Does an attic fan need an override switch for a smoke alarm?

Posted by AABob on January 30, 2009, 9:28 am

I wanted to install an vent fan to cool down the attic. This is 100%
attic air. No air sucked in from the living space. The house is in
Massachussetts.

Contractor says this fan needs an automatic shut-off in case there's a
smoke or fire condition. I have not heard of this requirement. Is
this true?

Thanks,
AABob

Posted by dpb on January 30, 2009, 9:49 am

AABob wrote:

> I wanted to install an vent fan to cool down the attic. This is 100%
> attic air. No air sucked in from the living space. The house is in
> Massachussetts.
>
> Contractor says this fan needs an automatic shut-off in case there's a
> smoke or fire condition. I have not heard of this requirement. Is
> this true?

Best answer is to check w/ your local building department to see if it
is actually local code or not.

In general it wouldn't be a bad thing to do but I'm not sure the
"automatic" part is widely required other than commercial or
multi-family dwellings, though.

CA now (and perhaps others by now as well) has the requirement in
house/wildlands interface zone that soffet vents be auto-closing style
for fire protection during wildfires. Don't know what their code says
about the powered ventilation fan itself.

--

Posted by on January 30, 2009, 1:31 pm

> AABob wrote:

> > I wanted to install an vent fan to cool down the attic. This is 100%
> > attic air. =A0No air sucked in from the living space. =A0The house is i=

> > Massachussetts.
> > Contractor says this fan needs an automatic shut-off in case there's a
> > smoke or fire condition. =A0I have not heard of this requirement. =A0Is
> > this true?

> Best answer is to check w/ your local building department to see if it
> is actually local code or not.
> In general it wouldn't be a bad thing to do but I'm not sure the
> "automatic" part is widely required other than commercial or
> multi-family dwellings, though.
> CA now (and perhaps others by now as well) has the requirement in
> house/wildlands interface zone that soffet vents be auto-closing style
> for fire protection during wildfires. =A0Don't know what their code says
> about the powered ventilation fan itself.
> --

I would guess not in the code in Mass. But that's the place to
call. Certainly not a bad idea if the cost is not outrageous.

Posted by John Grabowski on January 30, 2009, 9:35 pm

>I wanted to install an vent fan to cool down the attic. This is 100%
> attic air. No air sucked in from the living space. The house is in
> Massachussetts.
> Contractor says this fan needs an automatic shut-off in case there's a
> smoke or fire condition. I have not heard of this requirement. Is
> this true?

*I have seen this in commercial buildings, but never in residential units.
Usually a manual shut-off switch near the fan is required for servicing
purposes. The best place to get an answer for this is your local building
department.

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