A notification appliance circuit develops an open fault; NFPA 72 requires the fault to be indicated at the control panel within how many seconds?

• A. 60 seconds
• B. 120 seconds
• C. 200 seconds
• D. 300 seconds

Answer: (C)

An open fault on a notification appliance circuit is a trouble condition that the system must bring to attention promptly, so maintenance can locate and fix the broken continuity. NFPA 72 specifies that this fault be indicated at the fire alarm control panel within 200 seconds. This timing provides a practical balance: it alerts staff quickly enough to prevent the fault from going unnoticed, but it isn’t so fast that minor, transient opens (like a loose conductor during vibration or installation) trigger nuisance indications. If the fault were indicated much sooner, nuisance alarms would rise; if much later, a problem could go unaddressed longer than desirable.