Thursday 22 September 2016

Role of Fire and Smoke Dampers in Fire Safety Systems

Fire and smoke dampers are an important part of any building’s passive fire protection system. They work in collaboration with the other elements of the fire safety system and limit the spreading of smoke and flames during a fire outburst. Fire safety systems are installed throughout a building to mitigate the losses caused by fire to life and property

Fire Smoke Damper

Buildings are sectioned into compartments with fire-rated partitions like fire-doors, fire-walls, and dampers fitted in the air ducts. The advantage of sectioning a building into smaller parts is that in the case of a fire outbreak, the smoke and flames produced can be blocked in the section where it started.

A fire smoke damper is installed to prevent the spreading of fire and smoke through the ductwork of the building’s HVAC system. This whole system helps in minimizing the fatalities by giving more time for occupants to evacuate the area.

Smoke and fire dampers are fitted to the ductwork at specific points. Manufacturers are coming up with a variety of design as per the needs of the consumers. The three basic types of dampers available are fire damper, smoke damper, and combinational fire smoke damper.

Their function is quite similar but they are differentiated from one another on the basis of what triggers them to close. Apart from that they can be differentiated on the basis of how they are installed – vertically or horizontally and how they function – mechanically or motorized.

Manufacturers of fire and smoke dampers should make sure that their product should comply with the UL555 (for fire dampers) and UL555S (for smoke dampers) standards and also with BS and ASHRE standards and regulations. Most dampers are fabricated from Galvanized steel or Stainless steel and the thickness of frames is kept in the range of 22 gauges up to 16 gauges and that of the blades is kept in the range of 24 gauges to 16 gauges.

Fire and smoke dampers have become a part of the modern infrastructure. It is important to install dampers fabricated by the best and most reliable manufacturers in business.

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