Why are fire dampers required?
The fire damper secures the integrity of the existing barrier thus preventing fire penetration before temperatures reach the fire rating level of the barrier itself. Its primary function is to prevent the passage of fire from one side to the other of a fire-rated separation.
How do you size a fire damper?
– Type A, E, and F Damper Overall Width = Duct Opening/Nominal Size – 1/4″ – Type B Damper Overall Width = Duct Opening/Nominal Size – 1/4″ – Type C Damper Overall Width = Duct Opening/Nominal Size +2″ – All fire dampers are available in 1/4″ increments.
What is the difference between Type A and Type B fire dampers?
Type-A dampers are the easiest and fastest type to install and are mostly used in low-pressure part of duct systems (up to 2” w.c.). Type-B Fire Damper: Used when airflow or velocity in the duct is a concern. The stack of blades in the fire damper frame is kept out of the air stream.
What is fire damper in HVAC?
Fire Dampers A fire damper can be defined as “a device installed in ducts and air transfer opening of an air distribution or smoke control sys- tem designed to close automatically upon detection of heat.
Are fire dampers a legal requirement?
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order it is a legal requirement to test fire dampers at regular intervals in accordance with fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings code of practice (BS:9999 2017), using a method known as ‘drop testing’.
Are fire dampers required in 30 minute walls?
Where a duct passes through a fire hazard room, but does not serve it, fire dampers are not required but the duct must have fire resistance of 30 minutes in respect to integrity and insulation.
How do I choose a fire damper?
Select a fire damper and combination fire smoke damper with a 1½ hour rating for use with a wall, floor, or partition with a less than 3 hour fire resistance rating. If the wall, floor, or partition has a fire resistance rating of 3 hours or more, the damper must have a rating of 3 hours.
What is the minimum fire damper rating in hours in a 2 hour rated wall assembly?
Fire/smoke dampers are typically rated for 1-1⁄2 or 3 hours fire resistance. A 1-1⁄2 hour rated damper is sufficient for walls or floors having a rating of less than 3 hours. If the wall or floor has a rating of 3 hours or more, a 3 hour rated damper is required for sufficient protection.
Is a fire damper required in 1 hour rated wall?
For 1-hour or less walls, no damper is required where ductwork is minimum 26 gauge and the ducts do no serve the corridor. Non-fire rated wall that is provided to resist the passage of smoke in specific instances.
What is a fire rated damper?
Fire dampers are passive fire protection products used in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) ducts to prevent the spread of fire inside the ductwork through fire-resistance rated walls and floors.
Should fire dampers be open or closed?
The fireplace damper should always be in the open position whenever you have a fire in the fireplace. Never close the damper or leave the fireplace unattended while there is a fire in the fireplace. This is not only a fire hazard, it can also cause deadly carbon monoxide poisoning.
Do fire dampers need emergency power?
Motorized actuators are normally used for the operation of smoke dampers. The designer must consider the case where there is loss of normal power to the damper actuator. Either emergency power should be provided or smoke dampers should be arranged for fail-safe closure upon failure of power to the actuator.
Are fire dampers required in a 1 hour ceiling?
1. Fire dampers are not required in ducted HVAC systems provided the wall is 1-hour fire resistance rated or less, occupancy is not Group H, and the building is equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system.
Does a 2 hour fire rated wall require a fire damper?
However, two-hour fire-rated barriers do require fire dampers in fully ducted HVAC systems. Being fully sprinklered or not has no bearing on the requirement for fire dampers. However, it does have a bearing on whether smoke dampers are needed.
What does 2 hour fire rating mean?
It means that the system has satisfied the requirements for a 2-hour rating specified in a relevant standard test. In the case of a building, it could mean that some of the construction elements and/or assemblies in that building have achieved a 2-hour rating in a standard ASTM E119 fire resistance test.
Where are fire dampers required in ductwork?
Generally, fire dampers are required where air ducts penetrate walls that are rated for 2-hours or more. They are needed in all air transfer openings (non-ducted) in rated walls, regardless of the rating. And they are required at some, but not all penetrations of rated floor assemblies and shaft enclosures.
Where are radiation dampers required?
Ceiling radiation dampers serve a critical safety element where HVAC ducting penetrates a fire-rated ceiling. Ceiling radiation dampers serve a critical safety element where HVAC ducting penetrates a fire-rated ceiling.
