Fire sealing pipe and cable penetrations

What to consider when sealing pipe penetrations

Pipework that penetrates fire compartment walls or floors must be adequately sealed to prevent the spread of smoke and fire. Not all pipes are the same, and therefore, there are a range of different fire stops on the market to deal with the different pipe requirements.

For example, combustible pipes will melt in the event of fire which means they require a solution which incorporates intumescent expanding foam to effectively seal the gap that will be left from the melted pipe.

Some of the things to consider when sealing pipe penetrations include:

Pipe material and diameter
Insulation requirements
Wall or floor penetration
Thickness of the wall / floor
Fire rating required

Download our fire stopping checklist which gives 15 things to consider when looking for fire stopping solutions for M&E services.

fire sealing pipe penetrations

Fire stops for pipe penetrations

Fire Collars

Fire collars are a popular choice when looking at fire sealing of pipe penetrations through fire walls. They consist of a metal shell lined with intumescent. They are generally installed on both sides of the wall or the underside of flooring and simply screw into place.

We offer a range of collars from standard solutions, for example the BFC Fire Collar for combustible pipes, to more innovative options like our EFC Endless Fire Collar which is a great problem-solver collar for metal and plastic pipes and more complex installation requirements. And our newest fire collar in the range, the Pacifyre® FPC Collar, is a 2-part fire collar for U/U pipe configurations. ETA certified and with noise reducing foam layer.

Browse our fire collars

How to select the right fire stop

fire sealing pipe penetrations

Fire Wraps

Fire wraps perform in a similar way to collars except they do not have the metal shell. This means that they need to be installed inside a solid construction – such as a concrete wall or floor. The concrete effectively works in the same way as the metal shell on a collar, to stop the intumescent expanding outwards.

Fire wraps can be a very cost-effective solution, as long as you have the right installation requirements suited to this product. Our FPW Fire Protection Wrap is ETA approved and is on a roll 9.2m long. One stand-out feature is it has been approved for use on ventilated pipes (e.g. rainwater) in the U/U configuration with a fire rating up to 120mins. All documentation and approvals can be found on the product page.

View our fire wrap

Fire Sleeves

Our unique fire sleeves are approved for sealing un-insulated plastic pipes. As well as offering a fire and smoke barrier, they also offer a certified noise barrier. Our sleeve is designed with a layer of intumescent and metal outer cover.

Fire sleeves can be useful where significant pipe movement is expected as, unlike collars, they still allow the pipe to move. This can be commonplace on tall buildings. Read our case study about why our fire sleeves were used on The Shard. You also only need one sleeve per penetration and they are faster to fit around the pipe so they can be cost-effective in the long run. Find out more about this great, versatile product.

View our fire sleeves

fire stopping system

Sealants

Our range of acrylic, silicone and graphite sealants and mortars can be used alongside our fire stops for sealing linear gaps around pipe penetrations and filling larger gaps, for example, over fire batts.

They are extensively tested and approved for a variety of situations, full details of approvals can be found in the ETA documentation on the product page.

View sealants and mortars

Cable penetrations and fire safety

There are many different types of cables and cable penetrations that can pass through fire compartment walls. For example, electricity cables, optical cables, data cables, cable bundles, cable trays and ladders. Fire sealing of cable penetrations is required by building regulations.

In case of a fire, these cable services will melt and leave openings in the walls or floors, allowing the passage of smoke and fire. Cables are made of copper which will also accelerate the heat transfer through the construction which can be extremely dangerous. Therefore, all cable penetrations must be adequately fire stopped in order to comply with building regulations.

Walraven solutions

Currently we have both Acrylic and Graphite sealants in our range which are approved for fire stopping single cables up to Ø21mm and small cable bundles up to Ø50mm. Our sealants are ETA approved which means they are extensively tested to EN standards and proven to deliver fire ratings as shown in the ETA documentation which you can find on the product page.

Need help finding a fire stop solution for a pipe penetration?

We have created a simple form which asks for a few basic details about your pipe penetration so we can help you find the right fire stop for your pipe.

Go to the fire sealing solution finder