What is BS EN 1366‑13 - Fire resistance tests for chimneys about?
BS EN 1366‑13 is the 13th part of the EN 1366 multi-series that discusses fire resistance tests for service installations. This European standard helps its users to secure their properties from fire hazards by providing them with conclusive results of fire resistance tests for service installations.
BS EN 1366‑13 specifies a procedure to determine the fire resistance time for chimney constructions, shafts of chimneys or penetration elements as part of a chimney construction under standardized fire conditions. The test examines the behaviour of chimney products exposed to fire only from the outside or fire from the outside entering into the chimney. BS EN 1366‑13 is used in conjunction with EN 1363-1. In chimneys, combustion air supply ducts can also be included. BS EN 1366‑13 also applies to such chimneys.
Note1: BS EN 1366‑13 is not applicable to:
- Sootfire resistance conditions
- Accessories unless they are included in the system chimney to be tested
- One, two or three-sided enclosures
Note2: Slanted chimneys are not covered by BS EN 1366‑13.
Note3: If the pressure inside the chimney can in practice decrease to lower values than - 40 Pa or increase to higher values than + 5000 Pa it shall be considered that this cannot be covered by the test prescribed in BS EN 1366‑13.
Who is BS EN 1366‑13 - Fire resistance tests for chimneys for?
BS EN 1366‑13 on fire resistance tests for chimneys is useful for:
- Manufacturers and distributors of air ventilation ducts
- Chimney installation personnel
- Real estate developers
- Testing laboratories
Why should you use BS EN 1366‑13 - Fire resistance tests for chimneys?
Chimneys direct smoke away from fire and out of the house. However, in the event of a fire hazard, they could contribute to enhancing the severity of the fire. Hence, chimneys should meet certain criteria to be considered safe for commercial use.
The test method described in BS EN 1366‑13 measures the ability of a chimney construction to resist the spread of fire from one fire compartment to another. The fire can attack only from outside the chimney; as well as from outside the chimney entering into the chimney. BS EN 1366‑13 helps you measure the length of time for which chimneys of specified dimensions, supported as they would be in practice, satisfy defined criteria when exposed to fire only from outside or from both inside and outside the chimney.
The guidelines of BS EN 1366‑13 help you to verify the fire resistance time of chimneys and ensure they meet the national regulations to be fit for commercialization.