Residential Internal Fire Door (boiler room)

[Guest Neil]

Hi,

I have been advised that the door to the oil-fired boiler cupboard should be a fire door, in addition there is insufficient ventilation for the boiler.

I initially bought one of these: http://www.diy.com/departments/6-panel-primed-woodgrain-unglazed-internal-fire-door-h1981mm-w686mm/73552_BQ.prd

I have already bought an intumescent fire grill from Safelincs (which is a fraction thicker than the 35mm of the door, but I hope the fascia grills will compensate for that).

My question... is this door suitable to have a fire grill installed? I ask as my father in-law made quite a show of telling me I don't know what I'm doing... the contents of the door will pour out and I'll have wasted £90!

 

So it's to you... the experts I ask for advice.

[Tom Sutton]

Why do you need a fire door, is it to protect a means of escape or is it to prevent the spread of fire? The fire door you propose to buy, just says that, it does not give any details of its fire properties and how it should be installed, I would need more details before I could make any comments.

I think your father in-law is correct fitting a intumescent fire grill defeats to purpose of the fire door it would prevent the spread of fire but not smoke, so it depends what the fire door is for. If you have a open flue boiler and the ventilation is required for combustion then you need to study Approved Document J: combustion appliances and fuel storage systems.

 

[Guest Guest Neil]

Thank you for the reply.

The boiler cupboard is in our hallway, quite close to the front door and at the bottom of the staircase... Our home survey advised that there was insufficient protection should a fire start in the boiler cupboard... however, our boiler service engineer advised there's insufficient ventilation for the boiler.

To try and meet the best of both worlds, I thought a fire door with grill would offer the protection should a fire occur, yet also provide ventilation for when things haven't gone wrong.

[Tom Sutton]

I am afraid not, the boiler is located in an escape route and needs to be a FD30s door which needs to control smoke and a intumescent fire grill would totally defeat this purpose. You will need to look for ventilation from the outside.