8/27/22, 9:04 AM Basics of Fire and Smoke Damper Installations | NFPA

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Basics of Fire and Smoke Damper

Installations
BY KRISTIN BIGDA

Heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems and other components that

support the movement of air throughout buildings are necessary for the day-
to-day function of buildings in order to properly heat, cool and (re)distribute
air throughout them. Air is distributed in air-conditioning and ventilating
systems by ducts and plenums and for the system to reach everywhere it
needs to within the building, it may require penetrating fire-
resistance rated assemblies or assemblies protected against the transfer of
smoke. Like fire doors protecting openings in fire-
resistance rated construction, dampers also protect openings where ducts
pass through or terminate in or at fire rated assemblies in order to maintain
the integrity of the assembly and to prevent fire and smoke from spreading to
and contaminating other areas of the building that might be
otherwise unaffected.

During a fire, the air distribution system may transport deadly smoke and
products of combustion instead of breathable air. If proper design and
installation precautions are not taken, smoke, fire gases, heat, and even flame
can spread throughout the area served by the duct system. Improper
plenum locations, lack of detection equipment in the system, and lack of
required fire and smoke dampers in appropriate walls, ceilings, or partitions
can lead to tragic situations.

What are fire and smoke dampers and where are they installed? 

Fire dampers are installed in ducts passing through or in air outlet openings

terminating at shaft walls, fire barriers (such as an occupancy separation
wall, horizontal exit walls, corridor walls, corridor ceilings, floor-ceiling

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assemblies) and other fire resistance–rated assemblies as required by a

building or life safety code and other applicable standards.  Under severe fire
exposure, a duct may eventually collapse or significantly deform, creating an
opening in the fire barrier. Fire dampers provide a method of protecting such
penetrations and openings.

 
A fire damper is designed to, and required to, close automatically upon
detection of heat (such as a fusible link or heat detector) and to interrupt
airflow and to restrict the passage of flame.  Fire dampers are required to
close against the maximum calculated airflow of that portion of the system
in which they are installed. Those that are intended to close under airflow are
labeled for use in Dynamic Systems (A dynamic systems is an HVAC system
designed to maintain the movement of air within the system at the indication
of a fire); those that are intended to close after airflow has stopped by
automatically shutting down the fan or airflow in the event of a fire are
labeled for use in Static Systems (a static system is an HVAC system
designed to stop the movement of air within the system at the indication of a
fire). Fire dampers are provided with an hourly fire rating. 

 
Smoke damper’s primary function is to control the movement of smoke in
dynamic air distribution systems, and they reduce the possibility of smoke
transfer within ductwork or through wall openings. They are installed in ducts
passing through, or air outlet openings terminating at, smoke barriers, shaft
walls, horizontal exit walls, corridor walls, corridor ceilings, and
other barriers designed to resist the spread of smoke as required by a
building or life safety code and other applicable standards. Smoke dampers
operate automatically on detection of smoke and must function so that
smoke movement through the duct is halted.  Their activation can be by area
detectors that are installed in the related smoke compartment or by
detectors that are installed in the air duct systems. Smoke dampers
are provided with leakage and temperature ratings.
 
A combination fire/smoke damper is used when a barrier is both rated for fire
resistance as well as designed to restrict the transfer of smoke and will
meet both the fire damper and smoke damper requirements.
 
What standards area applicable? 
Multiples codes and standards are applicable to the installation of fire and
smoke dampers.  Knowing what each document addresses can help map out
the provisions for a safe and successful damper installation.  It is suggested
that these documents be reviewed for further details beyond the summary
that is provided here. 
NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code® mandates where smoke dampers are
required as well as their ratings, access and identification requirements,
and activation requirements. Smoke dampers are required in air-
transfer openings (an opening designed to allow the movement of
environmental air between two contiguous spaces) in smoke partitions
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and in air transfer openings and duct penetrations in smoke

barriers.  Where a smoke barrier is also constructed as a fire barrier, a
combination fire/smoke damper must be used.  There are multiple
exemptions where smoke dampers may not be required in smoke
barriers such as where ducts or air-transfer openings are part of an
engineered smoke control system and that smoke damper will interfere
with the operation of a smoke control system or where ducts penetrate
floors that serve as smoke barriers.
NFPA 5000®, Building Construction and Safety Code® mandates
where fire dampers are required and their required ratings as well
as access and identification requirements for fire and smoke
dampers. Fire dampers are required in the following locations: 
Ducts and air-transfer openings penetrating walls or partitions
having a fire resistance rating of 2 or more hours,
Ducts and air-transfer openings penetrating shaft walls having a
fire resistance rating of 1 or more hours,
Ducts and air-transfer openings penetrating floors that are
required to have protected openings where the duct also is not
protected by a shaft enclosure,
Air-transfer openings that occur in walls or partitions that are
required to have a fire resistance rating of 30 minutes or more.  

NFPA 90A, Standard for the Installation of Air-Conditioning and

Ventilating Systems also mandates additional locations where fire and
smoke dampers are required, working in conjunction with the building
code and life safety codes. In addition, it mandates the minimum
required rating of the fire damper based on its location.  Compliance
with NFPA 90A is mandated by NFPA 101, NFPA 5000 and NFPA 80. 
NFPA 80, Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives and
NFPA 105, Standard for Smoke Door Assemblies and Other Opening
Protectives apply after it has been determined where a damper is
required and how to access and identify it.  Users are directed to NFPA
80 and NFPA 105 for additional installation details as well as all
requirements for the inspections, testing, and maintenance of
the dampers. NFPA 80 covers fire dampers as well as combination
fire/smoke dampers and NFPA 105 addresses smoke dampers. 
Fire dampers are tested and listed for use in air-conditioning and
ventilating ducts by UL in accordance with UL 555, Fire Dampers. These
dampers include single-blade, multiblade, and interlocking-blade types,
all actuated by fusible links. Smoke dampers require compliance with
UL 555S, Smoke Dampers.  Combination fire and smoke dampers
will meet the applicable requirements of both UL 555 and UL 555S

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Fire and Smoke Damper Installation 
First and foremost, dampers must be installed in accordance with the
manufacturer’s installation instructions and in accordance with their listing.
For new installations, retaining the installation instructions on site can help
verify that a damper has been properly installed.  
 
Access to both fire and smoke dampers is required for
inspection, testing, and maintenance. Smoke and combination fire and
smoke dampers in new construction must be provided with an approved
means of access large enough to allow inspection and maintenance of the
damper and its operating parts.  Access cannot affect the
integrity, continuity, or rating of the assembly where its located and must also
comply with any access requirements in the mechanical code. Access points
must also be provided with permanent identification indicating the type of
damper (fire damper, smoke damper, fire/smoke damper). In some situations,
where space constraints or physical barriers in new construction restrict
access to a damper for periodic inspection and testing, the damper is
required to be a single- or multi-blade-type damper and must comply with
remote inspection requirements (found in NFPA 80 or NFPA 105.)
 
After a damper has been installed, an operational test much be completed.
This test ensures that the damper has been installed correctly within the air
distribution system, is fully functional, closes completely without
obstructions and contains all the correct components and devices as part of
its assembly. The operational test may be required be conducted under
normal HVAC airflow and non-airflow conditions. The damper shall fully close
under both test conditions.
 
Conclusion 
Both fire and smoke dampers are important building and life
safety equipment that protect people and buildings from the effects of fire. It
is critical that they are installed, and accessible, where required throughout
buildings and installed properly so that they will operate when required under
fire conditions. Without them, fire and smoke could travel throughout the
building to spaces otherwise untouched by the fire. Check back for future
blogs where we will address the requirements, both in-person and remote, for
inspection, testing and maintenance of fire and smoke dampers.  For more
information on fire and smoke dampers as well as other opening protectives,
you can check also out our various training offerings here.
 

Important Notice: Any opinion expressed in this column (blog, article) is the opinion of the author and
does not necessarily represent the official position of NFPA or its Technical Committees. In addition,
this piece is neither intended, nor should it be relied upon, to provide professional consultation or
services.

TOPICS:
Building & Life Safety,
Fire Protection Systems

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KRISTIN BIGDA
Technical Lead and Principal Fire Protection Engineer
with a focus on building and life safety related
content.

READ MORE BY KRISTIN BIGDA

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8/27/22, 9:04 AM Basics of Fire and Smoke Damper Installations | NFPA

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Derrick Black 17 days ago

D
Is a smoke damper allowed to be insulated, but still accessible? I have a problem at
the hospital where the damper is creating moisture, and therefore creating mold! I
don't have a solution in mind to use for resolving this problem! Any suggestions
would be greatly appreciated! -Carteret Health Care.
Reply 0 0

Brad 4 months ago

B
Are fire dampers required in both supply and return ducts in an upright furnace
which penetrates a 1 hr. Fire rated drop ceiling.
Reply 0 0

andersm0 8 months ago

a
We have a 6" round ventilation duct feeding fresh air into a vestibule. It has a fire
damper. Does it also need to have a fire-rated cover on the duct itself?
Reply 0 0

Danny 9 months ago

D
I’m installing smoke dampers on a job it can only fit them 50mm from wall line, the
builder is then going to fire stop back to the wall, is this ok
Reply 0 0

AC Pros Inc 11 months ago

A
Do you need to have drywall in smoke partition penetration?
Reply 0 0

Mohammed Afsal Koya 1 year ago

M
Thanks Kristin.
Reply 0 0

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