When it comes to protecting your commercial building, and the people inside it, you need to make sure that you have a fully-implemented fire protection system in place. That system should include fire alarms, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and sprinklers. However, it should also include a smoke control system. Many business owners believe that the ventilation system on their HVAC system will be sufficient to control smoke from a fire. Unfortunately, that's simply not the case. If you're relying on the ventilation that your HVAC system provides, you're not fully-protected against smoke inhalation in the event of a fire. Here are four reasons why you need a smoke control system instead of your HVAC ventilation system.
Designed to Control Flow of Smoke
Your HVAC ventilation system is designed to control most allergens and pollutants that flow into your building. It can also control small amounts of smoke that finds its way in from the outside. However, it's not designed to control large quantities of smoke. Your smoke control system is designed for just that. During a fire, you need to know that the system you have in place will be able to control all the smoke that's being generated. Not only that, you need to know that your control system will snap into action at the first sign of smoke to fully-protect the people in your building. Your smoke control system will provide that protection.
Able to Work Under Extreme Temperatures
During a fire, your building will be subjected to extreme heat. Unfortunately, HVAC systems aren't designed to function under extreme temperatures, which means that your system will probably fail during the fire. However, your smoke control system is designed to continue functioning under extreme temperatures. That means, no matter how hot the fire burns, your smoke control system will keep smoke out of the way.
Provides Error Diagnostic Tracking
One of the problems with using your HVAC system is that there's no way of knowing when there's a problem with the system. That's because most HVAC systems don't come with on-board error diagnostic tracking capabilities. Smoke control systems do come with that capability, which means you'll be able to monitor potential problems and get them repaired quickly.
Built-In Fail-Safe System
During a fire, you need to know that your smoke control system will continue to function, even when communication to the control panel is lost. That's where the fail-safe system comes into play. When communication to the control panel is lost, the fail-safe system will kick in, which will ensure that the fans continue to run and the smoke continues to be removed from the area.
To learn more, contact a company that specializes in smoke control system testing.