17th-century National Trust for Scotland property gets Hyfire wireless protection

One of the most historic and valued properties in the care of the National Trust for Scotland is now protected by cutting-edge wireless fire technology supplied by Hyfire.

The House of the Binns, or simply The Binns, is a historic house in West Lothian that has been the seat of the Dalyell family since the 17th century. Despite being donated to the National Trust for Scotland in 1944, the family retains the right to live there, and it was, until his death in 2017, the home of the well-known former Labour MP Sir Tam Dalyell. The 17th-century house, which was added to in the 18th and 19th centuries, presents a significant challenge to fire installers, so a wireless system from Hyfire was the obvious choice when the system required replacement.

‘When we were approached by the National Trust for Scotland to specify a new fire system for The Binns, the challenges were immediately apparent, and we rapidly concluded that a wireless solution was the simplest and most effective way forward,’ said Stevie Huxley of Safe Simple Secure, the installers on the project. ‘The building has significant ornate ceilings and historical interior features, so a wired system would require multiple trades and a principal contractor to manage the installation and “make good” afterwards.

‘We have worked with Hyfire for many years, during which time the performance and reliability of wireless fire devices have improved radically, and the new Taurus range is the equal, if not the superior, of its wired competitor in every aspect. For buildings like this, which require a light touch while still ensuring the protection of the historic fabric, wireless ticks all the boxes.’

Hyfire offers the widest range of commercial standard wireless fire devices on the market, ranging from optical, multi-criteria and heat detectors to notification, alarm, interface and control units, all fully certified to EN54. All products offer the highest performance and quality in the industry and are also fully compliant with BS5839 Part 1. Fire panels are wired via a loop to translators, from which wireless devices can be used on their own to build fully wireless systems of virtually any size, or mixed with Hyfire wired products to provide seamless hybrid solutions, offering total flexibility to specifiers and installers. 

Robert Bruce, National Sales Manager – North at Hyfire, commented: ‘At one time, wireless devices were seen as a niche technology best suited to historic buildings and big box industrial sheds. While this is no longer the case, the advantages that it can bring to an ancient building like The Binns cannot be overstated. Not only were we able to deliver a fully featured fire system that met all of the key requirements specified by the National Trust for Scotland, the system was also installed in a fraction of the time that a wired system would have taken, with none of the costs associated with installing cable loop.’

Developed in Trieste, Italy, the global centre for wireless fire design, Taurus features Pathfinder Technology, which allows the devices to communicate over 1km, point to point in open air, and further where expansion hops are used. Antenna technology has been optimised to allow communication across different frequencies and environments, which means that Taurus can do the job with less equipment and fewer batteries, thus saving on costs. 

Hyfire was launched as Sterling Safety Systems in 2007, bringing to market some of the first commercial wireless detection and alarm devices fully certified to EN54. Since then, the Hyfire brand has become synonymous with quality, reliability and innovation in the commercial fire sector. Hyfire devices come with a five-year warranty, backed up by a dedicated partner programme to ensure the best survey, installation, commissioning, after-sales service and exceptional technical support. 

For more information: www.hyfirewireless.com