The safety and efficiency of our sound masking equipment takes top priority, which is why our SMS-SURF4 loudspeaker is now available with a Chicago Plenum option to meet City of Chicago Environmental Air (CCEA) regulations. The SMS-SURF4 is a compact sound masking and paging loudspeaker designed for surface-mounted applications on ceiling tiles or drywall ceilings. It can be powered by a constant voltage amplifier unit of 25 or 70 Volts and several speaker units can be daisy chained together for greater sound masking coverage.
Like all other sound masking speaker models part of our SmartSMS-NET product line, the SMS-SURF4 loudspeaker was already suitable for use in air-handling spaces by meeting UL 2043 Standard (Fire Test for Heat and Visible Smoke Release for Discrete Products and Their Accessories Installed in Air-Handling Spaces). Meanwhile, it has been slightly modified to ensure that it also fully meets the City of Chicago’s stricter electrical safety requirements and can be installed in any region where building code requires that electrical wires are run through metal conduit.
Accomodating CCEA Approved Sealtite Connectors
Chicago Plenum requires that any fixture installed in an air-handling plenum space be properly sealed to enclose the junction box or wireway in its entirety to prevent sparking, fire, or other hazardous situations. We’ve therefore redesigned the SMS-SURF4 speaker’s connecting plate to be fitted with CCEA approved one-piece Sealtite connectors. That way, all speaker cables running up to the deck remain completely sealed off and gasketed from the plenum air space.
Moreover, since the Chicago Electrical Code also provides that any electrical fitting that is not one piece in construction, must be disassembled on sight, and then reassembled, using a one-piece Sealtite connector ensures faster, simpler and safer installations with no lost or misaligned parts.
Running Speaker Cables in Compliance with the City of Chicago Electrical Code
Through the Sealtite connector, the SMS-SURF4 speaker cables running up to the deck can be safely contained within Flexible Metal Tubing (FMT) listed for use in plenums and other air handling spaces, in compliance with the City of Chicago Electrical Code. Where it reaches the loudspeaker back enclosure, the specialized metal conduit terminates in the one-piece Sealtite connector fitted with a rubberized polymer gasket, providing the smoke-tight seal required by the National Electrical Code (NEC).
An additional number of our sound masking loudspeakers will soon be manufactured in accordance with CCEA’s requirements for use in ducts, plenums and other air-handling spaces. Stay informed and up-to-date on all of our announcements regarding innovations in sound masking by visiting our latest news section.
CCEA Approved Sound Masking Speakers Available Now
- SMS-STR open structure speakers – Learn more
- SMS-SURF4 flush-mounted ceiling speakers
