A gas fire suppression system is a term used to describe the use of inert gases and chemical agents to extinguish a fire. Gas suppression systems are also known as agent or clean agent fire suppression systems. These systems usually consist of the gas or agent, agent storage containers, agent release valves, fire detectors, fire detection control panel, agent delivery piping and agent dispersing nozzles.
There are two methods for dispersing an extinguishing agent: total flooding and local application. For a data center or other critical environment, total flooding is the recommended method. The total flooding method disperses and extinguishing agent into an enclosed space in order to achieve a concentration of the agent adequate to extinguish the fire.
These types of systems may be operated automatically by detection and related controls or manually by the operation of a system actuator. With fire suppression agents, fires can be extinguished within seconds by eliminating heat and/or oxygen from the environment thus starving the fire. Agents allow for the least amount of downtime and minimal, if any, damage to critical data center and infrastructure equipment.
The most popular clean agents include HFC-227 (FM-200) and HFC-125 (ECARO-25). DP Air recommends these clean agents for critical environments because they leave no oily or water residue and cause the least amount of damage. A clean agent fire suppression system should be used in conjunction with a Pre-Action Fire Suppression System.
In most cases, a commercial facility is required to have a fire sprinkler system in all areas by code, even if you have an agent system in place. So you do not have the option of not having a sprinkler system of some type and a pre-action system is a better option than a wet system. If there were no code requirement for a sprinkler system, it is still recommended to have the pre-action system as a backup system in the event that the agent system does not extinguish the fire completely or if another fire flares up after the agent system has discharged and dispersed. The clean agent fire suppression system is a one-shot system. The pre-action sprinkler system would continue to douse a fire until it is extinguished.
To find out more about gaseous agents, contact DP Air today to speak with a specialist and schedule a consultation.