Can a fire alarm system annunciator be installed outside on an exterior wall (in Canada)?
Most definitely! A number of manufacturers provide ULC Listed weather-proof heated enclosures for use in outside environments. Always exercise the appropriate cautions (and some common sense) if you’re faced with the requirement to do so. Keep in mind that the annunciator has to be visible (and readable) to the responding authority. I’ve seen many instances where they have been mounted on a south facing wall and daylight (and sunlight) conditions make them extremely difficult to read. What often happens is that exposure to the sun’s U/V rays tends to fade labels at an accelerated rate as well. It is for this reason that you would want to ensure that the unit is sheltered from the elements as much as possible. Covered walk-ways or cupolas with lots of shade make ideal applications. Where you have extremes in temperature, it might also be wise to supervise the output of the power supply for the annunciator heater. Most often this is a 24VAC transformer. Keep in mind that the installation
