#317 – Fire Bells: Which One

Do I Need? And How Many?

January 21, 2020

A few tips apply to every fire bell—whether

it’s used as a waterflow alarm, school bell,
security aid, or fire alarm appliance
Fire bells have been a staple of the life safety industry for more than a century. And
while they’ve helped save an untold number of lives, they’ve also found their way
into school attendance systems, makeshift security systems, and even the “world’s
loudest alarm clock.”
In this article, we look at fire bells, explaining a bit about electrical compatibility,
noise levels, and even essential fire code requirements from the National Fire
Protection Association (NFPA). To help fire professionals and those using fire bells in
less conventional ways, we’ve split this article into two parts:

 Bare minimum knowledge: information on electricity and noise designed for

non-experts (or a refresher for fire safety pros)
 Fire safety concerns: choosing a code-compliant fire alarm bell for use with a
sprinkler or standpipe system (waterflow alarm) or fire alarm system
(notification appliance)
Know which fire bells you need? Hop over to our collection of alarm bells and
accessories.

A fire bell’s voltage and volume matter to fire

professionals and non-experts alike
Fire bells go by a variety of names—alarm bell, fire bell, sprinkler bell, or gong bell—
but in the end, there are two essential types:

 Electric bells. Simple wiring allows these to connect to buttons, switches,

and control panels. Most work with security systems, fire alarm systems,
or electronic devices (flow and pressure switches) that activate when
water flows through a fire sprinkler system.
 Water-activated bells (water gongs or water motor gongs). These
ring only when a supply of pressurized water passes through a pipe.
They’re designed with specific fire safety uses in mind.
Fire bells that depend on electricity aren’t the only option. Mechanical water motor
gongs are frequently featured on a wall just beyond large pipes, called system risers,
where water enters a sprinkler system from an outside source.
In this section, we’ll demystify voltage, bell size, and volume. If you’re familiar
with these topics—and want to know more about fire safety applications, specifically
—skip ahead to a more in-depth look at bells and NFPA code for fire alarm,
sprinkler, and standpipe systems.

One warning before we go any further: if your building has a fire alarm system—and
that system relies on fire bells to encourage evacuation—you probably can’t use fire
bells for security, time-keeping, or other reasons. Different types of signals
(evacuation, intrusion, and so on) need distinct sounds to help people hear the
difference between a life-saving signal and something less essential.

Voltage is one of the most essential—and confusing—topics

in fire bell selection
Voltage is key when choosing an alarm bell. Imagine wires as empty pipes, and
electricity as water flowing through them. Voltage acts like water pressure: systems
with higher voltage move electricity through wires more rapidly.
110 to 120 volts (called “high voltage” or “line voltage”) is standard throughout the
United States. From toasters to computers, nearly any appliance that’s plugged into
a wall socket relies on a 120-volt supply.

Some general guidelines on voltage can make selecting a fire bell easier. These

aren’t hard-and-fast rules—and we’ll finesse them a bit below—but, in general,
consumers should:

 Pick low-voltage bells—either 12 or 24 volts—when connecting to

a control panel or a transformer (a device, often found with doorbells,
that reduces voltage).
 Choose 120-volt bells when connecting directly to switches, buzzers,
or a building’s power supply.
 Stick with alternating current (AC or VAC) if you’ll connect directly to a
building’s wiring.
 Use a direct current (DC or VDC) fire bell if the device will rely on
battery power or electronics with low-voltage output (like most control
panels).
 Avoid connecting a low-voltage device to a high-voltage power
source. Too much voltage can destroy sensitive electronic components,
causing short circuits and overheating.
The specifics will vary: some control panels, for example, may use slightly different
voltages, or may even operate on AC power. Always keep in mind that electricity
is dangerous. Use common sense, follow any safety warnings provided, and, if
you’re at all unsure about doing this yourself, don’t try it. Seek assistance from a
qualified electrician.
Most fire bells are very, very loud—and the volume often (but
not always) increases with the bell’s size
A bigger fire bell doesn’t always make more noise. From a few feet away, most are
as loud as 80, 90, or even 100 decibels (dB). That’s somewhere between the noise
produced by a garbage disposal and a lawnmower.

DIY-ers (and others using wall-mounted bells for reasons other than fire safety) can
take a page from the fire protection world. Bells need to be louder than ambient
sound levels to be heard.
We’ve looked at this topic in some depth before. Each ten-decibel
increase represents a ten-fold increase in the sound’s power. An 80dB bell is ten
times as loud as a 70db one, 90dB is ten times as loud as 80dB, and so on. A rule of
thumb in fire protection is that the bell’s sound should be 15dB over average
ambient noise levels.

Remember, though, that the volume heard will decrease as listeners get farther
and farther away. A 96-decibel bell is only that loud from a fixed distance—usually
ten feet. It’s roughly six decibels quieter each time that
distance doubles (although the exact amount varies with the carpets, ceilings, and
other materials featured in the room).

Notice how the decrease between 1 and 2 meters (90 – 84 = 6) is the same between
2 and 4 meters (84 – 78 = 6). Another six-decibel decline takes place at 8 meters, 16,
32, and so on. Source: Wikimedia Commons
The numbers confirm common sense: louder bells can be
heard over (much) longer distances
Let’s consider how loud a 96-decibel bell will be at various distances. If you take
these figures—and compare them with the ambient noise levels in a given building
—you’ll find that a high-decibel fire bell can be heard at great distances in all but
the loudest rooms:

 90dB at 20 feet
 85 dB at 35.5 ft
 80 dB at 63 feet
 75 dB at 112 feet
 70 dB at 200 feet
Compare that with typical ambient noise levels that are offered in table A.18.4.3
of NFPA 72: National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code (a volume of rules governing the
installation of fire alarm systems). These averages are inexact—but they’re a good
starting point, especially for consumers who use bells for other reasons.

 Businesses (~55dB ambient sound): a fire bell of 70dB or more is

needed.
 Churches, restaurants, and theaters (~55dB ambient sound): 70dB or
more needed.
 Grocery stores, department stores, and gas stations (~40dB ambient
sound): 55dB or more needed.
 Hospitals, nursing homes, and prisons (~50dB ambient): 65dB or more
needed.
 Industrial facilities (~80dB ambient): 95dB or more needed.
 Mechanical rooms (~85dB ambient): 100dB or more needed.
 Outdoor walkways (~40-70dB ambient): 55-85dB or more needed.
 Piers and water-surrounded structures (~40dB ambient): 55dB or
more needed.
 Residential buildings (~35dB ambient): 50dB or more needed.
 Schools and universities (~45dB ambient): 60dB or more needed.
 Storage facilities (~30dB ambient): 45dB or more needed.
 Underground structures and windowless buildings (~40dB ambient):
55dB or more needed.
 Vehicles and vessels (~50dB ambient): 65dB or more needed.
Taking this one step further: a 96-decibel bell can be heard from 200 feet away
in the “average” business or restaurant—and from even further away in quieter
spaces like residential buildings or schools. Louder bells (or a greater number of
them) may be needed in large industrial or mechanical spaces.

Note, however, that especially loud noises may cause permanent hearing damage.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health warns that more than 90
seconds’ exposure to 110-decibel sounds can be unsafe.
You don’t need to do the math: a “fire bell alarm clock” will wake you up.
Source: Instructables
Fire bell design varies to account for different
uses in fire safety
In this section, we’ll show how fire safety professionals use bells in two distinct ways:

 As waterflow alarms. Electronic fire bells connect to switches,

called flow or pressure switches, that activate when water flows in a fire
sprinkler or standpipe system. Alternatively, installers may use a device
called a water motor gong that accomplishes the same task without
electricity. Either way, the bell rings as water discharges from a hose or a
fire sprinkler.
 To notify a building’s occupants or staff about a fire. These fire
bells encourage people to evacuate during a potential fire (or get the
attention of staff members tasked with facilitating a more discrete
evacuation).
Local waterflow alarms, found with sprinkler and standpipe systems, will
typically use a 120-volt bell or water motor gong unless there’s a fire alarm
system in the building

Nearly every commercial building—and all but the smallest residential ones—must
have a local waterflow alarm. The same is true for standpipe systems (excluding
manual-dry types). The fire bells used to sound these alarms connect to the fire
riser and may be electric (standard bells) or mechanical (water motor gongs).

Why have both kinds of fire bells?

 Water motor gongs help firefighters estimate the size of a fire. If the

bell is ringing slowly, the supply of water may be running low; if the
supply of water is running low, several fire sprinklers may have opened.
Firefighters can then pump water into the system, listening for a change
in the bell’s sound that indicates that the pressure to sprinkler heads has
been increased.
 Electric bells are often the most inexpensive—and fully-featured—
choice. They’re necessary for waterflow alarms serving preaction and
deluge systems, which must activate when (electronic) sensors detect
concerning levels of heat, smoke, or other indicators of a fire. They’re
also a good choice when a building has a fire alarm system, since one
flow or pressure switch can send a signal to a fire alarm control panel
and sound the alarm.
These devices may or may not be connected to a fire alarm control panel and are
usually mounted outdoors, where first responders (and passersby) can hear them.

Type and quantity: what you need to know about choosing a waterflow alarm

NFPA 13: Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems requires that waterflow
alarm devices be:

 Listed (2019 edition, section 7.7)

 “Constructed and installed” to activate when at flow rates equal to
discharge from the smallest sprinkler (7.7)
 Weatherproofed and guarded, if installed outdoors (16.11.1.2)
 Provided with every sprinkler system that has more than 20
sprinklers (16.11.2.1)
Remember that one building may, in effect, have more than one sprinkler system. In
section A.3.3.206, NFPA 13 explains that each system consists of a “system riser
serving a portion of a single floor of a facility or where individual floor control valves
are used in a multistory building.” Installers need one waterflow alarm per riser or
control valve.
The grey pipes above and to the right of this fire riser likely lead outdoors to a fire
bell. Source: Reddit
For those installing a water motor gong, note that pipes connecting to it must be at
least 3/4” and corrosion-resistant (16.11.1.3). For contractors going with an
electronic fire bell, note that most fire bells installed with local waterflow alarms are
roughly 120 volts AC, with electricity delivered through a fire sprinkler flow switch.

One final note: signs are recommended (but not required) when there’s no fire
alarm system in the building. The 2019 edition of NFPA 13 recommends that signs
reading “SPRINKLER FIRE ALARM: WHEN BELL RINGS CALL FIRE DEPARTMENT or
POLICE” be installed next to the bell or gong in a highly visible location.
Put your knowledge to use: browse our 120-volt fire bells, water motor gongs, flow
and pressure switches, fire alarm bell accessories, and even our “CALL 911” signs.
Low-voltage DC bells are used with fire alarm systems, with
quantity varying with the size of the room
Devices connected to fire alarm control panels typically rely on DC, or direct current,
power. They’re also typically low-voltage, running at 24 or even 12 volts. While the
panels themselves connect to standard 120-volt AC sources, the energy delivered
from the panel to notification appliances downstream is of the low-voltage variety.

When coupled with a fire alarm system, fire alarm bells serve as occupant
notification devices—audible and/or visual signals that facilitate evacuation.
Under NFPA 72: National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, all audible notification
devices must:

 Be listed (18.3.1).
 Have a nameplate with their electrical requirements and select installation rules
(18.3.2).
 Protected against any damage they may face with listed guards or covers (18.3.4).
 Never cause ambient sound levels to exceed 110 decibels, even when all bells,
horns, or other devices are active (18.4.1.2).
This nameplate features marks that indicate the fire bell’s listing, electrical
requirements, decibel rating, and more.
These devices sound one of three signal types: public mode audible, private mode
audible, and sleeping area. All must be louder than the average ambient sound
level or the maximum sound level having a duration of at least 60
seconds (whichever is greater). Sections 18.4.3, 18.4.4, and 18.5.5 prescribe these
sound levels depending on the device’s location and use:

 Public mode (notifying everyone in an area): +15dB over average

ambient or +5db over maximum (measured 5 feet above the floor)
 Private mode (notifying staff tasked with evacuating a building’s
occupants): +10dB over average ambient or +5dB over maximum
(measured 5 feet above the floor)
 Sleeping area (waking sleeping residents): +15 dB over average
ambient, +5dB over maximum, or 75dB (measured at “pillow level”
It’s up to installers to measure or properly estimate average and maximum sound
levels. But from these levels, it’s possible to determine how many bells are required
—and how loud each one needs to be. As we explained earlier, listeners experience
a 6-decibel decrease for each doubling of distance. In a sleeping area—where the
required levels may be as low as 75dB—a 96-decibel fire bell may be audible from
more than 100 feet in any direction.

Still, as noise levels increase, the fire bell is effective over a reduced range. The
simplest fix may be to select a louder device. A 105-decibel bell can provide 90 dB
of sound from more than 55 feet away—more than double the distance of a 96-
decibel appliance.

Alternatively, contractors can provide more fire bells, so long as they keep in mind
that each added bell will increase these levels only slightly. Imagine a 20-foot by 20-
foot room. To reach 105 decibels of sound at the center (10 feet away from the
walls), you’d need:

 One bell at 105 dB

 More than 3 at 100 dB
 More than 9 at 95dB
While there are other factors to consider here—including a building’s acoustics—it’s
worth remembering that one bell with the right decibel rating can do the job of
ten bells.

There’s plenty to know about fire safety

electronics—so keep on reading
Want to learn more about the requirements surrounding fire bells? Check out these
other guides from our Thoughts on Fire blog, including:

 Fire bell mounting height in fire alarm systems

 Placing and protecting waterflow alarm bells in compliance with NFPA 13
 Installing a fire bell
 Understanding initiation, occupant notification, and monitoring
 Alarm system requirements for residential, healthcare, and daycare
facilities
 Fire alarm system requirements for educational, commercial, and other
occupancies
 How fire alarm control panels work
You can also browse our full catalog of fire alarm bells and accessories, flow and
pressure switches, and “CALL 911” signs.