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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 156
R
rad74ss Offline OP
Member
Many of you on this forum have firefighting experience. On rooftop air handlers with direct exhaust who decides what the unit does when the fire alarm goes off? Is it specific to the city or building?

Is it best to have the air handler exhaust smoke until the fire department cuts power? Would it depend on the estimated time to evacuate the building? Say run the exhaust for 45 minutes if it takes 30 minutes to evacuate the building? These are the same questions I am asking our customer but I would like to see the different applications and their effects that people have seen in real world applications.

I also know there are so many variables involved that it becomes complicated. From my Navy firefighting days I remember ventilating the compartment with a hatch, then someone opens a hatch on the other side and it creates a blow torch effect.

I would appreciate hearing your views on this application.

Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 582
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Ron Offline
Member
If it is only exhaust, then it would depend on whether smoke control is required by the mechanical code. If smoke control is not required, then there is no requirement to shut down an exhaust only fan .


Ron
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 47
N
Member
Based on my experiences in NJ

The BOCA Code calls for a duct mounted smoke detector to shut down an air handler for any unit 5-Tons Nominal and over.

Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 7,381
Likes: 7
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Rad:
Are you talking about kitchen exhaust hoods? or HVAC equipment??

Kitch exhaust hoods, exhaust "on", MUA 'OFF' for fire activation

John


John
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 402
J
Member
I asked the same question because we have two offices. One the HVAC shuts down on fire alarm the other it does not.
One building has two floors the other is single floor. I was told HVAC only needs to shut down on two story or up buildings. This is in Ontario Canada.

Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 582
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Ron Offline
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NJ_Grad,
I believe that New Jersey statewide goes by the 2003 International Mechanical Code. Smoke control systems are handled by Section 513, which is a special animal regarding when it goes on or off.
Section 606 is where duct detectors are required, which identify return or common supply and return locations requiring shutdown. There is no mention of exhaust.


Ron
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,445
Likes: 2
Cat Servant
Member
This is where the engineer / archetect earns his pay. The question of "to vent or not to vent" is decided in conjunction with other parts of the system.

While kitchen hoods always get shut down, I have seen major public buildings where a fire alarm will both close fire doors AND turn on major exhaust fans.

Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 47
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Member
Ron,
Understood

With Mechanical it really breaks down to using the correct terminology.

I read "Rooftop Air Handlers" as a Packaged Rooftop Unit (RTU), it didn't sound like he was reffering to a smoke control system.

Just depends on what rad74ss was refering to.

thanks on the specifics though

Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 2,148
R
Member
John,
Quote
While kitchen hoods always get shut down,
Many times the exhaust hood stays on to pull the extinguishing agent up the duct.
Don


Don(resqcapt19)
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 156
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rad74ss Offline OP
Member
This is an HVAC air handler with a split condensing unit. The fire alarm turns of the heater and/or the supply air blower. There are two exhaust fans blowing out horizontally on the left and right sides of the return air stack.

The whole unit can be disabled by a remote signal and of course disconnecting main power. It is currently set up to stop the supply blower and vent smoke with the exhaust fans until the unit is disabled. The customer has not responded yet on what they require and if their fire system can disable the unit if the fire is directly in the zone the air handler supplies.

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