Class Change Timer, Class Change Time Clock, School Bell System, Automatic School Bell Timers.

There are many different names for our range of Class Change time clocks but essentially, the above terms actually describe the same type of system, people just know them as different names!

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So, What Is A Class Change Timer?

A Class Change Timer, Automatic School Bell System or School Bell Timer, call them what you will but they all serve the same purpose.

Cast your mind back to your joyful days at high school. Chances are that you heard a school bell ring to indicate the end of class, dinner time or home time. For me, this sound meant it was time to stick my chewing gum under the desk, follow the one-way system around the school for what felt like a 1/2 a mile walk to have a doss around with mates until the next school bell rang again.

The sound of the school bell is that generated by our range of class change timers and is normally the school's fire alarm system ringing briefly to give the class change signal. Some people know these as Class Change Timers as they indicate a change of class. Others refer to them as School Bell Systems because in the old days, fire systems used bells to indicate where most modern-day fire alarm systems use electronic sounders. Either way, our range of Class Change timers ring the school's bells to indicate the end of class or other timed events!

How Do Class Change Timers Work?

Our range of Class Change Timers are small controllers which connect directly to a school's fire alarm system. Times are then entered into the Class Change controller at the pre-determined times for each day. Then, when it is time to ring, our Class Change time clock then sends a signal to the fire alarm system which will ring until the told to stop by the controller.

Could This Not Be Confused With Being An Actual Fire Alarm Event?

The school's bells should only ring for about 5 seconds and then switch off again. This is normally long enough to be identified as being a class change and not an actual fire alarm event. Plenty of modern fire alarm systems are capable of generating a unique tone for the Class Change and can be programmed to sound the school bells as one tone and the fire alarm evacuation as a completely different tone, however, this does depend on the fire alarm system which the controller is being connected too. Your fire alarm maintenance company will be able to advise on this.

Can Our Fire System Not Do This By Itself?

A couple of fire alarm systems available today can be programmed to provide Class Change indications and can be programmed to ring the school bells at given times. However, this can only be programmed into the fire alarm panel by an engineer and takes the options away from the school or end-user. Any alterations to class change times would require the fire alarm engineer to attend which can become expensive and often problematic. Even changing the Class Change timer to holiday mode at end of term can be a problem if times are programmed into the fire alarm panel. Because of this, most fire alarm manufacturers do offer this option and actually include an input within the fire alarm panel itself to receive a Class Change input from controllers such as ours.

Are These Allowed To be Connected To A Fire Alarm Panel?

The simple answer is yes and the use of a Class Change timer is the recommended way to ring school bells in this way. This type of Class Change timer is a cost-effective way of indicating class change events by ringing the school bells without the need to wire new circuits and indicating equipment throughout the building. BS5839-1:2017 does state that class change events can be rung through a fire alarm system for periods up to 5 seconds and most fire alarm panel manufacturers actually include a Class Change input within their panels to receive signals from timers such as our range of Class Change Time Clocks.