Sounders

Sounders are the audible half of fire alarm notification — the devices that produce the evacuation tone. They appear in conventional and addressable form, in wall and ceiling mount, and in indoor and weatherproof housings.

Two things drive selection. Sound output has to overcome the ambient noise of the space, so a plant floor needs a different device than an office corridor. Tone pattern matters for code compliance: many jurisdictions require a specific temporal pattern for evacuation, and some now require low-frequency output in sleeping areas because it wakes occupants more reliably.

Addressable sounders draw power and control from the loop; conventional ones need a notification circuit sized for the total load. Check the panel's available current before adding devices to an existing circuit.