What is staircase pressurisation and when does a building need it?
It keeps the escape stair usable in a fire by blowing filtered outside air into the shaft so it sits at higher pressure (~50 Pa) than the accommodation — smoke cannot flow in against it. High-rises need it because the stair is the only escape route. Design to BS EN 12101-6: ~50 Pa doors closed, ≥0.75 m/s through an open door, door force ≤100 N.
Jet fans or ducted ventilation for a car park — which is better?
Jet fans win in most modern basements: 300–500 mm of headroom recovered, lower cost and fan power, and the F300/F400 units double as fire-mode smoke clearance. Fully ducted schemes suit very deep or irregular layouts. Either way, CO sensors run the system on demand — trickle by day, ~10 ACH in fire mode.
What is an ecology unit and does my hotel kitchen need one?
It cleans kitchen exhaust before discharge — ESP cells strip grease and smoke, activated carbon removes odour. Needed when discharge can't vent freely above roof level away from people: guest rooms or pools nearby, mixed-use buildings, basement or podium kitchens. Without one, odour complaints are near-guaranteed.
How many air changes per hour does a factory need?
Screening figures: warehouses 4–6 ACH, general manufacturing 8–12, hot processes and kitchens 20–30, battery rooms 6–10 with acid-proof fans. A proper design starts from measured heat gain and contaminant generation — not room volume. That's what the site survey establishes.
What are F300 and F400 rated fans?
High-temperature certifications under EN 12101-3 for smoke-extract duty: F300 = 300°C for 60 minutes, F400 = 400°C for 120 minutes. Ordinary fans fail in minutes at these temperatures. Approval authorities ask for the CE/CPR certificate — our supplied fans carry them.
Do HVLS fans actually reduce air conditioning cost?
Yes. In open spaces they give 3–5°C of perceived cooling for a fraction of the power of dozens of small fans. In conditioned spaces the air movement lets you raise the setpoint 2–3°C — each degree saves roughly 3–6% of cooling energy. Typical payback 18–30 months.
Who approves smoke control systems in Sri Lanka?
The local Fire Service Department (Colombo Fire Brigade for Colombo projects) at building approval and Certificate of Conformity stage, with the project's fire consultant. They look for recognised standards (BS EN 12101, NFPA 92/96), certified equipment, and witnessed commissioning results. NativeWay supports the full approval file.