Owners of commercial buildings can keep operational costs low by keeping some tips in mind when installing fire alarm systems. Here are some of those cost-cutting measures that you can take as you install a fire alarm system on your commercial building.

Use Video-Based Detectors

You can keep fire alarm system installation and maintenance costs affordable by opting for video-based fire detection systems. How can that cut costs? A video camera can cover a wide area that would have required several smoke or heat detectors. Besides, less hardware used usually translates into lower maintenance costs because there will be fewer components to inspect or repair later on. You can even reconfigure your existing CCTV cameras to serve an extra role of acting as fire detectors. This measure can save you from procuring new cameras for the fire alarm system.

Think about Ease of Expansion

Sections of your commercial building may keep evolving in terms of what the occupants use them for. For instance, offices can be converted into a restaurant when a new tenant comes in. Those different purposes may require you to modify or upgrade the fire alarm system. For instance, you may need to install more smoke detectors within the new commercial kitchen. It is therefore wise for you to install a fire alarm system that can be easily upgraded to accommodate those changes instead of replacing the entire system with a new one. Systems with network technology are the easiest to expand because one simply adds a new connection to the central panel of the system. This will save you from the monetary and time cost of installing a new system each time the building is used for a different purpose.

Negotiate the Installation Contract Carefully

Some fire alarm system vendors convince their customers to sign a procurement contract that includes a clause that the installer will handle all the maintenance requirements of the fire alarm system. Such a contract can prevent you from securing competitive bidders for the maintenance of your fire alarm system. It is therefore better for you to reserve the right to procure maintenance services from any company of your choice. In this way, you will be able to cut costs by asking different firms to compete for the provision of fire-alarm system maintenance services.

Keep asking the supplier of your fire alarm system for additional ways that you can use to keep the cost of using that system affordable. Those professionals will give you the latest information about how you can get optimum results from your system cost-effectively.