What Are Fire Collars?
Fire collars are commonly used type of drainage collar that is designed to help restore the fire resistance of floors and walls that have been breached by a variety of drainage products such as waste and soil pipes, helping to keep the rest of the building safe. Modern fire safety relies on creating seals between different parts of a building, which prevents smoke and flames from breaking through to other rooms for defined periods, giving occupants a chance to escape.
Penetrating walls and floors with drainage services such as pipes can compromise the integrity of fire safe rooms by acting as a point of failure, because poorly sealed or melted pipes can create a hole that allows smoke and flames to enter other parts of the building. Fire collars help guard against this by collapsing in response to fire, squeezing the pipe closed and blocking the aperture to seal the affected room off. Fire collars and wraps are a vital and often required as part of any fire safety system
How Do Fire Collars Work?
Installing fire collars is easy, and they tend to be used between areas where fire risk is possible like kitchens and boiler rooms, and neighbouring rooms with which they share drainage systems. Fire collars are installed on both sides of the wall that is being protected, fitting around the pipe itself and also securely to the wall to make sure it’s sealed. This is aided by the use of fire resistant mastic foam that makes sure all part of the collar are sealed against fire. In the event of a fire, the heat generated activates the ring of intumescent material in the collar the hugs the pipe, causing it to expand. The material expands so much that it crushes the pipe and seals the ring off with a heatproof barrier, preventing flames and smoke from getting through.
Fire Collars At The Drainage Shop?
At the Drainage Shop we stock a wide range of drainage fire collars that are perfect for any drainage installation in a fire sensitive area, with collars in sizes all the way from 32mm to 250mm depending on the diameter of the pipes you’re protecting. All of the fire collars in stock are rated as safe for four hours, meaning they will remain sealed and protected for a maximum of four hours in a fire to give building occupants time to escape.
Our fire collars are made from high quality steel that conforms to British standards, and are extremely easy to fit, being light weight and simple to use. They’re suitable for use with in all kinds of developments, from multiple occupancy homes and offices to hospitals, garages, schools and industrial buildings. They also work with a wide variety of plastic drainage products, including most types of pipe including waste pipes, soil pipes and fresh water pipes. They are also very easy to clean and maintenance free, making them a very cost effective choice in the long term. As well as the fire collars themselves we also sell fire-retardant mastic foam that bonds and seals gaps, making sure the whole pipe and collar are free of gaps.
