Fire sealing control cabinet

[WallaceP]

Hello, I am looking for advice in the best way to seal a vent on a control cabinet. The MCC is 1000x600x300 wall mount with a standard vent at the side. The customer has asked about this after a fire risk assesment. I have honestly never put any thing like that in before as most MCCs were in there own controll rooms which had fore doors etc. But this one is out on the factory floor.
I was thinking ducting the vent and fitting a fire collar on it. Any other ideas?

 

[R-fur]

I would be very careful of blocking or restricting a vent in any panel. if it is in an EX zone then you would need an assessment by a suitably qualified person.

 

[WallaceP]

I would be very careful of blocking or restricting a vent in any panel. if it is in an EX zone then you would need an assessment by a suitably qualified person.

Yeah. I am a bit worried about it being blocked up I guess if it was to block there is something else going on. Its no Ex im not interested in that just a cautious light industrial production factory.

 

[DPG]

The vent was probably put in unintentionally to keep things cool. Would it not be more of a fire risk to block it?

 

[WallaceP]

The vent was probably put in unintentionally to keep things cool. Would it not be more of a fire risk to block it?

Well it would only block once it was hot enough for the intumescent strip to expand and seal it off. So far outside if normal operating temperature. Atleast thats what I think they want

 

[DPG]

Well it would only block once it was hot enough for the intumescent strip to expand and seal it off. So far outside if normal operating temperature. Atleast thats what I think they want

Ah sorry, I didn't read your post properly!

 

[westward10]

I would say it is totally unnecessary as the vent is open to the fire compartment the MCC is contained in. If it vented to another compartment I could understand dampers being fitted.

 

[WallaceP]

I would say it is totally unnecessary as the vent is open to the fire compartment the MCC is contained in. If it vented to another compartment I could understand dampers being fitted.

I have not read the fire risk assessment myself yet but i think the concern was a fire starting in this remote MCC. Probably only as flagged as an issue because the rest are out the way and this guy looks a bit out of place because its the only one on the floor.

 

[westward10]

I really don't see it as an issue albeit I haven't been there. When you say remote is a fire from this unit likely to pose an escape issue should a fire start and is the area protected by automatic fire detection.

 

[WallaceP]

I'm glad its not just me who cant see the need for this.
The enclosure holds a few PSU's, 3 low power relays , 1x 2.2Kw VSD and some IO's. Nothing that I would say is high risk of going on fire. Its not in the way of any fire exits from memory. I'm going to look at it tomorrow and see what they want to do.
It just seems like a strange request based on someone's opinion but ill go in with an open mind.

 

[Mikegh]

I'm glad its not just me who cant see the need for this.
The enclosure holds a few PSU's, 3 low power relays , 1x 2.2Kw VSD and some IO's. Nothing that I would say is high risk of going on fire. Its not in the way of any fire exits from memory. I'm going to look at it tomorrow and see what they want to do.
It just seems like a strange request based on someone's opinion but ill go in with an open mind.

It wouldn't be just fire though

It would be the operational temperature of the cabinet

The equipment would need an optimum operational temperature