Fire Hoods for in-ceiling Atmos speakers

Jan 29, 2021 Last reply: 5 years ago 23 Replies

Just noticed these in the Richer Sounds Clearance sale.



I find it difficult to believe that this would provide



66 minutes of protection. The speaker itself will contain wiring and other plastic components that will be exposed the highest temperatures in a burning room below so will contribute to the fire.


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They seemed to manage 90 minutes of testing

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nah they are fine....

common practice above FR ceilings for lights etc ....

Cannot see it but to my mind once the room is alight enough to cause that sort of need you are pretty stuffed anyway and should be in the street with your mobile waiting for the fire engine. Brian

but one hour FR gives the people on the floor above time to ext.....

Speakers need a much bigger hole in the ceiling though.

in general fire barriers and structural integrity are good enough at the

45 minute mark, which is how long the twin towers lasted. 45 minutes is enough to get the people out - if they can be got out.

Fire policy is part containment, part fast evacuation routes. The idea is to keep the fire contained until the people are out

So a ceiling fire barrier stops the joists catching fire above it. For a while. If it's a concrete ceiling/floor above it, it is of course pointless.

Most fire caps for lights and so on are bollocks Half the time there are pipe runs and voids ready to carry fire up building interiors - or in the case of certain tower blocks - the outside as well

Its the other way around.

It is intended to contain and stop a fire spreading in the void of a suspended ceiling should the fire start in the speaker.

For PA systems they are usually called fire domes.

why have a FR ceiling then ? ....

how long is a piece of string then ? .....

If it delays the roof timbers catching fire this may be useful.

roofs don't attract a requirement for fire resistance.....unless an escape route is over them....

What about these?

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- about 2 minutes in. (Speakers that go fully inside the ceiling space and are then plastered over).

No idea what the fire risk is in a fully timber-framed structure, or what they would sound like. They don't mention the wattage, or the sound quality.

Crikey. I've seen a few fried speakers - but one which went on fire? ;-)

If it prevents the sound from the speaker going elsewhere, it's going to effect the sound it makes too.

The design of a speaker to go in a true infinite baffle like a ceiling is likely to be very different from one designed to go in a small sealed box.

That's a beauty of ceiling mounting - a relatively inexpensive unit can sound quite good.

Of course it's merely a comms speaker used for announcements etc it likely doesn't matter much. But this specifically mentions domestic use.

There may be no requirement, but I'd generally prefer mine not to be on fire given a choice.

good for you...I like people who go further than the building regs require....not many about

I think that is a reasonable attitude. Do what you can to limit speed and spread of fire as well as ensuring escape

depending on what is above the ceiling a box of plasterboard stuffed with rockwool would give a nice bass as well as fire resistance. glue it together with plaster or car body filler

But you will need access from above to make a good job...

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