Fire Safety - Warm Air

aestivus

Hi all, 

I've received the following from the building management of my leasehold flat, and I'm a little confused as to what I need to do. I have a warm air system that runs off a gas-powered combi boiler (it was replaced last year), and there is a vent above the front door (see image). The letter says: 

New guidance is insisting that if you have a Gas Fired Central Heating system installed in your flat, the

Air Vent (between your property and the common area hallway / fire escape route) above your front

door in your flat must be blocked off / plastered over. This to ensure smoke and fire will not enter

into the escape corridor in the event of a fire within one of the dwellings.

Adversely, if you have a Warm Air Heating system installed in your flat, the Air Vent must remain open

but that Air Vent must be replaced with an intumescent air transfer grill. This to ensure smoke and

fire will not enter into the escape corridor in the event of a fire within one of the dwellings.

What do I need to do to the vent? Who do I go to for advice on this kind of thing? 

daveyjp

An open grill means your property is not a self contained fire compartment and any smoke will move between the two areas.

You need to replace the grill with one which reacts in the event of a fire and blocks out the smoke.

https://www.safelincs.co.uk/fire-rated-intumescent-air-transfer-grilles/?sku=PPATGFPS2251&fGB=true&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI78regsCf9AIVy-7tCh0L-QYzEAYYASABEgK1L_D_BwE

aestivus

Thank you. So - in this case, the warm air trumps the fact that it is run off a boiler, and I need to replace the grill rather than block it off? Is this something a handyman can do, or do I need a specialist contractor of some description? 

Thank you!

Section62

aestivus said:

Thank you. So - in this case, the warm air trumps the fact that it is run off a boiler, and I need to replace the grill rather than block it off? Is this something a handyman can do, or do I need a specialist contractor of some description? 

I would go back to the building management and seek clarification.

My guess, from reading the letter, is the building may be equipped with a centralised warm air system - the vent providing a means for 'used' air to return/exit via communal areas, and thus being required (but converted to an intumescent one).

If your heating system is contained fully within your flat then you also don't want your heat to escape into the common areas, and hence the vent can be fully sealed up to prevent the spread of smoke and fire.  You would also need to make sure the flat still has adequate ventilation (to the outside)

But the building management should know exactly what they meant.

It may also be worth talking to the building management (and neighbours) about whether this is something that you could all work together on - rather than each of you having to appoint your own individual contractor.  Having one contractor familiar with the reasons why the work is being done would be better than everybody doing their own thing.

tacpot12

I can see why you are confused as you have both a Gas Combi and a Warm Air Heating System. 

However, I beleive that the advice you have been given regarding the Warm Air Heating System will related to the old type of Warm Air Heating Systems that had an open flue, hence the need for external ventilation.  I would suggest that you first get a Gas Safe registered engineer who has the qualification needed to work on Warm Air Heating Systems to inspect your heating system and confirm if it needs the air vent you have. If you need the air vent, I would check first (with that engineer) to see if it could be relocated to an external wall. I expect this would be cheaper than buying an intumescent air transfer grill. 

The fact that the management company are happy for the air vent to be blcoked off means that there is no requirement in the area outside your door for this air vent. (Any requirement for it will be determined solely by what is in your flat).

If you do decide to buy an intumescent air transfer grill, I would strongly recommend that you contact a 'Fire Protection' specialist in your area before doing so. I'm not sure that an intumescent air transfer grill is acutally the correct device for your situation. An intumescent air grille will stop a fire but until the fire reaches it, it will allow enormous quantities of smoke to pass between your flat and what should be a protected exit route. If the building regulations allow a device to stop smoke and fire passing between your flat and the protected exit, (I'm not sure they do), you would need an automatically activated fire and smoke damper that is triggered by a smoke detector.

If it turns out that this is what is required, you should let the management company know that their fire protection advisers are giving the wrong advice!

What ever you buy, it would be sensible to get a Fire Protection specialist to fit it. If there is any problem with the work you will have some evidence (via their invoice) that a specialist firm carried out the work.

The Gas Engineer can fit a new external ventilator, but removing the existing air grill needs to be done by someone who is competent to repair the wall in such a way that it meets the requirements for fire resistance, which will be REI30. Any competent builder can do this it will only require fitting some plasterboard with plasterboard adhesive and screws. 

aestivus

Thank you!

No - the building does not have a centralised warm air system: each flat has its own (though many have now moved towards using a standard wet system instead). Based on that, and the fact that there are a number of other vents that do go to the outside, it would make sense to me that this one could simply be blocked off to meet fire safety regulations. 

Building management don't seem to know what they mean, based on the letter! They suggested I seek further guidance to be certain. 

It definitely would make sense to hire a communal contractor, though, you're right. I shall see what's possible!

jefaz07

Be careful with some intumescent vents. A council I’m currently work with have to change their vents as the activation temp is still high (200c in this instance) and as such the smoke will still enter the escape route. 

1 other council had to provide interlock to shut the vents in front of a fire, not when it got to a certain temp. 

I’m not a fire officer, I look after gas in MOB’s and Highrise. This is just what I’ve learned. 

ComicGeek

Do you even have a fire door with smoke seals between your flat and the common parts, doesn't look like it in the photo? Bit pointless worrying about the grille if the door isn't stopping smoke as well.

If the vent is only required for an open flue system, then why wouldn't building management recommend installing an external grille instead, and blocking up every vent into the common parts??

As others have said, I don't see that an intumescent grille would do the job needed. They should be sealed up fully by someone one knows what they are doing - IMO that should be organised and managed by the building management, not left for residents to do it ad hoc, which in some cases will involve a can of expanding foam that won't help at all!