I hope to direct this question to fire fighters or other experts in the field. My home has a networked fire alarm that activates all of the alarms if one detects smoke. It is also tied in to my home automation system so that I can get alerts, etc. My home also has a large poweful whole house fan. I don’t know the rating, but it gets the house aired out pretty quickly. I have seen house fires in the past where the fire fighters put large fans in the window - presumably to get the smoke out as quickly as possible. My question is therefore does it make sense to automate my house fan to turn on when the fire alarm activates, or would this be a bad idea and potentially make the fire worse? Any expert thoughts on this are appreciated.
My guess is that it’s going to turn your house into a chimney and feed the fire.
Usually in industrial fire systems, the system is set up to cut off HVAC or other air systems in order to contain the fire. Leaving them running increases the risk of feeding the fire or transporting hot ashes or cinders through the building, making things worse for the building and any occupants who haven’t evacuated yet.
NICET certified fire alarm tech for 20 years here… HVAC shut down is done in coordination with dampers not to contain the fire, but to prevent moving smoke through the buildings. smoke is the killer, not so much fire.
stairwell pressurization fans force fresh air into stairwells to provide egress routes with breathable air.
AFAIK there’s no design consideration to attempt to smother a fire
I never knew about the stairwells, that’s cool.
Just want to clarify I’m not a fire alarm guy, although I do work alongside them and have picked up some stuff. Buildings are neat.