FIRE
PERFORMANCE
NEWS
March 2012
www.fpcables.co.uk
FP IS THE NAME IN FIRE RESISTANT CABLE - HERE’S
SOME QUESTIONS WE’RE ASKED EVERYDAY
Q. What does ‘standard’ and ‘enhanced’ mean?
A. Standard fire resistant cables (FP200 Gold) pass
the 30 minute fire, water and shock test at 850°C,
enhanced cables (FP PLUS) pass the two hour fire test
at 930°C. BS’s for fire alarm and emergency lighting
require both types and our ‘FP GUIDE Series’ will help
you decide which to use.
Q. Silicone cables don’t pass the fire test on one
sample though do they?
A. FP does. The fire test needed to pass the fire alarm
standard and the emergency lighting standard are
both flame, water and impact on the same 1200mm
sample of cable for both FP200 Gold and FP Plus.
Q. Can I use red LSOH nylon cable ties FP?
A. Not as the only means of support. Fire detection, fire
communication and fire fighting and life safety circuits
each have a BS to describe cable installation and they
all state fire resistant cables must be fixed with metal
so as to not compromise cable performance; that Q. Do I have to use brass glands on
FP200 Gold or FP PLUS smoke or
means iron, steel or copper.
fire detector circuits?
A. No. The glands protect the devices or
Q. The emergency lighting standard only calls enclosures from the ingress of moisture
and airborne particles at the cable
for the PH60 fire and shock test.
A. It’s changed. BS 5266-1:2005 has been replaced entry point. They are not part of the
by BS5266-1:2011 which now calls for standard and fire resistance but they should be low
enhanced cables just like the fire alarm standard.
smoke and zero halogen like the nylon
FP gland.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Please contact marketing:
Tel:023 8029 5029
Email: [email protected]
FIRE
PERFORMANCE
NEWS
March 2012
www.fpcables.co.uk
Q. I heard FP200 needs ferrules: where can
I get them?
A. It doesn’t. FP200 Gold replaced FP200 in 1995
with
Insudite™
damage
resistant
insulation:
ferrules are redundant. Everyone prefers insudite
because it withstands significantly more force than
the ordinary silicone used by others that means
less time and money wasted by you for someone
else’s mistakes.
Q. Can I joint FP cables?
A. Avoid. All of the British Standard Codes of Practice
for fire cables refer to joints and recommend they
should be avoided where practicable. If a joint is
absolutely necessary then it must use ceramic
terminals a sealed fire resistant box.
Q. Is 6491B in steel conduit suitable
for fire detector circuits?
A. No, use FP100. 6491B is not fire
resistant, in the event of fire it will burn
and cease to function in screwed steel
conduit.
Fire
alarms
and
emergency
lighting circuits must be wired with fire
Q. FP cables work at over 800°C, can I use
resistant cable or cable system. FP100
them in a 200°C industrial installation?
meets that requirement in screwed steel
A. No. FP cables are fire resistant, that application
conduit.
needs a high temperature cable.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Please contact marketing:
Tel:023 8029 5029
Email: [email protected]