Hochiki Ekho Wireless Heat Detector, Class A1R, EK-WL8-H

What this sensor is for

A heat detector goes in rooms where a smoke sensor would keep giving false alarms. This Hochiki head does that job over radio, so the sensor itself needs no signal cable back to the system.

That makes it useful for adding to a building where new cable runs would be slow or disruptive, such as occupied or finished areas. It is one part of the Ekho hybrid system, in which radio devices sit alongside wired ones.

How it works

• Sensing: the A1 class in EN 54-5 suits normal room temperatures, and the R marks a rate-of-rise response, which reacts to how fast the temperature climbs.
• Radio link: the sensor uses two-way communication, so messages can travel in both directions rather than being sent and hoped for. It also adjusts its own signal strength and frequency.
• Two cells: there is a primary cell and a secondary cell, with the secondary rated at 3 months.

Where to use it

Typical rooms for a heat detector are kitchens, plant rooms and garages, where steam, dust or fumes are normal. The guide to where smoke detection fails goes through the choice.

Check the room stays inside the working limits. Non-condensing is the key word for humidity, so wet rooms need thought.

What the figures mean in practice

• 1200 m range: this is an open air figure. Walls and steelwork reduce it, so expect far less indoors and do not plan from this number.
• Battery life: the 10 year figure is an upper limit, and it depends on operational usage. Build battery checks into the maintenance schedule.
• 58 °C max.: this is the limit for the class. Keep the sensor away from heat sources that could approach it in normal running.

Installing it

• Survey first: Hochiki offers the EK-WL8-SK kit for surveying potential hybrid wireless installations, and training is required before purchase.
• Fit and prove: after fitting, use the magnet test to confirm the sensor responds.
• Base: check the instructions supplied with the part for the mounting base and whether cells are fitted.

Planning your system

The radio side needs a translator on the loop. The EK-WL8-TRH suits a Hochiki ESP loop and takes up to 126 Expanders and radio field devices, depending on loop address capacity.

In larger buildings or difficult radio conditions, an EK-WL8-EXP expander module increases coverage. Each radio field device takes a loop address, so count them in the loop design.

Browse the full Hochiki range. As a rule, spacing and category come from a BS 5839-1 design by a competent person.

Standards and ratings explained

• BS EN 54-5: the standard for heat point detectors, meaning detectors that sense heat at one spot.
• BS EN54-25: the standard for fire alarm components using radio links.
• RED: the EU rules for radio equipment, which cover products that transmit.