Aico, C-TEC, ESP and Fike.

ESP makes the MAGFIRE FLK2P and FLK4PH conventional kits, Fike the two-wire TwinflexPro2 kits, Aico the RadioLINK alerting kit and C-TEC the Hush-ActiV Grade C kit.

Related categories

For a panel on its own see commercial fire alarm panels, build a larger system from fire alarm systems, or add parts from fire alarm accessories and components.

Frequently asked questions

What comes in a fire alarm kit?

A kit pairs a panel or controller with the first devices it needs, so read the contents list of the kit you choose. The Fike 604-0002 and 604-0008 TwinflexPro2 kits each contain a panel, 7 Twinflex Multipoint detectors, 2 manual call points and a detector head removal tool. The C-TEC HAK/1 is built around a Hush-ActiV controller with a 72-hour rechargeable battery.

What is a two-wire fire alarm system?

A two-wire system carries detectors, manual call points and sounders on one pair of cables per zone. Fike TwinflexPro2 kits such as the 604-0008 work this way, which Fike says reduces cable runs and installation time. In that kit the Twinflex Multipoint ASD detectors have an integral sounder, so the detector head also gives the audible alarm.

Do I need a 2-zone or an 8-zone kit?

Choose by how many zones the building needs, since the panel reports an alarm by its zone. The Fike 604-0002 has a 2-zone panel for small installations. The 604-0008 has an 8-zone panel with a backlit LCD, an event log of up to 500 events and an RS-485 interface for up to 8 repeater panels, and Fike suits it to multi-dwelling or small commercial communal sites.

Which kit suits a single flat?

A single flat can use a stand-alone domestic fire alarm kit designed to BS 5839-6, with its detectors and a standby-battery controller in one system. The C-TEC HAK/1 is a conventional Grade C domestic kit for individual flats and apartments, complying with BS 5839-6 (2019). Its Hush-ActiV controller has a 72-hour rechargeable battery, and the system is monitored for head removal and circuit faults.

How can a fire alarm wake someone who is deaf?

Link a visual and vibrating alerter to the alarms. The Aico Ei170RF flashes a Xenon strobe at 0.8Hz and vibrates a pad under the pillow or mattress when a linked RadioLINK smoke, heat or CO alarm triggers. It has 2 auxiliary 12V/200mA sockets for extra Ei178 strobes or Ei174 pads, a clock input for alarm clocks, and runs from 230V AC with a rechargeable backup battery.

What are Ei170RF compatible alarms?

They are alarms that use the same RadioLINK radio interconnect, so the strobe and vibrating pad respond when any linked smoke, heat or CO alarm triggers. The Aico Ei170RF works with Aico RadioLINK and RadioLINK+ devices, including the 3000 Series, the Ei2110e Multi-Sensor, the 160e and 140e Series and RadioLINK carbon monoxide alarms. It has two 12V/200mA auxiliary sockets for extra Ei178 strobes or Ei174 pads.

Why buy from West Midlands Electrics

  • Established 1975
  • Birmingham trade counter
  • UK-only supply

Written by the West Midlands Electrics technical team

Updated