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Over the years more attention is being paid to the proper method of providing fire protection to kitchen exhaust systems and fresh air ducts. In years past the acceptable method of dealing with a kitchen exhaust or fresh air duct was to build a drywall enclosure around the duct and that was considered to be adequate fire protection. The logic was the drywall is fire rated for wall assemblies so we’ll grandfather that information to kitchen exhaust work.

Back in the days when there were no products on the market tested specifically for fire protection on kitchen exhaust or fresh air ducts, the prudent thing to do was to find the best alternative on the market to deal with the problem. Drywall enclosures made sense at the time and became standard practice, even though there was never a specific test performed for this application. However, over the years new products have come into the market which have been tested specifically to provide fire protection to kitchen exhaust and fresh air ducts to ULC standards. There are numerous ULC listings for providing proper fire protection to kitchen exhaust and fresh air ducts using insulation materials which eliminate the need for using the old drywall enclosure method.

As the market grew for ULC approved fire protection systems various insulation and firestop manufacturers saw the potential opportunity and tested their own systems in accordance with ULC standards. There are now several ULC approved and listed fire protection systems available in the BC market with a wide range of applications for kitchen exhaust and fresh air ducts. These insulation products provide proven protection and there is no shortage of skilled tradesmen available to install these locally stocked materials.

Listings for these products have become more sophisticated and will include proper firestop procedures for sealing off ductwork going through a fire rated wall or ceiling. Your duct is running tight against the wall and you can’t squeeze the insulation blanket between the wall and the duct you say? Not a problem. There are ULC listed systems on the market that provide installation procedures for ductwork that has only three sides exposed, and in some cases you can find listings for ductwork with two sides exposed. These systems take a little more work to install but you can provide a proper ULC listing without having to move the ductwork in most cases. In extreme cases, some manufacturers will be able to provide an engineering judgment for your specific application if no existing listing matches up with your site conditions.

It is important to remember that not all ULC listings for these products are the same. Some listings require overlapping the insulation on all joints; some listings require overlapping on some joints, while there are listings available that do not require overlapping at all. It is also important to be aware that kitchen exhaust and fresh air ducts are two different tests and as a result each application has different requirements to meet the ULC standards. You should also be aware of the different ratings required for each application. Typically, kitchen exhaust will require a two hour rating and a fresh air duct will require a one hour rating. Be sure to review the ULC listings of competitive products to be sure how each manufacturer has tested for each specific application. You will quickly find out that not all fire rated kitchen exhaust blankets are the same.

Advancements in the insulation industry have provided an economical and reliable ULC approved system for the proper fire protection of kitchen exhaust and fresh air ducts. Your local insulation distributor should be able to provide you with all the information you need to properly address this important component of the sheet metal trade.

Chris Ishkanian is general manager at Burnaby Insulation’s head office location in Burnaby, B.C. He has been actively involved in the mechanical insulation industry since 1982, is on the board of directors of the BC  Insulation Contractors Association, and is on the board of directors of the Thermal Insulation Association of Canada as past president.