How to select the right fire stop for pipe & cable penetrations
Standard fire collars are a popular choice when sealing pipe penetrations through firewalls. Fire stops are suitable for plastic pipes and are usually made of steel with an inner lining of intumescent material that activates in the event of a fire. The intumescent expands and closes the hole left by the collapsing pipe, so retaining the structure’s integrity. Once expanded, they will resist a fire for either two or four hours, depending on pipe material and application. Benefits of using standard fire collars include:
- They are a cost-effective solution
- Most are easy to install on new builds or when retrofitting
- They are available in a wide range of sizes
Discover our perfect collar if you are looking for a reliable, standard fire stop solution that has the added reassurance of ETA Certification and CE Marking.
Alternatives to standard fire collars
Standard fire collars are not suited to ALL scenarios, and so it is important to consider the individual needs of each installation to ensure the correct type of fire sealing product is selected. Some of the criteria that should be considered when choosing a fire stop include:
- Pipe type & size
- Fire resistance period required
- Insulation requirement
- Wall, floor or linear gap
- Pipe movement expected? Vibration or thermal expansion?
- Mechanical strength? Load bearing?
Examples of when you may need a specialist product
Metal Pipes – Standard fire collars are usually not suitable for fire sealing metal pipes. Metal pipes will not melt during a fire, but they will transfer heat from one compartment to another. You can interrupt the transfer with products like Walraven Pacifyre NCP or insulation materials with Walraven Pacifyre A.
Movement or vibration – If there is significant movement expected either from the pipe’s thermal expansion, vibration or the building movement, then a standard collar may not be effective. A fire sleeve such as our Walraven Pacifyre® MKII Fire Sleeve has been installed in situations to deal with pipe movement.
Noise insulation – Many buildings these days also require additional noise insulation from products. A standard fire collar does not provide any noise insulation. But our Walraven Pacifyre® MKII Fire Sleeve has a special built-in noise-insulating part. Or our Walraven Pacifyre® FPC Fire Collar, which has integrated noise insulation.
Remedial work – Often in renovation projects, you may come across challenging situations where the pipes were previously installed without considering fire-stopping products. Therefore, there may not be enough space to fit a standard collar. Our Walraven Pacifyre® EFC is a versatile and unique fire collar, perfect for these situations. It can fit multiple pipes through one collar and be fitted in awkward spaces like pipes installed in a corner or flush to a wall, and more.
