Fire code and Electrical

In this area we're going to cover the issues related to the garage area where the Central Vac Tank typically goes.

The electrical requirement for most of the CV tanks is 120 volt with a 20 amp breaker. You may not have a dedicated 20 amp breaker available for the CV tank If your installing into an existing structure (retrofit), and that's OK, As long as the CV tank is not competing with another large appliance. If you run an extension cord to the CV, just use a good 14 gauge cord that is just long enough to reach. I would not use a long or a cheap cord. That's about it for the electrical garage requirements.

The Fire code is also pretty simple but needs to be done right. You don't want not right.

As you may know there is a required "one hour" fire barrier that must separate the garage area from the house proper. This is a universal rule that applies to all new construction and remodels. The PVC pipe the is used through out the house that is the CV plumbing will ultimately need to pass through the "firewall" to the CV tank. There is two ways to pass through while keeping the one hour fire rating intact. The first way is simply to covert the PVC to metal then pass through. The second way is to run the PVC through the firewall and then use a "plastic pipe barrier" like the ones made be the 3M company that are designed to satisfy the on hour rating. The 3M product is designed to crunch and seal the PVC pipe when it gets hot like in a fire. It will seal the pass through and keeping the fire barrier just that. I had a building inspector actually have me to convert my typical metal pass through in favor of this plastic pass through arrangement.

The best way to keep your fire barrier intact is the metal pass through way. The metal pass through is the way I will go unless I'm told otherwise. Some inspectors have there own interpretation of there own local code. My recommendation? Continue the metal pipe a few feet into the garage and then it's ok to convert back to the PVC to the CV tank. Some inspectors will insist that all the piping in the garage be metal to the CV tank. I think the all metal way is overkill and over the top. If the metal is what you  or your inspector want then that's what we will do. I charge extra for the metal pipe and installing it at a per ft rate(see the price sheet). Also these rules and ways apply to the exhaust run as well. The exhaust run is optional at your preference.

The pass through hole/pipe need to be trimmed out so there is no clearance. I use a metal trim ring/plate that I make myself out of sheet metal.

Another fire barrier issue is the "in garage inlet". Generally the only instance when you would want an inlet installed into the wall of the garage is when the CV tank is going to be put somewhere other than the garage. Usually the inlet for the garage will be surface mounted with the tank on the wall and not built into the wall. If the inlet is to be built into the wall then in must have a special inlet bracket for in the wall and a metal inlet face plate/door.

It would be helpful if you could review with your inspector before the CV installation starts.