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Plenumspace
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Verticalsectionthroughacommercialbuildingwithouta
plenumairspace.Whenboththesupplyandreturnductsare
constructedinthismanner,itispossibletoinsulatetheducts
andthedroppedceilingsothattheupperairspaceisnot
heatedorcooled,increasingenergyefficiency.
Acommercialbuildingwithaplenumairspace.
Aplenumcreatedbyaccidentcangounnoticedand
becomeafirehazard,duetocablinginstalledunderthe
assumptionthatthiswillalwaysbeanonplenumairspace.
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia
NottobeconfusedwithPlenumchamber.
Thisarticledoesnotciteanyreferencesorsources.Pleasehelpimprovethis
articlebyaddingcitationstoreliablesources.Unsourcedmaterialmaybechallenged
andremoved.(February2012)
Aplenumspaceisapartofabuildingthatcanfacilitateair
circulationforheatingandairconditioningsystems,byproviding
pathwaysforeitherheated/conditionedorreturnairflows,usually
atgreaterthanatmosphericpressure.Spacebetweenthe
structuralfloorandthedroppedceilingorunderaraisedflooris
typicallyconsideredplenumhowever,somedropceilingdesigns
createatightsealthatdoesnotallowforairflowandthereforemay
notbeconsideredaplenumairhandlingspace.
Purpose [edit]
Thecavity/plenumspaceistypicallyusedtohousethe
communicationcablesforthebuilding'scomputerandtelephone
networkhowever,ithasbeenproposedthatthegrowing
abandonmentofcableinplenumspacesmayposeaserious
hazardintheeventofafire,asoncethefirereachestheplenum
spacetheairflowpresentinthespacesuppliesfreshoxygentothe
flameandmakesitgrowmuchstrongerthanitwouldhave
otherwisebeen.
RecenttestingbyASHRAEhasshownthat,whileflamespreadis
limitedbyaccumulatedcablebundles,otherstructuralconcerns
maystillexistduetoincreasedloadonsuspendedcomponents.
Asplenumspacesarerestrictedfromuseasareasforstorage,
theprinciplebehindremovalofabandonedcableisthatregulated
removalpreventstheuseofplenumspacesasastorageareafor
abandonedcable.Inaddition,nohighvoltagepoweredequipment
isallowedintheplenumspacebecausepresenceoffreshaircan
greatlyincreasedangerofrapidflamespreadingshouldthe
equipmentcatchonfire.
Notethatdiligenceisrequiredtomakesurethatanonplenum
airspacestaysthatway.Anonplenumairspacecanbecomea
plenumairspacebyaccidentiftheductworkisdisconnectedand
notproperlyrepairedandresealed.Ductworkdisconnectioncan
occurduetobuildingdamagesuchasearthquakes,aging,or
adverseenvironmentcausingthemetaltocorrodeandfallapart,
orsimplynegligenceonthepartofbuildingcontractorsthatleave
workunfinished.Inallsuchcases,discovery,andrepairofsuch
problemstoeliminateunintendedplenumsisdifficultduetothe
hiddennature,limitedspace,anddifficultaccessofmostinstalled
dropceilings.Forhighestfiresafety,itisbesttoassumealldropceilingairspacesareplenums,whetherornottheyare
officiallydesignatedasone.
References [edit]
Categories: Heating,ventilating,andairconditioning
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