Fire Suppression

Buyers’ Guide
Need a fire suppression system to protect your
business, people and assets?

47 critical things you must know about fire

suppression systems in order to avoid expensive
mistakes and ensure your business, people and assets
protected correctly!
Welcome to this essential guide
Thank you for downloading this essential guide to fire suppression systems. We know from our experience
how choosing the correct fire suppression system for your organisation can be a bit of a minefield, from
assessing why you need one, to which type of system is required and choosing a reliable company to fit it.
But with the right guidance, coupled with a reliable competent company that provides excellent service,
the whole process can be made a lot easier and less time consuming than you think.

Which is exactly why we created this FREE guide.

The guide will give you the best advice and help
you to gain the essential knowledge required in
order to choose the right system and company.
This will help you avoid any expensive mistakes,
saving you time and money which you can spend
on your own business.
At Assured Fire and Security we want to make sure
you can take your next steps with confidence.
That’s why our guide has been created with the
benefit of many years of experience and valuable
industry knowledge and it only contains factual
information so you can make your own
independent informed choice and avoid those costly mistakes.
And of course should you have any further questions, or require specific guidance in any area of fire safety or
security please call our friendly team on 0845 402 3045 or email us at info@assured-ltd.co.uk and we will be
happy to help you.

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47 critical things you must know about fire suppression systems in order to avoid expensive
mistakes and ensure your business, people and assets protected correctly!

Where do I start?
So you have decided to invest in a fire suppression system to protect your business/organisation, people and
premises, but how do you know which system to choose ?
There are many systems out there, all that fit a different need. So how do you choose the right one and what
factors do you need to consider?

First of all you should ask yourself the following questions:

1. Who decided I need a fire suppression system and why?
2. Does the above person have the expertise to tell me I
need a new system?
3. Which other people do I need to inform?
4. Who in my organisation do I need to involve?
5. What type of system do I need?
6. What type of detection do I need?
7. What influences the type of system I need?
8. What British Standards and regulations do I need to
comply with?
9. How do I choose the best company?
10. What do I need to do once the system is fitted?

In this comprehensive guide we will show you:

• Basic fire safety requirements
• How to know which system you need
• How to get the correct quote
• Choosing the right company
• The importance of proving competence
• The different types of fire suppression systems available
• Different categories of fire systems
• Information on types of detection
• Requirements for sounders/means of warning of fire
• The British Standards that apply
• Handover and certification requirements
• Your responsibilities
• Maintenance information
• Warranties
• Ongoing support and lifetime usage

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1|
A fire is detected by either manual detection (break glass call
Why have a fire points) or automatic fire detection (smoke detectors, heat
suppression system? detectors or filament fracture bulbs). These detectors then
operate the main
So you have decided you need a fire suppression system to panel which in turn
protect your assets. The question is why? releases the agent.

If it is an insurance requirement then they may have specified Detection generally

the type of protection they want in place, or you and your
organisation may have concluded that you have a specific fire
risk that needs a solution that does not rely on a member of
staff to alert people and extinguish the fire.
A few points to consider:
1. Your building/risk area/asset is likely to be unprotected or
have no staff presence more during unoccupied hours than
normal working hours.
2. The type of detection available should be considered
carefully, as this is the main part of a fire suppression system.
3. Other areas of the risk should be considered, can the fire
spread to other areas away from the risk.
4. What is the potential down time of the equipment/asset if
there was a fire? Try and work this out in production hours
lost or business interruption as well as the cost of the asset.
5. What will the system need to interface with?
6. What is my organisations’ policy on agents/sustainability
that could potentially be used for suppressing the fire?
has to be double
knock (co-
incidence) to stop
the accidental
release of agent
which is usually the
costliest part of the
system. This is
nearly always the case in data/server/communication rooms
but may not be the case when protecting assets such as
machinery, for example, with heat probes.
Its important to determine exactly what you want to achieve.
In most cases the solution is down to the designer getting the
correct information from you and understanding the risk. A lot
of designs can be bespoke unless it’s a data room - then rigid
standards over and above the norm apply.
People can sometimes be ill-informed (unless a specialist fire
consultant) of the requirements, risks, considerations and
solutions available so don’t be afraid to ask the reason why a
particular solution has been specified.

7. Have you considered any clean up requirements after

discharge of the agent?

8. Will I need a spare reserve of agent should the system

trigger (down time for re-fill and re-charge can be up to 10
working days)?

9. What agent is suitable and could it cause damage - e.g.

water is not the only solution.

10. Will I need to vent the area after discharge?

11. Does the area I am protecting have good integrity – will it

retain the agent to suppress the fire?

Different Types of System

2| How do fire suppression
systems work? 3| Synthetic Gases - HFC227ea
(FM200), Novec 1230, FE13
The fire is suppressed by releasing an agent onto the risk. This
These gases are stored as a liquid, with nitrogen used to
suppresses the fire by either reducing the oxygen (inert gases,
pressurise it. When released the HFC227ea has a chemical
foam, Ansul, CO2), chemical reaction with the atmosphere
reaction with the fire and extinguishes it.
(synthetic gases - FM200 or HFC227eA) or cooling the fire
(water mist, sprinklers, CO2)

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Advantages
 Cost effective as the footprint of the cylinder is small – this is
an advantage for data centres that charge out their rack
space, and so are looking for minimal space requirements of
their data room. This enables them to gain more revenue by
having more floor space for servers. IG 55, 01 etc. do take up
more floor space but the cylinders can be put remotely from
the room.
 Stored as a liquid so takes up less space.
 Well known brand – FM200 is a brand name the agent is a
chemical called HFC227ea.
 Easy to install because the cylinder is usually in the same
room. Sometimes just a standpipe on top of the cylinder is
required.
 No reduction of oxygen so it’s safe for humans on discharge.
Disadvantages
 FM200 does not travel well (because of the pressure) or is
rarely cost effective over inert gases if it’s a large room or
the gas requires diverting to different areas/rooms.
Cylinders must be stored as close to the application as
possible.
 Some companies are saying it’s a potential future banned
gas as it’s a hydro fluoride chloride (HFC) – we have had
clients who insist on an inert gas because of this. In fact
Dupont, who manufacture FM200, are actively giving
guarantees to replace the gas (less installation) if it gets
banned in the next 20 years.
 Pipe work design has to be accurate. A slight change of pipe
run in distance or length can mean the design calculations
have to be changed and a potential major costs change.
Because of this, don’t use FM200 if you cannot guarantee
the pipe run design and installation will remain the same.
Applications
 Electrical Data Processing (EDP Areas)
 Data rooms/halls
 Switch rooms
 UPS rooms
 Communications rooms
 Substations
 Archive rooms/stores
 Some small cabinet protection
applications (with no leakage)
4| Inert Gases - IG55, IG01,
Inergen, Argonite, Pro-inert
Stored as a pressurised gas, inert gases are usually a mix of
nitrogen, argon and sometimes added Co2.
Advantages
 Travels long distances because of the high pressure.
 Easily diverted to separate rooms using diverter valves and
pilot cylinders. Large cost saving as you only need enough
gas to protect the largest room. If you are considering this
make sure you consider a quote for a replacement cylinder
bank. You have to be aware of the downtime in replacing
the gas cylinders after a discharge which is usually 5 -15
working days at Assured. Also check that it’s acceptable that
only one room can be covered at any one time with this type
of solution.
 More cost effective with larger systems.
 Environmentally friendly. Argon and Nitrogen are a natural
gases so it just gets released back into the atmosphere.
Disadvantages
 Larger pipe sizes
required along
with more pipe
work and
associated
fabrication.
 More cylinder
space required, although this can be placed a distance away
from the risk or even outdoors if protected.
 Damper relief required, because more gas is going into the
room and over pressurisation occurs.
 Media such as photos and video tape when burning can
create an oxidising effect where more oxygen is given off
from a fire. This means inert gases which reduce the oxygen
volume cannot be used as the original calculation would be
incorrect. It is not possible to calculate how much reduction
would be required, so in these circumstances synthetic gases
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 should be considered There is also a hand grenade powder bomb version, this is the
first. However other same concept as above but the fuse can also be lit by hand
solutions are possible. and the bomb thrown into the risk.

Applications There are many other designs for static systems. If this is a
requirement then we suggest further consultation is provided
 Electrical Data
to ensure the best solution if offered.
Processing (EDP areas)
 Switch/Communication Applications
Rooms
• Test Cells
 Archives/Stores • Machine Spaces
 Cabinet/Enclosure Protection • Transport

5| Rack Mounted Suppression

System – Wagner, Redatec 7| Carbon Dioxide System

This is a 1 – 3u rack mounted system that simply slots into a

rack to protect the rack cabinet. The system has a miniature Mainly used for local application or cabinet protection where
air aspirating system (highly sensitive smoke detection or room integrity cannot be guaranteed or is uneconomical. This
HSSD) and a small cylinder inside it (usually filled with FM200). is a heavier than air gas so ensure if there are any off shoot
When a fire is detected through the detection the gas is low level ducts or voids where the gas may leak to, these
discharged into the cabinet. areas are covered for warning of discharge. It’s not
uncommon for these areas to be separate or a distance away
Applications from the risk.
• EDP racks. Mechanical and electrical
heavy duty locks are
required to ensure any
person going into the risk
area has to put the system
in manual only mode or
isolate the system. This is to
avoid discharge whilst a

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person is in the room or
Static Systems area, which could be fatal.

Ideal for local application as the gas discharge can be over a

3-4 minute period and have additional discharges afterwards.
There are several types of static This avoids an initial high pressure and short blast (synthetic
system but the following are the gases - 10 seconds, inert gases - 60 seconds to propel the
most common. whole amount) which could potentially blow the enclosure
apart and enables a longer discharge to avoid issues with gas
Automatic Fire Extinguisher - A
leaking from holes/gaps in the cabinet.
cylinder which hangs upside down
in the room at high level. The valve Advantages
has a heat fracture bulb (same as a
 Ideal for open areas with no or low room integrity. Heavy
sprinkler) which when triggered
gas permeates lots of areas so ideal for printing machines
releases the agent in the room.
and other machinery.
This is usually powder as it covers
all fire types (ABC). In layman’s terms it’s an extinguisher that  Economical and can be used in large areas.
hangs upside down with a sprinkler head attached to it.
 No major effect on pipe work design or size.
Powder bomb – a package that’s left on the floor, shelf or in
the risk. It has a fuse so if there is a fire the fuse is ignited and
the agent explodes, releasing the powder over a large area.

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Disadvantages
 Can quickly cause
asphyxiation.
 Locking devices
may be required
on all entry and
exit doors to
protect staff.
 Bad press – some systems have caused death so are being
replaced by inert gases. Some people are nervous about the
health and safety aspects of using this gas, but when
designed properly it presents minimal risk.
 Though CO2 is a non-toxic gas, it does have an occupational
exposure limit assigned to it under the Control of
Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH).
Applications
 Machine Spaces
 Switch Rooms
 Transportation
 Cabinets
 Generators (local application)
 Fryers and Ovens (local application)
8| Water Mist System
Water mist systems are becoming more commonly used to
replace sprinklers in big data rooms, other large areas and
local applications.
These systems can be used for flammable liquids and
electrical rooms – the mist evaporates and causes mainly a
starving of oxygen effect rather than cooling . NOTE – it’s a
common misconception that this happens for all water-mist
systems BUT the fire needs to be at a high temperature for
the mist to evaporate and reduce oxygen. If the fire is not hot
enough it would be suppressed but by cooling, hence
possibly causing damage.
Open head – a nozzle which simply propels the water out.
This is usually triggered by automatic fire detection (AFD).
Closed head – has a heat fractured bulb which when
fractured acts like a valve and releases the water, just like a
sprinkler.
Cylinder systems – usually applied for smaller risks, the
cylinders (a mix of water and nitrogen) are placed in or near
the room and small pipe work is then run to the nozzle
position.
Tank/pump systems – usually used in larger systems. These
systems work in a similar way to a sprinkler system where a
large amount of water is supplied by the in-house water
supply. It has to have surplus spare and be able to be re-filled
within a certain period. Tank and pumps must comply to BS/
EN 12845.
The pumps may also need a high voltage supply with a back
up or Uninterrupted
Power Supply (UPS),
possibly even a
generator.
Valves – these act as
taps and let the
water flow to the
particular areas of
cover.
Advantages
 Doesn’t require automatic detection as the heat fracture
bulbs (frangible bulb) can be used to detect a fire.
 Agent is cheap or free so it’s not expensive to cover a large
area, and it’s also quick and easy to replace after discharge.
 No mess and flooding – when compared to chemical
kitchen fire suppression and sprinklers.
 No large water storage or pump power requirements –
when compared to sprinklers that need large pumps
(sometimes with back up) and tank reservoirs.
 No large amounts of pipework infrastructure required when
compared to sprinklers for large sites. Local application
cylinder based systems can be used on a large site rather
than installing a large network to deliver water to all areas.
 Rapid cooling below re-ignition temperatures.
 Small pipe gauge – easier to install.
 Can be triggered by any normal fire suppression system or
detection, giving greater flexibility over sprinklers.
 Can be triggered in separate zones by the related detection
and valve in that area.
 Can be released manually from break glass call points –
sprinklers cannot.
 Can be used for kitchen fire suppression
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Disadvantages

 No British Standards apply and there are few

manufacturers and distributors. (NOTE - a draft
development was introduced in late 2011.)

 Still not widely recognised as an alternative to sprinkler and

gas.

 Could cause water damage if triggered falsely.

 Pump systems (not cylinder) may need a high voltage

power supply and back up which can add to the cost.

Applications Applications
 Machine Spaces  Machine Spaces
 Electronic Data Processing (EDP)  Tunnels
 Cabinets & Generators (Local Application)  Switch rooms
 Fryers & Ovens  Transportation
 Test Cells/Facilities  Generators (Local app)
 Archives  Fuel Stores
 Spray Booths  Aircraft Hangars
 Storage silos

9| Foam Deluge Systems  Machines/process that are outdoors

Mainly used on large applications where water or gas cannot

be used. These tend to be external such as transformers, oil
10| Reacton Tube

tanks and oil storage silo’s. A very simple, cost effective and
A simple sprinkler open deluge type application with the easy to install solution, this is entry
heads (usually open) spread around the risk, a foam level equipment for fire
concentrate is mixed with the water to provide the typical suppression.
expanding agent (the same as with extinguishers). Basically an extinguisher with a
Will need a large amount of fabrication work to support the valve and a length of reacton tube
pipe work, valves and heads to and around the risk. which acts as the detection and
propellant feed for the agent to be
Advantages
used.
 Good for external areas. When a flame or temperature
 Covers large areas. reaches a certain level around the pipe it blows a hole in the
pipe (a very small pressurised hole) which then propels the
 Protects flammables liquids – airports, aircraft hangers, oil
agent directly onto the risk.
storage.
Ideal for boats, vehicles, small machinery, electrical switch
Disadvantages
cabinets, fume cupboards and areas with no room integrity.
 Wet agent so electrical risk needs to be considered.
Advantages
 Messy – clean up required.
 Small amount of agent required as it’s assumed it will
 Same disadvantages as sprinklers for water and pump attack the fire at smouldering stage or at the beginning of a
supplies, although because of the expanding effects of foam fire.
this sometimes means not as much water is required.
 No moving or electrical parts – low install cost and low
maintenance cost.

 No room integrity required.

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 Can install in small intricate areas such as machinery. and back to a fire extinguisher panel. The detection and most
equipment in this area needs to be stainless steel to avoid
 Can use many gases – HDC 227 ea, Co2, IG55.
corrosion and the damage/effects of heat.
 Cost effective all round - small amount of agent required,
The agent is usually situated near the risk in a box. This is
no pipe work, special design.
basically a large fire extinguisher. Pipework from the nozzles
 Can be operated from AFD – this would operate a valve terminate at this point and a valve operates the release.
with a nozzle. Once the system is triggered the agent is propelled from this
valve/cylinder to the nozzles.
 Mobile – can take out and install elsewhere.
The agent is a water-based chemical which acts like a foam
Disadvantages
extinguisher. This is to ensure any flammable liquids are
 Cannot guarantee it will work if the fire is large. covered by the foam to avoid a boil over from any oven/fryer
 No standards to design/install to. that may be still switched on, and stops the oil from re-
igniting.
 Not a high spec solution.
Watermist systems can be used for kitchens and can be a
 Difficult to cover large area (high ceilings, rooms). more cost-effective solution to Ansul systems and other
 Large bend radius in pipework. water chemical systems. However, careful design is needed
and approval from insurers.
Applications
It’s important to remember that
 Machine Spaces
unapproved companies cannot
 Boats, lorries, cars
install or even source Ansul fire
 Switch rooms
suppression equipment, so you must ensure the company
 Transportation
you deal with are fully approved. Ansul are also now
 Cabinets (Local app) employing inspectors to perform random audits of Ansul
system installations to ensure specifications are met and they

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are only approving the most credible and reliable companies
Kitchen Fire Suppression - as designers and installers.
Chemical foam (Ansul,
Amerex etc.)
This is being specified more by insurance companies as they
recognise that a kitchen in a building is one of the major risks
of a fire/disaster and a potential large claim.

Flammable liquids, gases, food, oil and ignition sources are a

major concern for insurance companies, and owners of
hotels and restaurants are now recognising this risk.

This system sometimes needs interfacing with duct work

dampers to stop the fire spreading through the building.
Advantages
Nozzles placed under the
 Easy to use.
cooker canopies and
over each risk propel a  No damage.
water-based agent with  No electronics/electrical work on most systems.
a chemical foam type
mix over the risk. This is  No large cylinder storage requirements – goes next to risk
usually triggered by a in a box
heat link (a thermal link Disadvantages
fixed to a wire which
 Usually has to be installed late at night when kitchens not
breaks and then releases
working – some kitchens take hours to cool down.
the valve) or a manual pull switch.
 Need to fit install round kitchen staff.
Other systems are triggered from automatic fire detection

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 Expensive compared to water mist.
 Can be messy and take longer to clean up compared to
water mist systems.
 Have to use stainless steel pipe-work and fittings.
 No British Standards to work to.
Applications
 Fryers and Ovens, grease making appliances (Local app)
12| Detection and Design
The main consideration is the correct type of detection.
Obviously the sooner the fire is detected the less damage is
done BUT this has to be offset against false alarms as a false
alarm can be very costly both in gas and down-time.
Most fire suppression systems will have a co-incidence or
double-knock detection arrangement. This is where two
different detectors need to be triggered to release the
suppression agent.
13| Smoke Detection
When using smoke detection it’s usually a good idea to have
a double-knock design as more false alarms from dust,
condensation, water, steam and smoke can happen with
smoke detection than any other Automatic Fire Detection
(AFD).
Smoke detection for data centres – 2 x Optical detectors is
the equivalent to one optical smoke on normal fire alarm
design. This is because you need one of each technology and
the standards for server rooms require more detection than
standard areas.
This is per void or area so you will have to do this in any
equivalent sized void areas to the above.
Each zone should have a minimum of one ionisation and one
optical detector to pick up both particle and clean burning
fires. Contrary to popular belief, two optical detectors on
separate zones can trigger a double-knock. The reason for
different technologies is for the reason above, not for false
alarm reasons. Zones should not be wired all optical or all
ionisation as you may then never trigger the 2nd knock.
This means for any system (not just data rooms) that 4
detectors would be the equivalent of 1 on a normal system.
Optical smoke detectors
Commonly used in areas where a fire may
occur from combustible materials such as
paper, wood and textiles. Applications - most
circulation areas such as corridors, escape
routes, standard rooms in most buildings.
14| Heat Detection
Heat detectors - fixed temperature
Used where a smoke detector cannot be
used because of false alarm problems such as
smoke, condensation or dust. This would be
in areas like kitchens or boiler rooms which
have fluctuations in temperatures.
Heat detectors - rate of rise
These detectors work by sensing a sharp rising
change in temperature and are not to be used
in a kitchen or boiler room where the
temperature can rise and fall quite rapidly.
The ideal place would be a garage where fumes restrict use of
smoke detectors, or a dusty environment.
15| Multi-Sensors
These are detectors with both smoke and
heat elements and can be used with a
number of different combinations. Either
a mixture of smoke and heat is required
to trigger the detectors or they may be
timed to operate heat in the day and
smoke at night. They are mainly used for
bespoke applications where a particular fire risk or false
alarm needs to be considered and therefore the appropriate
setting applied.
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16|
This is because there is almost definitely a problem if the
CO Detectors equipment has reached this temperature.

These detectors pick up the carbon

monoxide given off from a fire at the
19| Flame Detectors

smouldering or red ember stage of a fire.

These detectors can be used where it’s
impractical to use a smoke detector but a
heat detector is not appropriate They are
best used to detect a fire at an early smouldering stage such as
deep seated fires in sawdust or flour mills. However these
detectors should not be confused with domestic type CO
detectors used to pick up carbon monoxide poisoning. They
also should not be used to replace smoke detectors as they
are not as effective and should only be used as part of a fire
safety solution.
Utilised in any area where a sudden flash
of heat / flame may occur and the need to
detect this immediately is of paramount
importance. Applications - oil stores,
aircraft hangers, fuel depots, filling
stations, sugar, flour, cement factories or any industry with an
explosive atmosphere.

20| Beam Detectors

17| Air Aspirating or High

Sensitivity
Smoke Detection (HSSD)
Working on a similar basis to optical
smoke detectors, these detectors are
highly sensitive and pick up very small
amounts of smoke. The detection is
delivered by way of a plastic tube running installation time. Applications - warehouses, atriums, areas
along the area to be protected. Air is sucked through small
holes in parts of the tube and is then analysed back at the
main detector. Typical applications may be server rooms,
voids, atriums, museums, art galleries and places with high
value stock or high value equipment.
Used in buildings with high ceilings such as
warehouses. Rather than one point of
detection spread throughout the
protected areas as with smoke detectors,
these detectors spread a beam from one
end of the building to another (from 10 -
100 metres). They will sense smoke at
higher levels than a standard detector and can save money on
where a smoke detector cannot be reached, high level ceilings.
21| Video Fire Detection

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By using standard CCTV video cameras the
Heat Probes picture is analysed back at a main
computer and certain patterns are
monitored to detect the visual image of
smoke and Infra-Red radiation from heat.
Usually used in ovens or high
Applications - tunnels, airports, aircraft
temperature risks, in machines or other
hangers, fuel depots, external areas which
manufacturing such as paint spray booths
require monitoring such as airstrips or lorry parks.
or printing machines where smoke
detection cannot be used.

The highest operating temperature must be given by the

customer and the probe must operate at a minimum of 5
degrees centigrade above this temperature.
22| Linear Heat Cable

Double-knock design can be used but usually it’s on one

trigger with an agreed time frame countdown to discharge. This is a special cable spanning the area to be protected. Once
the ambient temperature rises above a certain level the wire’s

11
 resistance value changes or short circuits
and provides an alarm. Applications - car
parks, plant and machinery such as
conveyor belts, tunnels.
23| Spark Detectors
Usually used in machinery or duct work
where a spark has to be detected before it
causes a fire.
24|
Thermal Link Wire
This is a small thermal link that melts
when the desired temperature is reached.
This then releases a wire which in turn
triggers the system. Useful for intrinsically
safe or explosive areas where a voltage or
current cannot be present. It’s also useful
for cooker hood and canopies where food fats or debris may
congregate – used on kitchen suppression systems in cooker
hoods or machine space canopies and spray booths.
25| Remote Indicators
These have to be included where there is any
detection in a void or inaccessible room.
26| Gas Extinguisher Panel
Operate similar to a normal fire panel but
has more inputs and outputs for zones,
sounders, interfacing etc. There is also more
be sited at each fire door.
programming options to enable the panel to
operate in different ways.
It’s not common to need more than four areas and there isn’t
a panel currently on the market that provides this option. If
you need more than four areas for an addressable system, a
mixture of co-incidence panels and normal addressable panels
with relay cards is required (design advice is needed for this).
27| Multi-Area Panels
If you have to cover more than one area
then multi-area panels may be a solution. If
the rooms are all fairly close by then this
should be more cost effective than using
several single area panels.
A status indicator will be required for all
rooms being covered and these usually need wiring in 4 core
(24v and data) so you need to add this cost in to determine if
it is a cost effective solution. You also need to consider the
local interfacing.
It’s not common to need more than four areas and there isn’t
a panel currently on the market that provides this option. If
you need more than four areas for an addressable system, a
mixture of co-incidence panels and normal addressable panels
with relay cards is required (design advice is needed for this).
28| Status Indicator Units
These units state by a visual indicator what
status the main extinguisher panel is in.
Usually sited above each door where there is
no panel.
29| Hold Off Buttons
A momentary switch that holds the gas
discharge off. This only works whilst
someone has their finger on the button. The
panel counter is reset and starts counting
again when the button is released – should
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30| Manual Release
34| Valves

To be sited at all fire doors unless the Acts like a tap to allow agent to flow to
system has a panel or status indictor with specific zones or areas.
a manual release button on the front. This
automatically releases the gas after a set
time. On most systems this will mean

35|
going straight to stage 2.
Solenoid Switches

31| Sounders and Beacons

Sited on top of the cylinder, this acts as an electrical switch
which opens the valve to release the agent.

Both audible and visual warning is

36|
required. The panel will give audible tone
on 1st stage, another tone and flashing Pressure Switch
beacon on 2nd stage then a higher more
urgent tone on gas released.

Because visual warning is required it is important to consider Usually in the same area as the solenoid switch, this sends a
siting of sounders at closer ranges than fire systems as the signal back to the panel to notify it of full pressure loss i.e. gas
beacon has to be seen and high background noises can be released or discharged.
prevalent.

32| Outputs 37| Low Pressure Switch

Not commonly used, this is a series of wires that link all

There are more outputs on a fire cylinders to monitor for low pressure (slight leakage).
suppression panel as more interfacing is
usually required. There will be ‘fire’, ‘fault’,

38|
‘1st stage’, ‘2nd stage’ and ‘gas released’ as
a minimum but there may also be others to
Data Centres
mimic various inputs (low pressure etc).

When considering the design of

33| Manual Release on

Cylinder
detection for a data centre there
are a few important factors to
consider to ensure the
A manual lever that mechanically operates the suppression system operates as
gas on the cylinder – it is Assured policy only to you expect it to.
fit these if the cylinder is outside the risk,  Is there going to be a
otherwise they will need a blanking plate from dynamic air flow through
some gas suppliers. the room and if so do you
know the air flow speed?

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 39|
 If so do you need to consider an early warning air
aspirating system on the air grilles to shut down your
Room Integrity
air handling units thus enabling the fire suppression to
operate effectively?

 The air from the air handling units gets dragged from Room integrity is a major
the cold aisle and circulates. The air aspirating system consideration for all
then picks up any air extracted through it – this only gaseous fire suppression
works for systems where the air is circulated from the systems that cover a room
within the room and the air conditioning has to stay on or area and it is imperative
during evacuation. that this is looked at the
very beginning.
 If air is circulated from outside then the air conditioning
has to be switched off because the gas is then extracted Some of the potential
from the cold aisle and sent outside. areas that cause leakage
are penetrations through
Cold and hot aisles
walls, open ducts and duct work without dampers. These need
These are like separate rooms in each server cabinet aisle to be sealed and this is usually not carried out by the company
which are manufactured for energy efficiency reasons - to installing the suppression system.
save power on cooling and operation of the servers.
Small structural cracks/holes, especially under the floor and
This can cause a major re-design as it causes a separate room above ceiling, should be checked. It’s usually where cabling or
within a room to be covered for both detection, warning and other utility service penetrate walls that cause issues.
gas/nozzles.
Check all barriers at high and low levels.

Sealing a room can sometimes be near impossible or very

expensive. This is where you need to design/offer different
systems based on the risk and feasibility of the proposed
solution.

There is always a cheaper alternative if price is an issue for a

total flood system. Local application can then be used
(reacton, Wagner) but it must be stressed that this will only
protect the local area not the whole room.

Specialist building services can be required in order to seal a

room properly. If there is a lot of glazing this can cause an
Assured tend to install a nozzle in each cold aisle along with issue.
two optical detectors on separate zones backed up with an air
aspirating system which covers the air handling units.

Separate sounder and sounder beacons should be considered

within the cold aisle as the air flow ambient noise level can be
higher than the required 65dBA.
40| Considerations

Additional fire alarm sounders and detection may be required

All engineers for both maintenance and installation should be
depending on the design and connection from the main fire
F- gas approved – this is a legal obligation for all installation
suppression system (what if the suppression system does not
and maintenance companies and you should ask to see your
go off but the main fire alarm does?)
contractor’s certification.
The system is designed to signal to the main fire alarm system
Third party plant shutdown operations are important to
(optional) but not receive signals from it. So if the suppression
clarify. Below is a small example of what you may need to shut
system activates it shall send the house alarm into pre-alarm
down on activation of the suppression system:
(optional it can be configured for full evacuation) and if the
house alarm activates it has not effect on the suppression • Heating and vent
system at all. The suppression system shall only activate from
• Air conditioning
its own system detection.

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• Fuel to machinery 14% as this is when a fire cannot burn, but a human can
breathe. A human cannot survive if the oxygen levels drop
• Power/fuel for ovens or
below 11%.
machines or servers

• BMS system

• Dampers for ducting

Class A hazards – there are higher class A hazards and lower

class A hazards. Ensure the correct category has been
specified.
Higher class A – high voltage cabling, data cabling, high risk
combustibles, oil etc
Lower class A – paper, wood, low voltage cables
Is your building/wall of sound structure to cope with the
pressurisation of room from gas? - the Pascal rating of the wall to your organisation.
and pressure vent should be compatible.
41| Choosing the right
install company
Selecting the right company to design, install and maintain
your fire systems is an extremely important decision and one
that should not be taken lightly.
Having a fire system fitted to your building can be a major
task, due to extensive wiring, drilling and access required. If
not carried out correctly this can cause a major inconvenience
Therefore, choosing the right fire system company can make
the whole process go smoothly, efficiently and with the least
amount of disruption to your business.

However, making the wrong choice could mean you waste

thousands of pounds on the wrong system and/or end up with
bad workmanship, delays and interruption of your business

Worse still, you are at risk from fire and non-compliance while
you are unprotected. So, how do you decide on which
company to appoint to install your fire system?

Here are some very important considerations you should

make before deciding on your choice:

Is there a dynamic air flow that would stop the normal smoke
detectors from working? (mainly an issue in data centres).

Change of volume – if your suppression system has gas as the

suppression agent then the amount required is usually
calculated on an empty room volume. You need to determine
whether the room will be significantly filled as this can affect
the oxygen and pressure levels (especially an archive room,
file room library where books/files could change daily).

If gas suppression was designed with a room full of books/files

or other equipment taking up volume and it was removed at a
later date then there may not be enough gas to suppress the
fire once removed. A) Can they provide testimonials of their work?

Vice versa if the system was designed on an empty room and
then filled with books/files/volume then there may be too
much gas, hence reducing the oxygen levels too low and over-
pressuring the room.
This can affect the oxygen/pressure levels and MUST be
discussed with your fire suppression company and noted on
your specification or quotation.
Most designs are calculated to reduce the oxygen levels below will have case studies of jobs where they have carried out
Any quality fire systems company will have had great feedback
from their clients and will be proud to have it in writing. Be
very wary of any company who have not had this feedback or
cannot be bothered to show how proud they are of their
customer comments.
B) Do they provide Case Studies of work completed?
As with testimonials any fire systems company worth their salt
prestigious and complex work or jobs they are proud to have

15
installed to the customers satisfaction.
C)
Do they employ all their own staff and are they trained?
Some companies are not what they seem. Sometimes it may
just be the surveyor that works for the company and the work
itself is sub-contracted. It is essential to ensure the whole
process is surveyed, installed and managed by the fire system
company with their own staff.
This will ensure you get the very best service and that it is not G) Can they support your system?
farmed out to the cheapest sub-contractor at that time. As the
saying goes “he who pays least ends up paying the most“.
Ask if the surveyor and engineers are correctly trained in fire
engineering. Many companies now profess to be an expert but of the night? Even worse, what if the alarm evacuates the
can they prove this by being members of BAFE or displaying
their certificates of training?
D) Do they carry the right level of insurance?
In the unfortunate event of an accident occurring during the
installation process you want to ensure there are no
repercussions for you as a business and that any accident,
injury or damage will be covered by the appropriate insurance need to check they have the back-up to provide support for
policy.
It is the fire system company’s responsibility to ensure
that insurance is in place to cover you. As a minimum
any responsible fire system company should have the
following:
 Employers’ liability – to ensure their staff are covered
 Public liability – to ensure any damage/injury to clients and
their property are covered
 Efficacy - failure of system to operate
Any BAFE approved company will need this as part of their
membership. For any unapproved company you should ask to
see this information by way of their certificate.
E) Do they provide a warranty?
The single most important question to ask yourself is “what
will happen if something goes wrong after my system has
been fitted?”
Once your system has been fitted
you want to ensure someone is
there to guarantee its operation for
at least the next 12 months if not
more. Any professional fire systems
company will guarantee their work
for a minimum of 12 months so it is essential you ask this
question and get it in writing.
F) Do they provide a list of people in the organisation?
You need to know who you are dealing with when you place
your order, especially if something goes wrong! A quality
company who is fully transparent in their dealings with you
will provide all details including contact numbers of the key
people in that organisation - from your Installation Manager to
your Service Co-ordinator, right up to the Managing Director.
You may never need to know all these people at the beginning
of your relationship but it is essential to know you have a team
of real people who are waiting there to help.
Imagine getting woken at 3am in the morning because your
alarm is going off and being unable to contact your fire
systems company. Who is going to fix your alarm in the middle
whole property during working hours and no one can do their
work!Can you rely on your fire system company at all times
365/24/7? The last thing you need is to wait hours on end for
someone to attend to your needs (or not even turn up) right
when you need them the most.
A lot of companies may want to fit your fire system but you
your system when you need it.
Ask your company if they provide this service and if they are
willing to sign a contract to provide support services such as
call out, technical support and preventative maintenance.
Anyone not willing to provide this service may want to make a
fast buck and run.
Make sure it’s not with you!
42|
Standards
It is important that your systems are designed, installed,
commissioned and maintained to the correct British, European
or even international standards that apply to fire suppression
systems. This should be stated in the proposal/quotation from
your fire system company. They are as follows :
16
Detection
BAFE SP203-1
LPCB 1014 – Loss Prevention Certification Board
BS5839 – British Standard for fire alarms
BSEN 54
BS6266 – British Standard for detection and alarm in Electrical
Data Processing Environments
NFPA –72 American Fire Prevention Associations
BS7273 – Data room standards for mechanical release

Gas
BS/EN 15004 part 1 and parts 2 to 13 (5 is FM200, part 9 IG55)
BS5306 – 4 – Fire suppression standard
recording of events of the system along with any user
BS5306 – 1 – CO2 Fire suppression standard
manuals, drawings and guides.
NFPA –12 American Fire Prevention associations CO2
BS7273 – Data room standards for mechanical release At the side of the fire panel
LPS1208 should be a zone legend which
will show where all the fire
Sprinklers
zones are in the building. This
BS/EN 12845 – Sprinkler Standard (covers Vds, DNV)
may be a list, but a drawing
LPCB 1048 – Loss Prevention Certification Board
depicting the areas of the zones is best practice.
NFPA –13 American Fire Prevention Associations

Water Mist

44|
International Maritime Organisation (IMO)
CEN/TS14972
The Responsible Person
DD8489-7:2011
NFPA –750 American Fire Prevention Associations
FM5560 (Factory Mutual)
Under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and as
Foam per British Standards, every fire system should be managed by
NFPA –11 American Fire Prevention Associations a Responsible Person. This person is responsible for weekly
BS5306 – 2 – Foam fire suppression standard testing of the system and managing of the maintenance
carried out by the fire system company.
Kitchen Suppression
UL-300 Fire Extinguishing Systems for Protection of Restaurant There should be two Responsible Persons or the Responsible
Cooking Areas Person should train at least one other person in how to test
and operate the systems in case of absence or holidays etc.

45| Ongoing Support and

43|Handover and
Certification
It is essential that once the system is commissioned, the fire
engineer demonstrates how to use the system to The
Responsible Person. This will include how to operate the panel everyone understands their responsibilities. This will ensure
and how to carry out weekly testing of the system.
Once the system is fully complete and the installation is
finished then the design, installation and commissioning
certificates should be handed over to the client.
You should also receive a log book for the ongoing testing and
Maintenance
On-going maintenance of the system by a competent
approved (BAFE or equivalent) fire systems company should
be carried out.
A contract should be signed by both parties to ensure
the fire company is legally obliged to carry out the work.
The contract should state to what standard the work is carried
out, how often the tests are completed and what’s included
(call out and/or parts).
Every contract should include a call out facility with a

17
 This means you could have a valid
warranty claim and have to pay more for
your fire system company to fit the
covered part than the part is worth itself!

It is also important to ensure whoever

maintains the system is also the company
that carries out any corrective works or work on the system,
as this could invalidate your maintenance contract if someone
else works on the system.

minimum response time (the standard is 8 hours) to ensure

any emergency break downs are attended to in an efficient
manner.
47| Corrective Works

All fire systems should have a preventative maintenance visit
where tests are carried out to ensure the system operates at a
optimum and any failing parts are replaced before they cause
a major malfunction (usually right when you need the system
the most). These tests should be carried every 6 months as a
minimum but some systems will need a visit every 3 months.
It’s key that room integrity testing is carried out annually to
ensure the system will work.
It is important to have any faulty parts corrected straight
away, just as you would do with an MOT for a car. It is wise to
keep the fire system up to date and working at its optimum
level, as in the long term this is more cost effective than
having call outs and emergency repairs at a later date. It also
reduces the risk of a faulty part not operating correctly at the
time when you need it the most……..when there is a fire!

Your company should carry out liquid level tests and other
mechanical tests as part of the standard preventative
maintenance, so it’s different to your normal fire systems
maintenance.

Also high pressure cylinders require hydrostatically testing

every 10 years, along with all plant shutdown operations and
other interfaces.

Refills and hydrostatic testing

Any high pressure cylinder requires hydrostatically testing

every 10 years. Hydrostatic testing involves putting the
Your maintenance company should provide a quick
cylinder in a tank of water and pressurising the water to see if
turnaround written report of any equipment that fails the
any cracks or fractures develop. The unit is then re-
tests. This should state what has failed and the seriousness of
conditioned and sold as new or refilled with gas and sent back
the failure e.g. is it a non-compliance issue or is it just a
to site.
recommendation. It is usually quite serious if anything fails as
This will mean your cylinder will need replacing which could this is a life protection system and all failures should be
mean no cover would be in place unless you arranged for corrected as soon as possible.
replacements to be fitted.
If there is a delay between the failure of the part/system and
the corrective works being carried out then a back up

46| Warranty procedure should be put in place such as fire patrols or the
use of air horns. On average your new fire system should last
around 10 - 15 years. During this time things will break down
and/or get damaged. There will be false alarms, building
Your system when installed new should carry a warranty of at changes, legislation and standard changes but if you correct
least 12 months. It is important to determine with your these as they happen then you can be certain of a reliable and
supplier that this warranty includes labour as some companies cost effective fire system.
(wrongly in our opinion) only include the parts.

18
Any Questions?
We hope you have found this guide useful and it has given you valuable information with inside knowledge that
will enable you to purchase your new fire suppression system with confidence.
The whole process centres around getting the right advice and guidance, ensuring you are compliant and that you
know your responsibilities, working with dependable, reliable and trustworthy people to install a quality fire
suppression system and deliver excellent service.
The purpose of this guide is to provide you with independent advice on what you need to consider. However, if you
have any more questions or need more expert advice please contact us FREE on 0845 402 3045 or email us at
info@assured-ltd.co.uk and we can discuss your requirements in more detail.
We also provide other reports and FREE information on our other fire safety and security services, so visit
www.assured-ltd.co.uk to find out more.

Published by Assured Fire & Security Ltd

Please note this report is a guide on fire suppression systems. On-site professional advice must be taken before commencing with any of the above
recommendations. Assured Fire & Security Ltd take no responsibility for any practices or work carried out based on this document. Should you require us to
provide a consultation, design, installation and commissioning service then please contact us for further advice.

19
Assured Fire & Security Ltd
Unit 4 Carrera Court
Church Lane
0845 402 3045
Dinnington www.assured-ltd.co.uk
Sheffield 0845 402 3045
South Yorkshire
S25 2RG www.assured-ltd.co.uk

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