How often should smoke ventilation be maintained?
The maintenance of smoke ventilation systems is requested by British Standard BS7346-8, which outlines the need for a minimum of two maintenance appointments annually. The smoke vent maintenance must be carried out by professionally trained engineers.
What is included in the smoke vent maintenance?
The maintenance involves testing all parts of the smoke vent system including the fire alarm. We recommend an annual or biannual maintenance of your smoke vents to ensure you are meeting regulation standards.
Why are my smoke vents failing?
Smoke vents have many moving parts and if these have not been used for long periods of time a seal can develop around the vent stopping it from opening. To prevent the vents from failing over time, the smoke vent systems need on-going maintenance. The maintenance involves testing all parts of the smoke vent system including the fire alarm.
Why is it important to service your smoke vents?
Meeting these standards is mandatory for all building owners. Therefore, it is vital that smoke vents are maintained and serviced on a regular basis to ensure they work in an emergency and meet regulations.
How often should smoke control systems be tested?
monitored by the FSCP or not, shall be visually inspected and maintained a minimum of every 4 years in accordance with NFPA 90A and the manufacturer's recommendation.
How do I service my AOV?
AOV System Maintenance Engineer ChecklistComplete system activation to check all correct operations of smoke ventilation systems.Replace all broken Switches and Break glasses.Test batteries and re-charging and change if required.Clean, Lubricate, and tighten all actuators, dampers and Louvers.More items...
What is the purpose of smoke vent?
The role of the smoke vent A vital part of fire safety for any commercial building, smoke vents can: Save lives by reducing smoke inhalation and keeping fire escape routes free from smoke. Help firefighters to do their jobs by improving visibility and revealing the source of the smoke and.
Do I need an AOV?
To comply with the latest building regulations every communal stairwell must have an Automatic Opening Vent to extract smoke. Most large buildings contain sufficient air to sustain a substantial fire, so the well known domestic advice to shut all doors in the event of a fire do not apply.
How do you close a smoke vent?
3 Ways Smoke Vents CloseManual – from the rooftop. ... Winch – This option is frequently used in theatre applications where they are rigged down to the stage floor so you can crank the winch to close the doors.Motorized Control – These include open/close push button controls and electrical relay ties into the fire alarm.
How does a smoke ventilation system work?
0:221:27How Mechanical Smoke Ventilation Systems Work - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe smoke is rapidly drawn up the shaft leaving the corridor safe for evacuees. And preventing smokeMoreThe smoke is rapidly drawn up the shaft leaving the corridor safe for evacuees. And preventing smoke from entering the stair. If you'd like to learn more about mechanical smoke ventilation.
What is a smoke exhaust system?
A Smoke Exhaust System also known as a Smoke Spill System is a special configuration of those elements of an air-handling system that comprises an electric motor, fan unit and ductwork that may be used as part of the smoke and heat controls of the building to draw contaminated or smoke filled air from within a building ...
What is a smoke hatch?
Type DSH-Automatic Smoke Vent Aid Firefighters in bringing a fire under control by removing smoke, heat and gasses from a burning building.
How do automatic opening vents work?
How does an AOV system work? AOV systems consist of a control panel that is configured to various manual or automatic triggers that, when activated, open window actuators, vents, rooflights or windows to create ventilation. In smoke ventilation systems, the ventilation created helps keep buildings clear of smoke.
How does a natural smoke shaft work?
They are essentially a simple ventilation system designed to extract any smoke leaking into a common lobby to protect the escape stairs. Typically, a vertical builder's work duct rising through the building would be used to extract smoke from the lobbies.
Why is there smoke coming from my air vents in my car?
– This is caused by a change in temperature of the AC evaporator core. This mainly happens on very humid days and clears in a few seconds, so it's nothing to worry about. A damp chemical smoke/steam/smell from vents.
What are the requirements for fire safety?
You’re responsible for fire safety in business or other non-domestic premises if you’re: 1 an employer 2 the owner 3 the landlord 4 an occupier 5 anyone else with control of the premises, for example a facilities manager, building manager, managing agent or risk assessor
What does AOV mean in fire?
You may hear or see your fire security or smoke control maintenance company mentioning “AOV’s” quite frequently. “AOV” refers to “Automatic Opening Vent”, which is exactly what it sounds like – a smoke or fire vent that will open and close automatically when triggered by the control system.
Why is it important to maintain a smoke vent?
he main advantage of a well-maintained smoke vent life saving system: it saves lives and ensures the security of your property against fire emergencies. Regular smoke vent maintenance increases the lifetime of the smoke control system itself too.
What is the warranty on Addlite smoke vents?
Here at Addlite we offer a range of CE marked and EN 12101 AOV smoke vent systems – each with 10 year guarantee.
How many segments are there in a smoke control plan?
There are four segments principal to having a reliable smoke control plan; Addlite has put together a short guide listing the key information that will in all likelihood help you to pick your smoke vent maintenance requirements.
What is smoke control system?
Smoke control systems play a significant role in case of fire emergency. When a fire breaks out in the property, the smoke alarm activates the automatic smoke ventilation and opens the AOV unit, which in turn creates so-called “chimney effect”, removing smoke from the building and clearing the escape route. Since the main reason behind fatalities in buildings in fire is not the fire itself, but the smoke, you are required to assure/verify that your AOVs are kept up to date and in unprecedented working condition.
How do Smoke Vents work?
With the increase in the number of buildings with more than three floors, smoke ventilation systems are now playing a major role in protecting occupants from fire. When a fire starts in these buildings, the main cause of death is not the fire itself, but smoke.
How often should our smoke vents be serviced?
The consequences of not maintaining your smoke vent system can be devastating, with the potential for injury and loss of life if the system crashes. As a building owner you must understand the regulations you need to abide by in relation to fire safety.
How can SFE Services help you?
Our maintenance is comprehensive and in accordance with South African standards. All work undertaken by us will be consistent with your building's fire risk assessments and fire certificate. We can arrange all maintenance at times that are suitable for your business and make sure that there are minimal interruptions in the work environments.
Are Your Smoke Vents Properly Maintained?
Smoke vents are crucial to buildings when it comes to fire safety. Should a fire hazard take place, smoke vents are essential to not only preserving the building’s structural integrity but also protecting lives. To work properly, they need regular inspection and maintenance – something that is, sadly, often neglected by building owners.
Why Preventative Maintenance for Smoke Vents is Important
Many commercial building owners often find themselves looking for the most affordable operating costs that they either neglect maintenance for certain parts of the building or keep maintenance to the bare minimum.
Good Maintenance Practices
The Fire Marshals’ Office is now following the NFPA 204 Standard for Smoke and Heat Venting. Specifically, chapter 12 of this standard specifies mandatory guidelines for smoke vents inspection and maintenance. Building owners who fail to abide by the regulation are subjected to both prosecution and heavy fines.
How often should smoke control systems be maintained?
Smoke control systems should be maintained every six months to ensure all parts are performing and functioning to the highest standard. Typical maintenance of a smoke vent should occur regularly.
What color should smoke vents be after inspection?
After inspecting AOVs in action, they should be assessed for wear and tear, and fixed where needed. You could also add a repeater panel to your smoke vents, which will signal a green, amber or red light depending on whether any faults are present.
What is smoke control? And what are smoke ventilation systems?
A smoke control system is a mechanical structure that essentially controls the movement of smoke in the event of a fire, preventing it from spreading through a building. Smoke control systems are designed to protect the people inside buildings and ensure firefighting personnel can access the premises without suffering smoke related injuries or complications.
How does smoke control work?
Smoke control systems are different to smoke clearance systems. Smoke control systems work to limit the spread of smoke during a fire, whereas smoke clearance systems help ventilate smoke after a fire has been extinguished.
Why is smoke containment important in a flat?
On the other hand, in flats and maisonettes, smoke containment in communal areas and escape routes will be significantly important, especially if the building is several storeys high, to ensure that firefighting personnel can successfully undertake their responsibilities. When correctly installed, smoke control systems should keep escape ...
Why do you need more than one AOV?
Usually, more than one AOV (Automatic Opening Vent) is required to effectively reduce the level of smoke inside the building. This is especially true for stairwell ventilators – as the build up of heat and smoke can inhibit access for firefighters and also injure or kill residents.
Why do we need ventilation systems?
On the other hand, industrial and manufacturing sites might need industrial ventilation systems, which dilute air full of contaminants with fresh air, and they collect and remove any dust or smoke that pose a risk to a building’s occupants. In the event of a fire, these harmful toxins could be spread in the smoke. Likewise, industrial and manufacturing sites are additionally prone to harmful toxins in the air. As a result, industrial ventilation systems protect individuals from contaminant, are economically efficient, provide quality control to the air, and boost air quality.
