Firestats for a whole house fan

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melissa

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Location
Acworth Georgia
Hello everyone, I have a question on a home inspectors punch list. He has marked as an action item to install a firestate on a whole house fan. Is this a code requirement? Its a old house with a old fan and im having a hard time finding a firestate from my suppliers. This is the first time i have come across this situation. Im in Georgia and I dont know of any local code require this.

Thanks, Melissa
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Not an NEC requirement and not a rule that I have ever heard of but home inspectors are not code inspectors. They can ask or wish for whatever they think will make the home safer.

Deciding to follow the HIs recommendations or not is entirely up to the seller, the buyer and perhaps the bank.
 

don_resqcapt19

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Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
Most attic fans that I have seen have that built-in to the control thermostat. I have never seen on on a whole house fan.
 

infinity

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Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
Although it's not required it might not be a bad idea. A 36" whole house fan can move 6000 CFM of air. In a commercial application fans require shutdown at 2500 CFM and above. Could be where the HI was confused.
 

infinity

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Staff member
Location
New Jersey
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Journeyman Electrician
In the Mechanical code is a requirement for air-moving systems supplying air in excess of 2,000 cfm to enclosed spaces within buildings 'shall be equipped with an automatic shutoff.'...upon detection of smoke.
I said 2500, guess that I was close. ;)
 

david luchini

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Location
Connecticut
Occupation
Engineer
In the Mechanical code is a requirement for air-moving systems supplying air in excess of 2,000 cfm to enclosed spaces within buildings 'shall be equipped with an automatic shutoff.'...upon detection of smoke.

I've heard of the 2000 cfm requirement for air handling systems, but don't find anything that would require shutdown of exhaust fans in the mechanical code or in nfpa 72. Could it be in the residential code somewhere?
 

RICK NAPIER

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
This is the section I think would apply it is from the IMC and only deals with air distribution systems not exhasut. As you can see from the exception to 606.2 the idea is to prevent moving smoke to uneffected areas.

SECTION 606 SMOKE DETECTION SYSTEMS CONTROL
606.2 Where required. Smoke detectors shall be installed where indicated in Sections 606.2.1 through 606.2.3.

Exception: Smoke detectors shall not be required where air distribution systems are incapable of spreading smoke beyond the enclosing walls, floors and ceilings of the room or space in which the smoke is generated.

606.1 Controls required. Air distribution systems shall be equipped with smoke detectors listed and labeled for installation in air distribution systems, as required by this section. Duct smoke detectors shall comply with UL 268A. Other smoke detectors shall comply with UL 268. 606.2.1 Return air systems. Smoke detectors shall be installed in return air systems with a design capacity greater than 2,000 cfm (0.9 m3/s), in the return air duct or plenum upstream of any filters, exhaust air connections, outdoor air connections, or decontamination equipment and appliances.

Exception: Smoke detectors are not required in the return air system where all portions of the building served by the air distribution system are protected by area smoke detectors connected to a fire alarm system in accordance with the International Fire Code. The area smoke detection system shall comply with Section 606.4.
 

djd

Senior Member
djd

djd

Hello everyone, I have a question on a home inspectors punch list. He has marked as an action item to install a firestate on a whole house fan. Is this a code requirement? Its a old house with a old fan and im having a hard time finding a firestate from my suppliers. This is the first time i have come across this situation. Im in Georgia and I dont know of any local code require this.

Thanks, Melissa
I have never heard the term firestate and hope you or someone else out there can help tell me what it means meanwhile I will be scaning teh code book. :?:?:?: Smoke detectors
 
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david luchini

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Connecticut
Occupation
Engineer
I have never heard the term firestate and hope you or someone else out there can help tell me what it means meanwhile I will be scaning teh code book. :?:?:?: Smoke detectors

A firestat is basically a thermostat that is used to shutdown equipment when the temperature reaches some predetermined high temperature, say in the 120degF range.

In other words, a high air temperature shutoff device.
 

dana1028

Senior Member
I've heard of the 2000 cfm requirement for air handling systems, but don't find anything that would require shutdown of exhaust fans in the mechanical code or in nfpa 72. Could it be in the residential code somewhere?

You are correct - I too do not know of any code supporting such a call that the home inspector made....I just posted some code section supposing that is where he [HI] is confused about.
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
A firestat is basically a thermostat that is used to shutdown equipment when the temperature reaches some predetermined high temperature, say in the 120degF range.

In other words, a high air temperature shutoff device.

My attic fan has a thermostat that turns it on at 120F (IIRC) and another that turns it off at 180F. All built into the fan.
 
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