Lorient Air Transfer Grilles Explained

Intumescent air transfer grilles are installed in fire-rated doors, walls, floors, and ducts to allow fresh air to circulate throughout a building, while also providing protection in the event of a fire.

Wherever air flows, fire and smoke can travel too. In the event of a fire, the intumescent material within the air transfer grille expands to form a solid block to stop the passage of fire into other compartments.

In this blog post we’ll take a closer look at Lorient Intumescent Air Transfer Grilles, detailing how they work and the differences between each model.

The Difference Between Fire Only and Fire & Smoke Air Transfer Grilles 

Lorient Fire Resistant Air Transfer Grilles

Lorient fire containment air transfer grilles are made up of either PVC or metal slats with an intumescent core. 

In the event of a fire, the heat generated causes the slats and framing components to swell to many times their original size, fusing together to provide an effective barrier to the passage of fire, hot smoke and gases. 

Fire only air transfer grilles contain no moving parts which results in low maintenance.

Lorient Fire & Smoke Resistant Air Transfer Grilles

Fire and smoke grilles, on the other hand, are activated on the sound of the fire alarm, whereby the smoke control shutter closes to stop the spread of cold smoke. 

Once the intumescent material within the grille reaches the required temperature, it will expand to form a seal in order to protect against hot smoke and fire, exactly like fire only grilles.

This type of grille must be connected to a building's fire alarm system which activates the shutters to close.

The Lorient range

All Lorient Air Transfer Grilles conform to British Standards BS 476-20/22:1987 and are Certifire approved, making them a trustworthy choice for your project. 

If you require the use of sealant, you must use Lorient Intumescent Sealant as it has been tested with the grille system.

When purchasing a cover grille, it must be the same size as the air transfer grille, as covers are oversized to suit.

LVV40

The Lorient LVV40 intumescent air transfer grille system is a high performance grille suitable for ventilation in fire compartment walls, doors and ducts. 

It provides up to 60 minutes fire resistance, and has an EI rating of 120 minutes when used in conjunction with a cover grille. 

Benefits:

• Complete seal achieved in approximately five minutes 
• Excellent fire integrity and insulation performance
• Allows bi-directional air flow.
• Simple to install
• Robust construction
• No maintenance required

LVH44

The LVH44 is a heavy-duty grille suitable for use in doors, walls, floors and ducts, and provides up to 120 minutes fire resistance, achieving a complete seal in as little as two minutes.

This model is constructed of Z275 grade galvanised steel making it ideal for use in environments such as industrial premises, or locations where there are high humidity levels. 

Benefits

• Withstands harsh environments 
• Tolerant of high humidity
• Gives silent operation with normal to high air velocities
• Can be safety used in ducting
• Suitable for use in both horizontal and vertical applications
• Suitable for external applications

LVC40 

The LVC40 is a circular grille suitable for use in doors, walls, and ducts. Ideal for toilet extraction systems in residential premises, hotels and many other buildings. 

It provides up to 60 minutes fire resistance, and has an EI rating of 120 minutes when used in conjunction with a cover grille. 

Benefits

• Robust construction
• Excellent fire integrity and insulation performance
• Fits directly into ducts, doors or wall apertures
• No need for round to square to round adapters
• Not prone to clogging

LVN20S

The Lorient LVN20S can be used in fire doors to contain both fire and smoke for up to 60 minutes in the event of a fire, while also allowing air flow through doors during everyday use. 

The grilles are connected, via a control panel, to a building's fire alarm system. In the event of an alarm sounding, or a power failure, the LVN20S will close its slats thanks to an electromechanically operated shutter smoke mechanism, preventing the passage of cold smoke.

Must be used with-

• Talkback damper control system
• Conductor hinges
• Cable sleeve
• Intumescent liner (44mm or 54mm depending on the door width)

All of our LVN20S Air Transfer Grilles are available to purchase in a kit.

Benefits

• Contains cold smoke and toxic gases from the source of fire
• Auto reset and fail-safe
• Safe low DC voltage
• Louvred slats for privacy
• Optional audio warning facility
• Smoke and fire tested to British Standards

How we can help

At FireSealsDirect we stock a comprehensive range of Lorient Air Transfer Grilles in a selection of sizes and for a number of applications to suit your project. We can also accommodate bespoke orders or larger quantities. 

If you are looking for any support with your project please get in touch with our team at [email protected] or call 02920 857 959 for more information.