Vent Certification
Embers Out Set New Industry Standards For All Soffit and Foundation Vents.
Our gable, soffit, and foundation vents and filters now meet California building code SFM12-706A.2.1 and are ASTM E2886/E2886M-14 certified!
Embers Out has set new standards for the Soffit and Foundation vents.
Embers Out has successfully completed testing to ASTM E2886 / E2886M-14. Embers Out Elite Gable Vents are approved and listed by the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection through the Office of the State Fire Marshal Fire Engineering - Building Materials Listing Program.
Our Gable, Soffit, and Foundation Vents meet California building code SFM12-706A.2.1 and are ASTM E2886/E2886M-14 certified.
All Ember Out products are compliant with CalFire BML Chapter 706A.2.1
NO ONE ELSE HAS MATCHED THIS PERFORMANCE!
Vent Testing
We successfully passed 18 CONSECUTIVE 10 MINUTE TESTS WITHOUT A FAILURE. The vents tested were our LARGEST (EOSF1590N69-1S (largest)). AND SMALLEST (EOSF1355N32-1S (smallest)) Embers Out vents. Note that we have larger vents than these but the testing chamber was not big enough to accommodate these larger sizes.
Testing spanned three days of various DIRECT FLAME IMPINGEMENTS.
Each test lasted ten minutes and involved:
1. Horizontal position
2. Vertical position
3. Horizontal ember penetration
The flame measured SIX FEET in height when not engaged with the vents
In all scenarios the Embers Out products did not fail and stopped all embers, sparks, and flames!
Embers Out Elite Gable Vents are approved and listed by the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection through the Office of the State Fire Marshal Fire Engineering - Building Materials Listing Program. The Gable, Soffit, and Foundation Vents meet California building code SFM12-706A.2.1 and are ASTM E2886/E2886M-14 certified. All Ember Out products are compliant with CalFire BML Chapter 706A.2.1 Ember Out Filters are designed to meet these same building specifications.
In July 2014 the ASTM Fire Standards Committee approved standards for ember and direct flame impingement of exterior vents. In July 2014 the ASTM Fire Standards Committee approved standards for ember and direct flame impingement of exterior vents.
Listing 8165-2214:0100
“Embers from wildfires, not the flames from the main body of the wildfire, are the main threat that homes must resist,” says ASTM member Stephen Quarles, senior scientist, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. “ASTM E2886 will help users discriminate between the ember and flame resistance performance of vents.”
ASTM-E2886/E2886M-14 Ember Penetration Test Results*
The ASTM-E2886/E2886M-14 ember test is conducted by dropping embers created in a rotating circular drum suspended only ~18 inches from a horizontally mounted Elite Vent. In addition, the air was drawn through the testing chamber from below at a rate of 2 mph. The embers rained down on the Elite Vent for 7 to 8 minutes to see if the cotton material below the vent would singe, or worse, ignite. At no time did even one hot burning or cold ember penetrate the Elite Vent and the test was repeated three times with the same results. 100% of all hot, burning, destructive embers were blocked. Embers Out Elite Vents not only passed the ember intrusion portion of the ASTM-E2886/E2886M-14 test but is the only vent to date with absolutely NO ember penetration at all.
ASTM-E2886/E2886M-14 Direct Flame Impingement Test Results
The ASTM-E2886/E2886M-14 direct flame impingement test is conducted by exposing the Elite Vent to direct flames and a heat output of 300 kW for 10 minutes.
At three different intervals (30s, 5m, and 9m 30s) a target cotton pad was placed next to the interior side of the vent to see if the vent allows heat to transfer through that would cause the cotton to ignite.
The test was repeated three times, and in all three tests NO IGNITION of the multiple cotton targets was observed!
The ASTM-E2886/E2886M test was performed by Western Fire Center, Inc. (WFCi); Report #15057 & 15125. WFCi is an accredited laboratory (TL-180) under the International Accreditation Service (IAS). This accreditation encompasses the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025 and relevant requirements of the ISO 9000 series of standards.
Traditional Louvered Vents Provide NO Protection!
Traditional Louver Style Vents, which are installed in the vast majority of homes, did not stop fire embers or wind-driven rain intrusion. In fact, severe ember and water penetration occurred at winds as low as 20 miles per hour. Since wildfires can create their own weather pattern with winds speeds up to 10 times faster than the ambient wind and a tropical storm averages 39–73 miles per hour, louver vents provide no protection from these common events!
Ember Penetration Test Result with Traditional Louvered Vent
NOTE, these are not test results of EO Vents, but rather traditional vents installed on millions of homes today.
A test wall was mounted in a vertical position on an elevated platform with two standard louvered attic vents mounted with the vents' exterior side facing a flame. Burning embers were then generated and blown at the exterior side of the wall at an average wind speed of 20 mph for 7 minutes. The interior sides of the attic vents were continuously observed for the 7 minute period and any burning embers passing through the vents noted. At the end of the test the standard louvered attic vents were seen to have severe ember penetration through the vents and the embers remained lit after exiting the vents.
Water Penetration Test Results with Traditional Louvered Vent
NOTE, these are not test results of Embers Out Vents, but rather traditional vents installed on millions of homes today.
A test wall was mounted in a vertical position on an elevated platform with two standard louvered attic vents mounted with the vents' exterior side facing the water spray. Water was then blown into the attic vents at an average spray rate of 4 gallons per hour per square foot along with an average wind speed of 20 mph. The water spray and wind speed was maintained for a period of 15 minutes during which time the interior sides of the attic vents were observed for water penetration. During the test substantial water penetration was observed through the standard louvered attic vents.
*The Elite Vent passed the ASTM-E2886 / E2886M-14 ember test with 100% of hot and cold embers unable to penetrate the vent. In addition, the Elite Stainless Steel Vent was exposed to direct flames and passed the fire impingement portion of the ASTM International Standard Test Method for Evaluating the Ability of Exterior Vents to Resist the Entry of Embers and Direct Flame Impingement: ASTM-E2886 / E2886M-14 Testing.