Keeping yourself, your business, and your employees safe in an emergency is essential. But did you know that there’s more to fire protection than meets the eye? The products that you install behind the scenes, such as smoke and fire dampers, play a significant role in your safety plan, but only when you maintain and monitor them on a routine basis. Thankfully, Lloyd Industries is here to help, offering top-quality fire dampers and services to enhance your fire protection measures.
There are several essential things to consider when planning your fire damper maintenance:
- When did you install your fire damper?
- Do any regulations exist in your city, town, or county?
- In what type of environment is your fire damper located?
- What business type you have?
- Who is responsible for fire damper maintenance?
What Is a Fire Damper?
If you’re starting at the very beginning, you’ve come to the right place. Lloyd Industries has more than 35 years of experience manufacturing fire protection products. Whether you’re relatively new to the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) world or you’ve been a technician for decades, finding a trustworthy and knowledgeable manufacturer of fire protection products is essential.
A fire damper is a type of passive fire protection product that you can choose to install in your HVAC ducts to better control and prevent the spread of fire in an emergency. Contractors install fire dampers in conjunction with fire resistance rated floors, walls, and doors to further protect the building’s overall structural integrity and allow employees and other personnel to evacuate safely.
There are two types of fire protection products: active and passive. Active fire protection includes systems that work to put out a fire once it has started. These products include sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, and firefighters, and must be initiated to work. Passive fire protection includes products and systems that prevent the spread of a fire before it starts.
How Does a Fire Damper Work?
There are multiple styles of fire dampers. In general, a fire damper consists of a metal frame with slats or blades that shut when heat is detected or when an external mechanical system triggers them to close. For heat-activated fire dampers, a fuse link or other thermal element melts when exposed to higher heat levels. This element then causes a spring to close the internal blades, cutting off the spread of fire to other parts of the HVAC system. Other types of fire dampers utilize electrical signals from smoke alarms or other fire protection systems. When a smoke alarm or other system detects smoke or fire, it triggers the fire damper and electronically shuts the blades.
Scheduling Fire Damper Maintenance
Now that you have an understanding of what fire dampers are and how they operate, it’s time to consider how to ensure your products remain up to date and functioning. The first question to ask when scheduling maintenance for your fire protection products is, “When did I install my fire damper?” During the purchasing process, the team at Lloyd Industries communicates with each customer to thoroughly answer any questions and concerns they have, including details on installation and maintenance. Your HVAC technician should also communicate with you regarding any vital maintenance timelines you should know about during installation. It’s essential to know the day, month, and year you installed your fire damper because you must conduct and document subsequent tests based on the installation date.
Do Specific Fire Damper Regulations Exist Where I Am?
Understanding local fire regulations is also essential. Although the National Fire Protection Association and your state may require you to perform a fire damper test every two years, your county may require an updated maintenance record every 12 months. Before you begin the installation, ask the team at Lloyd Industries if they are familiar with any rules and regulations where you live. We also recommend contacting your local fire department or permit office to ensure you’re following all guidelines. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!
Fire Dampers for Different Industries
In addition to regulations for specific locations, many industries have requirements for the upkeep and maintenance of safety measures in place. Businesses such as hospitals, urgent care clinics, dental offices, and restaurants should take particular care to ensure their fire protection products are up to date. Many insurance companies for medical facilities have rigid requirements for inspections and maintenance because fire safety products’ success directly impacts patient safety in an emergency.
Who Is Responsible for Fire Damper Maintenance?
Once your fire damper is installed, it usually becomes your responsibility to ensure that it remains up to date and functioning. However, many HVAC companies offer assistance plans that allow them to perform routine maintenance on products. This provides a sense of security for business owners that their staff and customers are cared for by experts.
Suppose your HVAC company does not offer a maintenance plan. In that case, it’s your responsibility to designate a fire safety official within the workplace to ensure your fire protection systems are working efficiently. In some situations, this person could be the building supervisor or manager. In others, you could take on the task yourself. Regardless of who you choose, there are important records that should be kept on each maintenance visit’s details.
When you’re trying to keep track of your fire damper maintenance visits, you should document the key points:
- The date that the maintenance was performed
- The name of the technician performing the maintenance
- The company that the technician works for
- All aspects of the inspection, such as which products were inspected and their location
- Any findings or issues that must be addressed
- Any paperwork documenting the inspection and maintenance
Be sure to store these documents in a secure location and make copies in case of an emergency. If your industry or location requires additional testing, schedule these far in advance to avoid missing deadlines and to ask any questions you may have.
Lloyd Industries
Lloyd Industries is a manufacturer of fire dampers, access doors, smoke dampers, and other HVAC and fire protection products. The company prides itself on ensuring the best customer service, quality, and prices. The team at Lloyd Industries has over 35 years of experience in the fire damper field, which is why you can always trust that you’re in good hands when you purchase from Lloyd Industries. For more information or to see all of the company’s fire protection products, visit the Lloyd Industries website.
