BILCO Thermally Broken Smoke Vent

The BILCO Company has introduced a thermally broken smoke vent, adding another energy efficient product to its line of innovative specialty access products. This new product features an innovative frame and cover design to minimize heat transfer and the effects of condensation while providing superior energy efficiency.

As a basic premise to energy loss, heat by nature wants to flow to a cooler space. During summer months, heat from an extremely hot roof exterior wants to radiate through the smoke vent into the cooler building interior.

While standard smoke vent insulation helps to reduce this heat gain, the metal construction of the smoke vent itself facilitates the temperature transfer, which can lead to increased utility costs and condensation issues on the underside of the vent. In winter or colder months, this same energy transfer principle results in heat loss from inside a building as well as increased energy expenses.

BILCO’s new thermally broken smoke vent is designed with an element of low conductivity integrated between interior and exterior surfaces of the cover and frame to reduce temperature transfer. As an added benefit, these same thermally broken components dampen vibration for improved acoustic performance against outside noise.

The product features three inches of polyisocyanurate insulation with an R-value of 20+ in both the cover and curb for superior energy performance, and a special cover gasket to minimize air leakage. The product is also UL labeled to ensure reliable smoke vent operation in an emergency.

“As the construction industry places more emphasis on energy efficient products and sustainable systems, BILCO felt it was critical to add a thermally broken smoke vent to our product line,’’ BILCO Director of Sales & Marketing Steve Weyel said. “This product complements our thermally broken roof hatch product line, and we are confident architects will find it an important piece in designing more energy efficient buildings.”

Automatic smoke vents protect property and assist firefighters in bringing a fire under control by removing smoke, heat, and gases from a burning building. Smoke vents are activated upon the melting of a fusible link and are ideally suited for large expanses of unobstructed space such as factories, warehouses, and retail facilities. For complete information on BILCO’s products, visit www.bilco.com.