What to consider when choosing a fire damper?
Understand not just the requirements your fire damper must meet, but also the key features that ensure it’s the right fit for your project while simplifying installation and maintenance.
"You want a fire damper that's made from galvanised carbon steel"
This ensures that the device has a durable frame that can withstand the extreme heat of a fire. The casing also creates a thermal labyrinth that helps the device resist high temperatures and prevent the spread of fire by separating occupied areas from the source of heat.
"Another important feature to consider is the opening and closing mechanism"
A good fire damper should have a thick closing blade made of refractory material, a lip seal on the blade border for the cold smoke seal, and an internal intumescent gasket for the hot smoke seal". These features ensure that the device can effectively block the spread of fire and smoke.
"Ease of installation and maintenance"
This is also an important factor to consider because if a damper isn't installed or maintained as intended, it may not offer the protection that it is designed to provide". Lindab fire dampers, for example, come in various sizes which can be easily installed in any HVAC system with the option for orthogonal or parallel mounting. A fire damper needs to be tested to the specific installation methods required so this is a factor that needs to be taken into account for specification.