Smoke Relief Vents are Vital in an Emergency

What are Smoke Relief Vents?

In the event of a fire heat and smoke rises towards the roof, accumulates, and then works its way back down to the floor. Smoke Relief Vents are strategically placed vents that are designed to funnel out smoke during a fire. This reduces smoke inhalation, improves visibility, and eliminates smoke damage. We advise that you install smoke relief vents in pretty much any industrial facility. To install roofing systems that could help to protect your building in a fire and other damaging disasters, like severe storms resulting in leaks and flooding, professionals from the likes of this roofing company denver should be your first port of call for getting such solutions in place.

As many people know, smoke inhalation is as great a danger as the fire itself. Smoke inhalation from exiting fire-riddled buildings can cause long-term lung damage and short-term fatigue and confusion. It also has the potential to render an escapee unconscious, endangering them further. Emergency smoke vents allow escapees to move freely and breathe easily.

Once open, an automatic vent makes it easier for building occupants to escape, and for emergency personnel to combat the fire. Without automatic vents heavy layers of smoke build up, cutting visibility down to inches, this can obscure peoples’ vision and cloud their headspace. With smoke and fire ventilator, the smoke instead exhausts from the building. Improving visibility means the firefighters can more easily pinpoint the origin of the fire, and get there more quickly.

Obviously, worker safety is always the priority. Once everyone is safe, however, it’s time to assess the damage. Smoke damage can affect inventory, infrastructure, and more. As it lingers, it can do more and more damage. Quickly exhausting the smoke via roof vents, is the best way to minimize lasting damage. Reduced smoke also makes fighting the fires easier, decrease overall fire damage as well.

How do Smoke Relief Vents Work?

Smoke Relief vents automatically open once the heat reaches a certain temperature threshold. High-temperature fires activate the release valve, allowing the unit to spring open. Once this occurs, the smoke now has a place to escape.

The air movement is based on the Buoyancy Effect. The buoyancy effect creates natural air flow due to high air pressure (i.e., colder air, higher density) and low air pressure (i.e., hot air, less dense). This is why you were taught to get as close to the floor as possible during a fire inside a building to breath the colder, fresher air. To learn more about the buoyancy effect read this blog post from earlier this year.

Moffitt Corporation

Moffitt Corporation is one of the most trusted names in industrial louvers and vents. Countless industrial buildings and chemical plants have chosen Moffitt because we create amazing results and safety features for their buildings. If you would like to learn more about the fire ventilator and our products and services, feel free to call us today!