Apollo Pioneers Lifetime Guarantee For Fire Detection Products
Apollo Fire Detectors claims that the ability to assess the true
lifecycle cost of a fire detection system is being compromised
through lack of clear information about product life.
Richard Bramham, Marketing Director for Apollo, explains:
"Understanding how long a fire detector can reasonably be expected
to function is absolutely critical to assessing the lifecycle cost
of a fire system. Currently, there is only very limited information
available to specifiers and end users on this aspect, which makes
true cost comparison at the procurement stage and the predicted
maintenance costs extremely difficult to calculate. While there is
no legal obligation to supply product lifetime information, any
responsible manufacturer should have no problem divulging these
details."
BS5839, the industry code of practice, puts the onus on the
manufacturer to define the working life of the product, along with
requirements for servicing and maintenance. However, the amount of
detail available can vary enormously from manufacturer to
manufacturer.
Apollo Fire Detectors has demonstrated its commitment in this
area by introducing a Product Lifetime Guarantee. This warranty
covers Apollo products for their anticipated 10 year lifetime (5
years for CO detectors), which is the length of time the company
says their products will function reliably if appropriately
installed and maintained. Their Product Lifetime Guarantee is based
on 30 years of experience in the industry and clearly shows that
Apollo is confident about the quality of its manufacture - which
continues to be based in the UK.
Richard Bramham says: "We are very proud of our British
engineering heritage and of course the Product Lifetime Guarantee
is a clear signal to our customers that we will back our own
products all the way. But this is really a much wider industry
issue - this is about transparency and responsible business
practice.
"It's important for installers, many of whom are small
businesses, to know that they have the manufacturer's full support
in the event that any device malfunctions due to a manufacturing
fault. Taking a broader view, in a world where resources are
becoming scarcer and costs are rising, people have a right to
understand exactly how much their fire system will cost - not just
at the outset, but for the life of the building."
Apollo also sees the issue of lifecycle costs as an area where
knowledge within the fire industry is lacking. The company has
recently completed a series of roadshows on this topic in
conjunction with ADI Global Distribution and is also presenting a
seminar at International Firex in May on 'Life Cycle Costs in Fire
Detection Systems'. In addition, Apollo now offers a CPD-approved
training course on this topic.