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FIRE SERVICE AND GENERAL FIRE SAFETY TOPICS => Fire Safety => Topic started by: Mushy on December 11, 2009, 10:47:47 AM
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Hi
in a fire resisting cupboard in office premises there is a server that has been 'added to' and it has started to give off heat and they have requested an extractor fan to get rid of said heat. This is not on an outside wall so will have to be extracted out through the roof space. Obviously not ideal if there is a fire and the smoke is sent out this way. Has anyone had dealings with this sort of thing before...ie using ducting from a fan to outside via roof space?
Thanks
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What about vents in door with fire dampers?
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Hi Mushy
It depends on a few things.
Are you looking at this from a life safety or building protection point of view?
How big are the offices?
Are the ceiling / roof voids protected by AFD?
Is the cupboard protected by AFD?
Will rigid or flexible ductwork be used?
Where will the fan be located ?
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Is it impossible or really undesirable to extract the heat into the surronding office, a server isn't a special fire risk( Does it really need to be an FR door and cupboard, there are plenty of doors that do not need to be FR that have " Keep closed/ Keep locked " stickers on them.)
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Thanks for your replies.
this cupboard is approx 1.5 m x 1.5 m and is on a M.O.E corridor
roof void have auto detection and so has the cupboard
flexi duct woould be used
fan will be located in the ceiling through the roof void to through a soffit
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Is it impossible or really undesirable to extract the heat into the surronding office, a server isn't a special fire risk( Does it really need to be an FR door and cupboard, there are plenty of doors that do not need to be FR that have " Keep closed/ Keep locked " stickers on them.)
I think the point of fire enclosure is to help protect the server from a fire.
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Oh ... I see... not a MOE problem. The fire damper solution is probably the cheapest and easiest then.
Bungle
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It is a MOE 'problem' as its on a MOE protected corridor...sorry forgot to add that the electrical distribution board for that floor is also in there....just a slight omission ! ;D
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It is a MOE 'problem' as its on a MOE protected corridor...sorry forgot to add that the electrical distribution board for that floor is also in there....just a slight omission ! ;D
Probably not the best combination as with one you are trying to keep a fire from getting in and the other to keep a fire from getting out.
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The question you have to ask is could a fire develop so quickly that it would take out the MoE before people are able to evacuate?.
From what you describe the answer is probably no. You have cup'd and void detection, in an office environment so anything occurring should be picked up very quickly allowing people to make their escape well before the fire endangers them.
Saying that it does also depends how tall the building is (which obviously has a bearing on how long the building will take to evacuate)
So any measures over above what you have in place I would suggest is only going to be for building protection (unless you have a very tall office building of course)
Building protection wise you can get fire resisting flexible duct but its pricey, you could go for rigid metal ducting with final connection made via flex. Fire damper going through compartment walls is something else to consider.
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Thanks MR...was thinking on very similar lines...honest :)