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Taking fire safety to the next level in my new build...

Mikell

Dipshit Know-Nothing
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Oh yeah that globe of red water is heat sensitive. It breaks on a certain temp and all of its contents dump. Not what you want.

How many more people are going to fall prey to the joking in here.... even Augustus Gloob is on the trolley now :biggrin:


A burning electrical bill? Now THAT'S an electrical fire I can support.
 

EclipseFour20

aka "Doc"
Veteran
Fire extinguisher (or a few) like this with a fire rating of "4A:60B:C" is worthy of having around--

350-116760-847__1.jpg


http://www.homedepot.com/p/Kidde-PRO-460-4A-60B-C-Fire-Extinguisher-21005785/100566451?N=5yc1vZbmgp

About Fire Ratings--
Class A = combustible material (paper, wood, etc)
Class B = flammable/combustible liquids (gasoline, oil, etc)
Class C = electrical (wiring, circuit breakers, etc)

The number preceding the A multiplied by 1.25 gives the equivalent extinguishing capability in gallons of water. The number preceding the B indicates the size of fire in square feet that an ordinary user should be able to extinguish. There is no additional rating for class C, as it only indicates that the extinguishing agent will not conduct electricity, and an extinguisher will never have a rating of just C.

So this $75 fire extinguisher with a fire rating of "4A:60B:C" is equivalent of using 5 gallons of water (class A) and should handle about 60 square feet of fire (class B) and weighs about 10 pounds. Got it?
 

coldcanna

Active member
Veteran
I think we're getting a little complicated on the fire suppression/extinguishing system. If proper high heat cut offs are installed along with afci breakers, then a ballast fire or other equipment is no longer an electrical fire it's simply materials on fire. Put in a residential sprinkler system for fairly cheap and that would take care of the flames. Another thing that hasn't come up is making sure the room is air tight. Sheet rock should be mudded, fire caulking should be applied at correct rates to any penetrations through the walls, ceiling, floors, ect. And put the subpanel outside the room so we're not looking at a situation of sprinklers and a live panel. Doors should be air tight and fire rated. Choke it out and prevent the spread. If you have an older balloon framed house then build your own walls inside of those, put fire stops inside the stud frame.
 

TreeWolf

Member
Are high heat cutoffs on any intake/exhaust fans sufficient to cut off airflow to a sealed room otherwise, or do they make some kind of air vents that can failsafe shut if they lose a tiny bit of power?
 

rives

Inveterate Tinkerer
Mentor
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Are high heat cutoffs on any intake/exhaust fans sufficient to cut off airflow to a sealed room otherwise, or do they make some kind of air vents that can failsafe shut if they lose a tiny bit of power?

The systems that I've been around for computer rooms simply turn off the A/C circulation fan, but you can get dampers that open electrically and close via a spring when the power is turned off.
 

coldcanna

Active member
Veteran
The systems that I've been around for computer rooms simply turn off the A/C circulation fan, but you can get dampers that open electrically and close via a spring when the power is turned off.

Search"fire damper" that is what he is talking about. I would imagine that's going to be fairly expensive. I really feel like putting an arc fault breaker for your equipment and have your ballasts on fireproof racks you have done your due diligence.
 

rives

Inveterate Tinkerer
Mentor
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Search"fire damper" that is what he is talking about. I would imagine that's going to be fairly expensive. I really feel like putting an arc fault breaker for your equipment and have your ballasts on fireproof racks you have done your due diligence.

All of the fire dampers that I've seen are activated by an element that melts when subjected to high temperatures, and then close via a spring.

What I was talking about is a "zone damper" used for zonal HVAC control. They are usually controlled with either a 24v or 120v signal for one direction, and a spring return for the other. They can come in either spring open or spring close.
 
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