Wall penetrations in HVAC closet with one 1 HR rated firewall (fire wall)

[jmathi]

This is a great forum!

I have a work situation where I am pulling data cables in an existing office space. The current data closet is in the HVAC room which has one wall--the one that backs up to the main hall of the building--that is a 1 HR rated fire wall. The rest of the walls do not have any fire wall ratings posted on them. However, every existing penetration into the HVAC room other than some old data cables is sealed with fire stop caulk, even ones NOT through the fire wall.

My question is this--is everyone being overly cautious or is it actually code that penetrations through unmarked walls into a room with only one fire wall must be fire stopped?

This is in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Thanks in advance!

 

[jknichols]

I'm going to go with an overly cautious AHJ, not actually in the written code but still within his authority to require.

Kind of like the local Fire Marshal who required all paint in my community theater's scene shop to be stored in a fire resistant metal cabinet even though it was all latex paint. Of course if there were a fire, I wouldn't want to be the fireman seeing them in a smoke filled room worrying if they might be oil-based getting ready to explode.

 

[jmathi]

JK,

Thanks for your response. So the axiom "better safe than sorry" seems to apply.

Joe