Vimpex Smart+Guard Call Point Cover with Sounder, Surface Mount, Red SG-SS-R-32

What this cover is for

Unwanted alarms waste a site's time, and a lot of them start with someone leaning on or tampering with a device. A hinged cover adds one deliberate movement before the device can be reached, and this one adds a loud warning at that moment.

This Vimpex guard goes over the existing device instead of replacing it, so it can answer a problem spot once one has been found.

How it works

• Lift and hear: lifting the cover sets off the local alarm, and the person can then operate the device underneath as normal.
• Spacer: this frame sits behind the cover and gives depth for a device standing proud of the wall.
• Own battery: the alarm is battery powered, so plan its battery changes separately from the rest of the system.

Where to use it

As a rule, it suits places where pranks are the problem, such as public corridors and schools, because the noise draws attention to whoever lifted it. Red is the usual colour for a fire alarm device.

It is an indoor part. For an exposed position there is a separate weatherproof version with a back box.

What the figures mean in practice

• 90 dB: that is loud at close range but is not a building alarm level, so it warns the person at the device, not the whole site.
• Battery life: build the 3 year figure into the maintenance plan, and watch for the low battery LED on inspection rounds.
• Other spacers: 18 mm and 50 mm options exist if your device is shallower or deeper than the standard one allows.

Installing it

• Before you drill: hold the cover over the device and check it closes and lifts freely. Isolate or disable the zone first if work could trigger the device.
• Spare parts: SG-SP5 service pins and SG-BS10 break seals are the spares for later servicing.
• Testing: after fitting, lift the cover, hear the alarm, then operate and reset the device to prove it can still be used.

Planning your system

The cover protects manual call points without changing how they work. Measure the device first.

A cover adds a step at the moment someone needs the alarm. Agree its use with whoever holds the fire strategy, and warn staff what the sound means.

If the noise would cause trouble, the same cover comes without an alarm as the SG-S-R-32. The guide to commercial fire alarm systems notes that covers are for spots where accidental operation is a live risk.