What is a fire damper?

A fire damper will stop the spread of fire within your ductwork system. Essentially, fire dampers are doors that shut off the system to prevent fire moving from one area to another. A fire damper can compartmentalise your ductwork to trap fire within a specific area, and stop it spreading in your ventilation system.

 

The most important part of fire dampers are the fusible links. If a fire starts, the temperature in the ductwork will rise. At 72 degrees, the fusible links will melt. The damper is on a drop mechanism, so as soon as the link melts, the fire damper will shut and seal the airflow. 

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The Importance of Regularly Tested Fire Dampers

Fire dampers are important because without them, any fire within your ductwork would become uncontrollable. If a fire started in your ductwork and no fire dampers were in place, the fire could spread through your building. Fire in your ductwork can travel through grills and enter rooms of your building.

 

Effective fire dampers are a safety precaution and a legal requirement of building control. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fire Damper Testing & Maintenance - How Often is Safe?

By law, as stated in BS:9999 2017, fire dampers must be tested every 12 months.  If a minor fire has started within your ductwork, there is a chance that the fire dampers can be repaired, but generally, once there has been a fire, your fire dampers will need to be replaced.

 

Installing and Testing Fire Dampers

To test existing fire dampers, we would need a list of the fire dampers within your building. Then, we can arrange on site testing of your fire dampers at a time that suits you. Usually, you will have a drawing or map of your building that includes the locations of fire dampers. If you have a map of your system and placement of the fire dampers, we can use this information to provide a quote to inspect, test and clean your fire dampers.

 

If you are unsure whether or not you have fire dampers within your ductwork system, we can arrange a site visit to search for any fire dampers, and mark them on a basic layout drawing for you.

 

We are experienced in installing fire dampers into new or pre-existing systems, and we are happy to answer any of your questions about fire dampers maintenance, installation and safety. For more information, please get in touch.