This article is about HVAC Fire Damper Installation as per International Codes and standards.
HVAC Fire Damper Installation | HVAC Engineering
- “Clearance of the damper sleeves within a wall shall be 1/8” per foot of width (or height). (SMACNA Chapter 2 Typical Installation Detail)”
- Retaining angle shall be secured to sleeve on 8” centers. Retaining angles shall not be fixed to the walls. (SMACNA Chapter 2 Typical Installation Detail)”
- Damper shall be secured to sleeve on 8” centers. (SMACNA Chapter 2, Typical Installation Detail)”
- Retaining angles shall be overlapping the structure openings 1” minimum and cover corner openings. (SMACNA Chapter 2, Typical Installation Detail )”
- Access doors shall be maximum of 24”x24” and a minimum of 6”x 6”. (SMACNA Chapter 6, Note No. 6)
Note: Removable Section of duct must be used if the duct size does not allow installation of doors” - Access doors (points) shall be identified by a label with letters not less than ½” (13 mm) in height reading FIRE DAMPER.
(UMC Para 605.5) - Length of the sleeve extending beyond the wall or floor opening shall be six inches. ( SMACNA Chapter 2, Typical Installation Detail )
Note: For dampers intended for use without actuator or factory installed doors. - Length of the sleeve extending beyond the wall or floor opening shall be six inches on one side and sixteen inches on the opposite side. (SMACNA Chapter 2, Typical Installation detail)
- Note: For dampers intended for use with an actuator and/or factory installed access door on longer side”
- Length of the sleeve extending beyond the wall or floor opening shall be sixteen inches on each side for dampers. (SMACNA Chapter 2, Typical Installation Detail)
Note: For dampers intended for use with an actuator on one side and a factory installed door on the other side” - Type of duct connection to Fire Damper sleeve shall be breakaway connection.
- Ducts shall be terminated at the fire damper sleeves or the damper frames. (SMACNA Chapter 2, Typical Installation Detail)”
- Metal sleeves shall be the same material as the ducting System where fire damper sleeve is exposed to the air stream (SMACNA Chapter 2, Typical Installation Detail)”
- Steel sleeve shall be provided where the fire damper Sleeve is not exposed to the air stream. (SMACNA Chapter 2 Typical Inspection Detail).
- Inspection Doors shall be provided to allow access to all fire dampers.
- Placing products such as firestopping product or any other material within the expansion space is not allowed
- At duct / wall penetrations where Fire Dampers are to be installed , the opening shall be lined with fire resistive material equal to that used for the walls (SMACNA Chapter 2, Typical Inspection Detail)”
- Adequate space / opening is provided for restoring the damper (when done manually) in its normal operating condition. (SMACNA Appendix E)
Standards Codes and References HVAC Fire Damper Installation
1-SAES-K-001 — Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning, 25 November 2006
2-SMACNA – “Fire Smoke and Radiation Damper Installation Guides” 4th Edition
3-Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC), 1997.
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