16/2 Solid Copper Fire Alarm Cable - FPLR Riser Rated, Red, Data, 1000ft

This is the data-grade riser-rated fire alarm cable: two 16 AWG solid bare copper conductors, insulated black and red in low-smoke PVC, under a red PVC jacket listed FPLR under NEC Article 760 for power-limited fire alarm circuits. Data grade means the insulation is built to the tighter electrical tolerances that addressable panels specify for their signaling line circuits, so the same cable that feeds the horns and strobes can also carry the SLC loop to its full rated length. FPLR covers the vertical runs between floors of a multi-story building and every ordinary in-wall and in-ceiling run that isn't a return-air plenum, which makes it the everyday cable for notification appliance circuits, initiating device circuits, and the panel-to-device wiring of a fire alarm system. The red jacket is the fire alarm identification that inspectors and future technicians expect to see, and the black and red conductors carry the polarity marking that a supervised notification circuit depends on.

16 AWG is the heavier of the two common fire alarm gauges. With about half the resistance of 18 AWG, it's the one to use for a long notification appliance circuit with a lot of horns and strobes on it, where the voltage drop from the panel to the last device has to stay inside the panel maker's limit. The cable is made in the USA, and it comes on a 1000 ft wooden spool.

Features

• FPLR riser rated. Listed under NEC Article 760 for power-limited fire alarm circuits in riser shafts, vertical runs between floors, and general in-wall and in-ceiling use.
• 16 AWG solid bare copper conductors. About half the loop resistance of 18 AWG, for long notification circuits and device counts that would push an 18 AWG run past its voltage-drop limit.
• Data grade. Insulation held to the electrical tolerances addressable panels call for on a signaling line circuit, so it's approved for SLC loops as well as notification and initiating circuits.
• Low-smoke PVC insulation, black and red. Color-coded conductors for polarity on notification and initiating circuits.
• Red PVC jacket. The standard fire alarm identification, so the cable is recognizable in a tray, a riser, or a junction box years after it's installed.
• Unshielded. The standard construction for notification appliance and initiating device circuits.
• 300 V, 75 °C. The ratings a power-limited fire alarm circuit calls for.
• 4.57 mm outer diameter. Slim enough to bundle and pull easily, with a 0.381 mm jacket wall.
• Made in the USA.
• 1000 ft wooden spool. Put it on a spool stand and it pays out cleanly.

Where It Fits

It suits notification appliance circuits feeding horns, strobes, and speakers, initiating device circuits to smoke detectors, heat detectors, pull stations, and waterflow switches, signaling line circuits on addressable panels that specify data-grade cable, panel-to-annunciator and panel-to-relay wiring, riser runs between the fire alarm control panel and floor terminal cabinets in apartment buildings, hotels, schools, and offices, and any power-limited fire alarm run in a building where the ceiling space isn't a return-air plenum.

Good to Know

Run the voltage-drop calculation before you pick a gauge. A 16 AWG pair is about 8 ohms per 1000 ft round trip, so a notification circuit drawing 1.5 A at the far end of a 300 ft run loses about 3.6 V, which is close to the limit most 24 V panels allow; 18 AWG on the same run would lose nearly 6 V. FPLR covers risers and general use but not return-air plenums; a run through a plenum ceiling needs FPLP. The cable is listed for fire alarm circuits under Article 760, and the AHJ has the final say on using it for anything else, so if it's going on a security, intercom, or control circuit, check first. Keep fire alarm cable separate from power conductors in raceways and boxes, as the code requires for power-limited circuits, and use the red jacket to keep it separate from the rest of the low-voltage wiring in a tray. For a signaling line circuit, check the panel manufacturer's wiring guide: most addressable panels accept a data-grade unshielded pair like this one, but some loops call for a twisted or shielded pair, and a noisy route is a reason to use the shielded 16/2. If the run is only a notification or initiating circuit, the standard-grade 16/2 does the job for less. The PVC jacket isn't UV stabilized or rated for wet locations or burial, so an outdoor device should be fed through conduit or from a cable rated for it.

Specifications

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