What is the reason and how can you troubleshoot a ground fault alarm in a Fire Alarm System (FAS)?

Before ever touching a single component of a fire alarm system, check the main fire alarm panel to see the status of any and all panel faults (supervisory alarms, silenced fire alarms, troubles, etc.).

• Make sure every alarm problem discovered is documented on paper

. Once you have your documentation, date it and then have the person in charge “sign-off” on the paper document stating that he understands and acknowledges that there are existing faults or problems with the fire alarm system.

To be more professional, have someone in your company print this waiver out rather than use your handwriting. That way, there is less of a chance that the person signing can later say that they didn’t understand the handwriting when they signed the document.

If you have a video camera or phone camera handy, video record the panel troubles along with something that can record the date and time (hint: record the time stamp on the fire panel as you are scrolling through the alarm troubles.

Of course, if your customer has any video tape policies, please respect them… just sayin’!

Also, if your customer feels uncomfortable with having a video rolling, be sensitive to their desires and put the camera away. Just use your common sense and you should be OK.

Before utilizing an existing pull string to run new cables, make sure that the pull string is not tied down with wire ties or that it is not wrapped around other existing cables.

If you find that your pull string is wrapped tightly around the cables, that they are routed through obstacles or they are going around sharp corners, it is probably wise to pull in new cable without the aid of a pull string.

It may take a little extra time pulling the cable, but it could also save you many more hours of trouble-shooting later or prevent some other trade or company for blaming your company of causing problems with “their” system cables.

If you do find a ground fault and it is obvious that another trade caused the problem, use a digital camera or video camera and take a few snapshots or shoot a quick video. You will find that you can not only use these pictures as proof when it comes to getting paid, but many times your customer can go back and use your evidence to back-charge one of the other trades working in the building (if it is found that they were the ones at fault).

Instrument Earth:Instrument Earth is also called as Reference earth.Instrument Earth all individual shields(Screen) and over all shields single or multi pair cable shall be isolated from electrical earthing due to avoiding interference and terminated different bus bar.Instrument bus bar will be connected to grounding dispatcher by 25 sqmm green- yellow cable.Grounding dispatcher to earth pit is connected to 70 sqmm green -yellow cable.Electrical Earth:

Electrical earthing also called as dirty earth or protective earth.It is used to protect the power system,electrical equipment and personnel from electric shock.

Now i think you Mix both earth you should try to identify the Fire alarm sheild normaly this are the problem and check the Box used for the installation of the SD and HD.

Panel body need to be grounded separately same as all other accessories  to the main earthing

Make sure your devices are well connected with no loose ends and most important make sure all your grounding cables are isolated and contained. For most of these troubleshooting are created by loose cables and untied ones.

you must sure that the ground cable is connected to all devices and the cable are isolated very well