Richard Moore Posted October 14, 2007 Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 Large townhouse complex built in 2001. My unit was a 3 story, mid block unit with a tandem garage occupying almost the entire lower level. Furnace was a very normal Carrier 80% induced draft model. Both the return and supply plenums had fire dampers installed. I presume the purpose of these is to stop the spread of smoke (and flames?) from a fire in the garage, and I have no problem with them being there. The flaps inside were open, and while I'm not clear on the "triggering" mechanism I would assume it's heat? But...I've done countless similar townhomes, many from the same era and in the same jurisdiction, and I've never seen these installed before. Actually, never seen them in any residence. I guess I'm not used to builders installing extra safety devices unless they are forced to. So my question is...Is there any reason these might be "required" in a particular complex or unit? Download Attachment: firedampers.jpg 158.03 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillip Posted October 15, 2007 Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 I don't know why they where install when other in that areas does not have them. Unless it some insurance company or owned by the state. In most of the fire damper there is what is called a fire links that part of the strap that hold the blades open. I would like to know which set up of blades is inside the damper. Was it blades that folded up into the side or a hat or did it have two blades that has fire proof drywall on them that open up to the center like a set of doors? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Posted October 15, 2007 Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 The fire damper was probably installed with a melt-link connection; some also come with an electrically charged link tied to the fire alarm. For that damper to be properly installed, it should be even with the drywall ceiling; not any lower. This way there is a continious line of 'seperation' . Actually, I see that quite often here in NJ. I always open the access door and show my clients the damper & link; I also advise them if the damper closes, there will be no heat or cooling. There is one condo development here (in Whippany) where the ducts are in the (fire seperation) ceiling that has these dampers at each register and I do believe on one inspection 2 or 3 were closed. Darren www.aboutthehouseinspections.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
energy star Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Nice. Very safe. Don't care for the paint by the furnace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Hi Rich, I haven't a clue. Out of somewhere around 4500 inpsections with about 90% of them with furnaces in the garage I've only seen about 3 or 4 setups like that. As I recall, the last one had a laundry room in the back of the townhome garage and there was a heat duct into the laundry room. In my mind, that was the reason for the damper. Anything like that there? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
energy star Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 One of my firsts tasks at a new job was to go up into an attic (Dover NJ) and remove the 140 degree links and replace withe 160 degree. The 140's were melting from the heat in the attic. HOT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve morris Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 The dampiers in the duct have fuse links aprox. 160 is the temp. they trip at. When you have a rated ceiling, where the grills are on the surface, the dampiers must be a "CEILING RADIATION DAMPIER" they are different. If you can access them enough, they have a small tag on them telling you the hour rating,(1.5 to 3 hr.), the mfg. of the dampier, and who is the testing/listing agency. The have very specific mounting instructions. Several web sites can give you lots of info.(MIAMI TECH.,LLOYDS, RUSKINS all have their instructions and general info on them). ON another note the pics. you sent, the duct work dosen't seem to be sealed at the joints. If this is a garage, this is very important due to carbon monoxide. Here in Gainesville, FL. we hade a death due to a car left running(accident)in the garage, The old man was inside the house, with the a/c running. The return air had many joints in the duct none sealed.. This is part of our bldg. code and energy code. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve morris Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 After looking at the picture again if the red color on the corners of the angles around the dampiers is fire caulk make note of it per most mfgs. no fire caulk is allowed, some of the fire caulk is intersermesent(probely spelled wrong) this means when in a fire it will swell up several times it's size to seal the hole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erby Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 You're "Probely" right![][][] I think you're looking for "intumescent", a property of a substance which swells when heated. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intumescent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
energy star Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 I will not install a unit in a garage. Those dampers are in a 16 gauge sleeves inside the ductwork and then mechanically fastened. The fire caulk will not be in the way of the damper. I do agree with you about sealing the duct work. The duct does have tape on the connections (Not the best) but the unit itself has so many air leaks its hard to seal them all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonOfSwamp Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 Now, about those "dampiers:" Dampier -- ââ¬ânoun William, 1652ââ¬â1715, English navigator, explorer, buccaneer, and writer. Dictionary.com is free and easy to use. I recommend that professional folks use a dictionary, rather than invented spellings. It's really not good to mix up a damper with a pirate... Not to mention that the word "damper" is written on a big red-and-white sign attached to the very furnace in the picture. What was it brother Kibbell said? Since folks come here to learn, we ought not confuse them with invented words? WJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Hey Guys, Here's a tip that'll save you the spelling lectures most of the time. Go to "powertoys for windows" and download the iespell program. It takes about 40 seconds to load at average speed. Then, before you post your responses, right click the composition box and click, "check spelling" and it will find most of those little typos. It won't find errors made with homophones, and it won't spot common typos like spelling "form" when you mean "from" but at least it won't set Walter off. If anyone's interested, this comes in handy if you print it out and study it when contemplating the universe in the throne room. acts/ax ad/add ads/adds/adz aid/aide ail/ale air/heir/err aisle/isle/I'll all/awl all ready/already all together/altogether allowed/aloud alter/altar ant/aunt arc/ark assent/ascent assistance/assistants ate/eight aural/oral away/aweigh aye/eye bail/bale bait/bate ball/bawl band/banned bard/barred bare/bear baron/barren base/bass bases/basis bazaar/bizarre be/bee beach/beech beat/beet beau/bow bell/belle berry/bury billed/build berth/birth bite/byte blew/blue bloc/block boar/bore board/bored boarder/border bode/bowed bolder/boulder born/borne bough/bow bouillon/bullion boy/buoy bread/bred brake/break brewed/brood brews/bruise bridle/bridal broach/brooch browse/brows but/butt buy/by/bye cache/cash callous/callus cannon/canon canvas/canvass capital/capitol carat/carrot/caret/karat carol/carrel cast/caste cede/seed ceiling/sealing cell/sell cellar/seller censor/sensor cent/scent/sent cents/scents/sense cereal/serial cession/session chance/chants chased/chaste cheap/cheep chews/choose chic/sheik chilly/chili choral/coral choir/quire chute/shoot chord/cord cite/sight/site clause/claws click/clique close/clothes/cloze coal/cole coarse/course colonel/kernel complement/compliment coo/coup coop/coupe core/corps correspondence/correspondents council/counsel creak/creek crews/cruise cruel/crewel cue/queue currant/current curser/cursor cymbal/symbol dam/damn days/daze dear/deer defused/diffused desert (abandon)/dessert dew/do/due die/dye disburse/disperse discreet/discrete doe/dough/do (musical note) done/dun draft/draught dual/duel earn/urn ewe/you/yew eye/I faint/feint fair/fare faun/fawn faze/phase feat/feet find/fined fir/fur flair/flare flea/flee flew/flu/flue flour/flower flocks/phlox for/four/fore foreword/forward fort/forte forth/fourth foul/fowl friar/fryer gait/gate gene/jean gild/guild gilt/guilt gnu/knew/new gored/gourd gorilla/guerilla grate/great grease/Greece groan/grown guessed/guest hail/hale hair/hare hall/haul halve/have hangar/hanger hay/hey heal/heel/he'll hear/here heard/herd heed/he'd hertz/hurts hew/hue/Hugh hi/high higher/hire him/hymn hoard/horde hoarse/horse hole/whole holey/holy/wholly hoes/hose hold/holed hostel/hostile hour/our idle/idol illicit/elicit in/inn insight/incite instance/instants intense/intents its/it's jam/jamb colonel/kernel knap/nap knead/kneed/need knight/night knit/nit knot/not know/no knows/nose laid/lade lain/lane lay/lei leach/leech lead/led leak/leek lean/lien leased/least lee/lea lessen/lesson levee/levy liar/lier/lyre lichen/liken lie/lye lieu/Lou links/lynx load/lode loan/lone locks/lox loot/lute low/lo made/maid mail/male main/mane/Maine maize/maze mall/maul manner/manor mantel/mantle marry/merry/Mary marshal/martial massed/mast maybe/may be meat/meet/mete medal/metal/mettle/meddle might/mite mince/mints mind/mined miner/minor missed/mist moan/mown mode/mowed moose/mousse morn/mourn muscle/mussel mustard/mustered naval/navel nay/neigh none/nun oar/or/ore ode/owed oh/owe one/won overdo/overdue overseas/oversees pail/pale pain/pane pair/pare/pear palate/palette/pallet passed/past patience/patients pause/paws pea/pee peace/piece peak/peek/pique peal/peel pearl/purl pedal/peddle/petal peer/pier per/purr pi/pie plait/plate plain/plane pleas/please plum/plumb pole/poll pore/pour pray/prey presence/presents prince/prints principal/principle profit/prophet rack/wrack rain/reign/rein raise/rays/raze rap/wrap rapped/rapt/wrapped read/red read/reed real/reel reek/wreak rest/wrest retch/wretch review/revue right/rite/write ring/wring road/rode/rowed roam/Rome roe/row role/roll root/route rose/rows rote/wrote rough/ruff rung/wrung rye/wry sail/sale scene/seen scull/skull sea/see seam/seem seas/sees/seize serf/surf sew/so/sow shear/sheer shoe/shoo shone/shown side/sighed sighs/size slay/sleigh sleight/slight slew/slue/slough soar/sore soared/sword sole/soul some/sum son/sun staid/stayed stair/stare stake/steak stationary/stationery steal/steel step/steppe stile/style straight/strait suite/sweet surge/serge tacks/tax tail/tale taught/taut tea/tee team/teem tear/tier tern/turn their/there/they're theirs/there's threw/through thrown/throne thyme/time tic/tick tide/tied to/too/two toad/towed toe/tow told/tolled trussed/trust vain/vane/vein vale/veil vary/very vial/vile vice/vise wade/weighed wail/whale waist/waste wait/weight waive/wave want/wont ware/wear/where way/weigh/whey ways/weighs we/wee weak/week we'll/wheel weather/whether we'd/weed we've/weave wet/whet which/witch while/wile whine/wine who's/whose wood/would yoke/yolk yore/your/you're you'll/Yule ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! 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