Aico RadioLINK+ Fire/CO Alarm Interface, Built-In Relays, Lithium Back-Up Ei414

What this interface does

Alarms on a radio link are normally only heard by each other. This Aico interface passes what they report on to other equipment in the building.

It is a go-between and not a detector. The alarms do the sensing, and the interface acts on the signals they send.

How it works

• Relay: a relay is a switch worked by another circuit. The outside system sees a contact change, so it needs no radio of its own.
• Separate signals: because the unit tells Fire, CO and Service apart, the outside system can be told which one it is getting, as long as the wiring is planned that way.
• Blue light: this shows RF transmission, which is useful when checking the link during setup.

Where to use it

It fits buildings where domestic alarms have to reach a wider system. Flats and sheltered housing with a warden service are common examples, as are homes with sprinklers.

Joining alarms to a fire panel can change how a building responds in an emergency. Agree the plan with whoever holds the fire strategy.

What the figures mean in practice

• Free air: this means open space with nothing in the way. Treat the range as an upper figure, then test in the building.
• Back-up time: check the instructions for how long the rechargeable cell runs the unit, and do not plan around a set number of hours.
• Power use: it adds little to a supply. It draws 1.6 W for AC and 1.8 W for DC.
• Temperature: the range stops at -10 at the cold end and 40 at the warm end, in °C, so check unheated spaces and plant rooms against it.

Installing it

• Supply work: mains connections are a job for a competent person, with the supply isolated first.
• Relay wiring: read the instructions supplied with the unit for the contact rating before connecting the outside system.
• Wall space: it is longer than a typical wall accessory at 220 mm wide, so plan the position before running cables.
• Testing: use the key's test position, then check that the alarms and the outside system both respond as designed.

Planning your system

It needs alarms already on the radio system, such as wireless smoke alarms and CO alarms from the same maker. Check each alarm's own details first.

It also needs the outside system's input details, so that each relay goes to the right place. A whole-house link depends on all the interlinked alarms sharing the same radio system.

Approvals explained

• R&TTE: the European rules for radio and telecoms equipment.
• EMC: electromagnetic compatibility, meaning the unit should neither upset nor be upset by nearby electronics.
• LV: low voltage, the European electrical safety rules for equipment on supplies of this kind.