Maintaining Your Smoke Ventilation System

A smoke ventilation system can only protect and potentially save people from a fire if the
system is actually in proper working order. This means that your system should be kept in perfect condition otherwise it is useless having one. It is also a legal obligation under the Regulatory Reform Order of 2005.

The Regulatory Reform Order of 2005 states that in terms of maintaining your ventilation system that a suitable procedure of maintenance should be carried out to ensure that the system is in excellent working order. It also states that the maintenance work should be undertaken by somebody who has sufficient knowledge of the system.

Smoke Vents are a specialist piece of equipment so there is no doubt that it will require specialist maintenance to keep it in good working order all year round. Most of the time it is unlikely that your fire alarm service agreement will contain a comprehensive cover for your smoke ventilation system so it is very important that you make a quick check of this.

The service that smoke ventilation systems require is a specialist service because the equipment is specialist this requires that the maintenance should be specialist and done by professionals who have the right expertise in the industry. The best way to ensure this is by asking the company who originally installed the ventilation system as it is likely that these people will do all of the maintenance for you too. This will make it much more easier for a specialist to identify if there is any problem with the equipment and they should be able to fix any faults they discover immediately. Hiring just a regular technician may mean that they miss some of the faults with the system which could prove to be dangerous if a fire broke out and the ventilation system was not in perfect working order.

At Smoke Vent Solutions we provide servicing to all of our existing customers. All of our
systems should adhere to BS7346: Part 1, BS9999:2008 BS5588 and The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) order 2005. Every site requires a service to be carried out by our trained engineers every 6 months to make sure that the systems are all still in proper working order.

How do Smoke Ventilation Systems work?

Smoke ventilation systems are used to release any smoke or hot air from a building that may be
on fire. This prevents the building from collapsing and allows cooler air from outside to enter,
helping to cool the building down quickly. It can also save the lives of those who may still be
trapped inside or trying to escape the burning building as well as assisting fire fighters when
they arrive at the scene. The main purposes of a ventilation system are:

- That they keep all escape routes free from any smoke
- They delay a flashover of the building from occurring
- To help assist firefighters by making the building smoke free
- To reduce any smoke or heat damage that could be caused by the fire or smoke.

There are many different types of ventilation systems but nearly all of them have the same
purpose, which is to allow smoke and heat to escape. The two main types are Smoke Clearance
ventilation systems and Life Safety ventilation systems.

A smoke clearance ventilation system are usually installed in large buildings such as hotels,
apartment complexes and underground car parks. These are also usually fitted into the corridors
of these buildings where the main fire escape routes are located. A life safety ventilation
system however provides protection to people who may be escaping from a burning building. These
types of ventilation systems are usually fitted into shopping centres, warehouses and some public
buildings such as museums or public houses. These systems are usually fitted to these buildings
if the escape routes are long distances away from the main attractions within the building. These
systems are fitted to the buildings to allow smoke to be vented out of the building so that there
is a layer of clean air allowing people to walk out of the building and be able to see the escape
routes clearly and escape quickly and unharmed.

Smoke ventilation systems are mainly used in the following buildings and it can in some cases be
against the law if some of these buildings aren't equipped with ventilation systems.

- Any large factory
- Warehouse or other storage buildings
- Market places
- Large shops
- Apartment complexes
- Any building in which the travel distance exceeds those in Approved Document B
- Prisons
- Any covered or underground car parks

Many buildings which are fitted with ventilation systems are also fitted with sprinkler systems as
a ventilation system is not likely to control the size of a fire but only to reduce the amount of
smoke and gases that the fire produces. This is why a sprinkler system may also be nessecary as
this helps control the size of the fire. 

Why It Is Important to Have Smoke Ventilation Systems Fitted to Your Property

It is extremely important that all modern homes, offices, hotels or rented flats and apartments have proper smoke ventilation systems and it is vital to make sure they are in working order. If these are over looked by the owner or person living there it is breaking the law. It should be written in the fire safety regulations of any home or building and these should not be ignored.

Many people aren't aware of the dangers of smoke produced by fires and many people don't know that smoke inhalation is the main killer when a house fire occurs. Inhaling smoke can cause a lot of problems such as visibility problems which can be extremely dangerous if you are trapped in a fire and trying to get out. Things such as blurred vision may occur and it can get very Smokey very quickly meaning that you aren't likely to see exactly where you are going making it even harder to escape quickly.

The way in which homes and other buildings such as office blocks are ventilated is using a system called an AOV system which stands for Air Operated Valve these are typically located in stairwells or rooms in homes which do not have external walls. They work by having a vent that opens automatically which controls the smoke levels within the house or building if a fire does become apparent.

The smoke vent law exists so that the owners of homes and the people building the home can ensure that there is a ventilation system put into place. It also helps with making sure that buildings and homes are built with safety put into mind. When it comes down to finding out who is liable for putting in correct smoke ventilation systems it can become a difficult situation.

Smoke inhalation can make it hard to breathe for the person which can lead on to cause sleepiness and confusion which could eventually lead to the individual passing out. This is extremely dangerous in the event of a fire as the person is not going to be able to get out of the building at all.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning is usually the biggest killer of smoke inhalation in the event of a house fire. The fire produces this gas and if a building doesn't have a way of letting it escape it can overpower any oxygen that may be in the building. Carbon Monoxide Poisoning can cause very unpleasant symptoms for a person such as headaches, nausea and vomiting being the main few.

Smoke Ventilation Systems Can Save Lives

We all want to sleep safe in our beds at night, without worrying about fires. By fitting smoke vent systems, allowing the smoke to escape will give you and the occupants enough time to escape.

Fitting the correct smoke ventilation system can save lives so it is vitally important to fit and have these regularly maintained.

There are many people that are not fully aware of the dangers of smoke inhalation and the damage it can cause to a person and their health. As we grow up many of us are taught that fire is dangerous but we were never really taught about the chemicals and smoke that the fire produces properly.

There are lots of effects smoke inhalation can have on a person such as visibility problems which can be dangerous if you are trying to escape from a fire. This will more than likely increase the time the person is in the house or building which means they will be inhaling more fumes which could eventually knock those unconscious and no one wants that.

Symptoms of smoke inhalation range from coughing to feeling sick or being sick and can cause sleepiness and confusion this being extremely dangerous, especially if you were to pass out or faint whilst trying to escape from a house fire. You could become trapped within the building which is extremely dangerous. Amazingly smoke can burn you just as bad as fire can, burns from smoke can seriously burn the mouth, nose, face and even your saliva can be burned which can be very unpleasant. A third of patients admitted to hospital after a house fire are suffering with smoke inhalation injuries and the death rate of patients who are suffering both from burns and from smoke inhalation is over 50%. Proving just how dangerous inhaling smoke from a fire can be.

I bet you are wondering how a ventilation system works and how it will help in the event of a fire? Well the vents will automatically open during a fire to allow hot air and smoke to escape and filtering cool air from outside in so that this delays the possibility of a flashover and the building collapsing. The vent also helps to reduce the speed in which the fire spreads through the building making it easier for people who may still be inside of the building to escape. It also means that the fire-fighters can enter the building a lot faster to extinguish the flames which could save the building from being damaged any further.

The Dangers of Smoke

Fitting the correct smoke ventilation system can save lives so it is vitally important to fit and to regularly have these lifesaving systems safety checked. 

No one wants to have to worry about a fire starting in their home when they go to sleep at night, we all know that fire is dangerous but it's actually the smoke the fire lets off that is the real killer. Having a smoke ventilation system fitted in your house can give you that piece of mind that if a fire was to occur whilst you are sleeping, the ventilation system would help get most of the smoke out of the house as quickly as possible.

In an unventilated room, there is nowhere for the smoke to go, so it will rise up to the ceiling. The smoke continues to fill the space available moving horizontally instead of vertically. The transfer of heat will cause it to be drawn back down to lower levels reducing visibility and the likelihood of a safe escape. The fire temperature will continue to increase causing potential flash overs and the collapse of the building.

I bet you are wondering how a ventilation system works and how it will help in the event of a fire? Well the vents will automatically open during a fire to allow hot air and smoke to escape and filtering cool air from outside in so that this delays the possibility of a flashover and the building collapsing. The vent also helps to reduce the speed in which the fire spreads through the building making it easier for people who may still be inside of the building to escape. It also means that the firefighters can enter the building a lot faster to extinguish the flames which could save it from being damaged any further. 

Ventilation Systems as mentioned above are expected to be fitted and regularly maintained. As proved, these simple operations can help the emergency services, eliminating the possible damage of property and its contents and above all help save precious lives.