Thursday 7 January 2016

What You Need to Know about a UL Classified Fire Damper

Not many people who are not implicitly familiar with the industry will know the details about fire dampers, in fact, the general consensus is that it is a helpful part of the framework of a building in the event of a fire emergency. Fire dampers play an essential role in helping to curb the spread of fire. A UL classified fire damper is used to maintain the fire ratings of other fire rated walls, floors, etc. when they are interrupted by ducts.

Fire dampers shut close in the event of a fire emergency to prevent the flame from spreading further, especially through ductwork and eventually the supply ceiling diffuser in Dubai. This is possible because of a fusible link installed in the ductwork, which is designed to melt at 73.8 degrees Celsius, thus causing the UL classified fire damper to close. There are certain situations where the fusible link is designed to withstand hotter environments and respond to a temperature of 100 degrees Celsius. This is because some environments create a hotter “normal” temperature that is not indicative of a fire. Being an Underwriters Laboratories or UL classified fire damper means that the damper has been certified to carry a fire resistance rating which is measured in hours. This rating usually goes from 1.5 to 3.0 hours.
There are two major types of fire dampers. These are Dynamic Fire Dampers, and Static Fire Dampers. Dynamic Fire Dampers are used in situations where the building’s HVAC system’s blower will keep working in the event of a fire, or the Fans On mode. Static Fire Dampers are meant to used in emergencies when the HVAC system’s blower will be in Fans Off mode. This distinction is important because Dynamic Fire Dampers are specially designed to be able to function correctly against a strong air flow.
This post outlining the purpose, function, and types of fire dampers reveals how important they are to the structural integrity of a building’s fire safety standards. Highly rated fire dampers are responsible for containing a fire to as small a size as possible, preventing quick spread and heavy losses in densely populated areas.

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