For businesses in Minnesota, elevator smoke curtains can be, quite literally, a lifesaver. These devices are fairly simple in how they operate and how they are built, but can save life, limb, and millions of dollars in property.
What Are They For?
When a fire breaks out, smoke will tend to want to escape a room and rise. This isn’t a problem when it comes to windows, but it will generally find an elevator and try to rise through the shaft. When you install them in your building in Minnesota, elevator smoke curtains keep that from happening.
How Do They Work?
The standard elevator smoke curtains in Minnesota simply unfurl in the event of a fire. They are generally part of an integrated smoke detection system, meaning that they go off in time with the smoke detector and fire alarm. Sprinklers generally function independently, containing tiny bulbs of mercury which pop and release the water when the heat rises, ensuring that only the danger zone is affected by the water.
What If The Power Goes Out?
The power is often one of the first things to fail in a fire, so smoke curtains generally come with a backup power supply, and they will automatically drop in the event of a power outage.
How Do I Know They’re Working?
You can never be one hundred percent sure. Even the most fail-safe safety device has been known to malfunction. Regular maintenance and checkups are a good way to make sure that you’re in good condition.
An elevator smoke curtain isn’t really much more than a weighted tarp that drops over an elevator so as to keep the smoke from escaping through the shaft. It’s a simple device, but with proper manufacture and installation, it can do a whole lot of good for your people and for your business.
