Fire stopping is described as the act of sealing any openings to prevent a fire from spreading out to several building compartments. Fire is contained by putting up fire-resistant components that subdivide a building into various sections. It is essential that all buildings don’t have any openings and gaps that can contribute to both vertical and lateral fire spread. Fire sleeves form an integral part of fire protection tools. This article discusses them and the various types available on the market.
What to Consider When Choosing Fire Protection Products
There are several things you need to consider when selecting passive fire protection products. The importance of fire protection tools is overwhelming. Not only do they help save people’s lives but also prevent property damage. Therefore, when choosing these products, you should involve qualified parties in making your decision. This ensures that the correct and useful tools are purchased. The first thing you should consider is the type of building you intend to use them on. Buildings have different structures and in different locations. This means that you should consider the product you need and the situation and environment you plan to install it.
There are different construction situations and environments, so using the firestop product on every building might not be effective. Given the wide range of fire prevention and protection products required by building authorities, it can be challenging to decide the ones you need. You need as many fire protection products as possible. To get the best out of a firestop system, it might require you to combine several products and operate them together. Using a single product, especially in wildfires, is not effective and efficient.
Fire Sleeves
These are products designed to seal or fill a hole created by cables or pipes passing through a fire-rated ceiling or wall. In case of a fire, these sleeves expand to fill the apertures between the substrate and the service. When plastic pipes are being used, the fire sleeve crushes and seals off the pipe, preventing the possible passage of smoke and fire to other compartments.
Types of Fire Sleeves
There are different types of fire sleeves. This section discusses them and their application.
Thermal Fire Power Sleeve
This fire sleeve is made up of synthetic material. In most cases, high levels of copper, steel, and plastic pipes found in domestic and commercial buildings penetrate through fire-rated structures like walls, ceilings, and floors. A system’s integrity is compromised once a hole or an aperture is made in the fire-rated construction. The thermal fire sleeve has been created to solve this problem. It reinstates the initial fire rating of a compartment, preventing the fire from spreading out to different areas. This product also prevents damage by protecting copper pipes from erosion.
The thermal fire sleeve is an affordable product for preventing the spread of fire in pipe penetrations (metallic pipes and plumbing pipes). At the same time, it maintains similar acoustic and thermal properties, just like the standard fiber installation. This fire sleeve has properties that ensure maximum compliance to building regulations and water bye-laws. They are also effective heating systems and hot water pipes.
In case of a fire outbreak, the sleeve expands to fill out the available space between the penetration and pipe. When plastic pipes are used, the sleeve crushes down, closing off the pipe by forming a solid lead that prevents the passage of smoke and fire to other areas.
It’s Quality Ratings
This product has been tested with a 30mm nominal wall thickness. The sleeves have been subjected to a cut flush in the wall and tried in an intense fire situation. They have also been tested in walls with plastic pipes, leaving 30mm exposed for standard pipe insulation. The thermal fire sleeve is simple to install. You can also easily cut a single sleeve and replace two collars. When using metal pipes, the sleeve is fitted to the wall for a standard line solution.
Pipe Fire Sleeve
This type of fire sleeve is suitable for use in plasterboard partitions. You can also use them in blockwork floors and walls. With this product, one length of fire sleeve can be used to replace two collars in-wall compartments. Furthermore, these sleeves don’t need any additional metal sleeving. There is a unique material formed after the process is complete. This material is mainly the vacuum created to the shape that ensures a plastic duct or pipe’s sealing. To learn more about fire sleeves visit ADL Insulflex.
The Thermosleeve
This type of fire protection sleeve is made from braided fiberglass. The quality is outstanding, and it is coated with iron oxide and silicon rubber. The sleeves contain high dialectic levels, durability, and excellent flexibility. There are also reliable flame resistance and heat insulation properties. A Thermo sleeve also guarantees excellent abrasion traits. This product is specially designed to protect hoses and cables exposed to molten metal splashes and high temperatures.
They have a combination of heavy-duty silicone shield coating on their fiberglass. This helps defend and insulate against intermittent bouts of raging fire, metal splashes, burning airborne debris, and generally high temperatures. Its low surface energy and hydrophobic properties prevent large and random molten metal splashes from heating up to 3000F. It is a product designed to protect hoses, cables, and wires exposed to frequent molten splashes and radiant heat. You can get this product in different formats, such as the removable type, fixed type, and alternating type.
The Cool Blue Fire Sleeve
This is a high-temperature fire sleeve designed to provide firefighters with adequate heat protection against burns. There is a significant danger posed by hot hoses and steam lines. This sleeve is made up of a heavy coating with a braided fire sleeve interior twice as thick. The design makes heat transfer almost impossible, securing the safety of firefighters. Furthermore, this product can be used in a different environment, be it a commercial property or a residential apartment. Installing the Cool Blue fire sleeve is also easy and straightforward, with no mappings required.
