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NEW HAVEN, CT — The Bilco Company’s Lumivent®, an automatic fire vent with multi-wall polycarbonate covers that provide natural daylighting, features a pitched cover design to meet both UL 793 and 2012 IBC 2610.3 Building Code requirements.
The UL 793 fire protection standard for automatically operated roof vents for smoke and heat designates the use of the UL 790 “burning brand” test for product ratings and compliance. This test for roof coverings is designed to simulate the reaction that a product has to a burning ember landing on its surface from a nearby structure. The intent, along with this portion of the UL 793 standard, is to prevent the spread of fire from one building to another. The International Code Council (ICC) recognizes the requirements of UL 793 as an important fire safety standard and has included its provisions into the International Building Code.
Daylighting automatic fire vents are typically designed with plastic cover panels fabricated from either acrylic or polycarbonate material. Code bodies have acknowledged the need for the same level of fire protection and testing standards on these products as other roof coverings. Relative to the burning brand test, UL 793 states that fire vents with plastic cover panels must either be designed in a manner that flying brands would not be likely to lodge on them, or be protected by a steel wire screen. To prevent the lodging of a burning ember, the International Building Code (2012 IBC 2610.3) expands on this requirement by stating that flat, plastic skylights shall slope at least four units vertical in twelve units horizontal (4:12). Dome-shaped skylights shall rise above the mounting flange a minimum distance equal to 10 percent of the maximum width of the dome but not less than three inches.
Bilco’s Lumivent features flat polycarbonate panels that are incorporated into a sloped cover design to meet both UL 793 and International Building Code requirements. The sloped design encourages burning embers to roll off the covers rather than burn through per the intent of these fire protection standards. Compliance to both standards provides a high level of defense and makes the Lumivent one of the safest daylighting vent options on the market.
“Bilco began manufacturing heat and smoke vents as a response to the lack of efficient and fire safe construction materials and the company has always been committed to producing products of the safest design and operation,” said Roger Joyce, Bilco’s Executive Vice President and Vice President of Engineering. “While other brands may be satisfied with developing fire vents with a flat cover design, we believe that a sloped cover design is the only option safe enough for the industry.”
As with all Bilco fire vents, the Lumivent is designed to open automatically in the event of a fire to remove smoke, heat and toxic gases from a burning building. This improves inside air quality and visibility to allow building occupants to escape safely and firefighters to get in to do their job. Fire vents are ideally suited for buildings with large expanses of unobstructed space such as factories, warehouses, auditoriums and retail facilities.
The Lumivent incorporates the patented Thermolatch® II latching mechanism with a curb mounted fusible link housing that allows the vent covers to be quickly and safely reset from the roof level. Additional standard features include a rugged multi-wall polycarbonate cover design, full perimeter gasketing for weathertightness, interior and exterior pull handles for manual operation, and the Bil-Clip® flashing system for faster, more secure installation in single-ply roofing applications. The Lumivent is available in a number of UL-listed models and special sizes are available to satisfy unique project requirements.
For more information on Bilco’s complete line of automatic fire vents, as well as other Bilco products, call (800) 366-6530, or visit www.bilco.com.
About Bilco
For over 85 years, The Bilco Company has been a building industry pioneer in the design and development of specialty access products. Over these years, the company has built a reputation among architects, engineers, contractors, and homeowners for products that are unequaled in design and workmanship. Bilco – an ISO 9001 certified company – offers a full line of roof hatches, automatic fire vents, floor access doors, and basement access products for residential applications.
