13th May 2020

Johnson Controls Fire Suppression Series

Questions and Answers

Q How are the Australian EPA looking at FM200 or Novec 1230 for usage in the industry? Do
they have any limitations in use? Do we need to get any approval during design time?
A Novec™ 1230 comes with a Blue Sky guarantee from 3M meaning that if any policies change
to ban the product, customers will be reimbursed.

As mentioned in the presentation FM200 is becoming harder to work with due to installation
and storage licensing restrictions. Import license is alsorequired to bring the agent into the
country and the Government has issued restrictions on new imports of HFC agents.

http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/e36dd736-b747-47ee-9e7f-
10b12e016549/files/hfc-phase-down-factsheet.pdf

Q Are FM-200 or Novec™1230 categorised as Hazardous Material, e.g. Class 9?

A The product itself is not dangerous, however as they are pressurized using Nitrogen, a non-
flammable, non toxic gas, they are shipped as DG 2.2.

Q How is the minimum required volume of the adjacent space to which the excess volume is
relieved into calculated? Is there a minimum safe distance between relief vents and where
persons may be located?
A In regards to pressure venting of a protected room the ideal situation is too vent direct to
atmosphere. If this is not possible, the alternate methods are to use cascade venting, which
allows pressure to vent from the protected area to an adjacent area and then to atmosphere,
or to install ductwork from the protected area to atmosphere.

It is also worth noting that if the protected room is adjacent to a large volume (such as a
warehouse) then we can vent direct in to that spare and there may enough natural leakage in
this space to disperse the pressure.

Q Why we should not go below 10% O2 for inert system?

A 10% has been classed as unsafe for people. At this low level additional safety features need to
be installed such mechanical lock off valve at the point of entry.

Q What environments would you use an inert gas system as opposed to a synthetic system?
A Both types of agent can cover the same type of risk. A lot depends on the layout of the rooms
as to which agent to choose.

Rooms that have equipment stored up at high level e.g 300mm from the ceiling then IG541
would be a preferred choice as it is easier to pass the room integrity test.

Location of the cylinders – Inert can be stored 100m away

Footprint of the cylinders – Novec™1230 takes up less space

Questions from 13th May 2020

 Q Is there any way to roughly estimate the number of nozzles for gas suppression based on
the area of the room protecting?
A From our manuals:

Inert nozzles

Novec ™ 1230 nozzles

Q What are the main factors to consider in choosing inert gas or Sapphire system for comms
rooms?
A Room Characteristics, every room can be protected by either agent. Novec™ 1230 nozzles
need clear space around the nozzle for the gas to circulate. If you have a comms room that
has a ceiling full of cable trays then Inert may be a better option. A site survey or equipment
layout drawings will guide the designer to the preferred agent.

Q Can the iFlow valve be monitored by a fire panel? Similar to how a main stop valve in a
sprinkler system is monitored.
A Yes, each cylinder comes standard with a pressure gage with a switch for low pressure. There
is also a discharged pressure switch used for each risk so we can tell if a manual actuation has
taken place. These switches are wired to the FIP either directly (conventional panels) or
through an input monitor (analogue addressable panels).

Q Do the [wireless] gauges have a battery? If so, how long do they last? Are they
rechargeable?
A Connectivity Gauges have batteries with a 2 year life span

Questions from 13th May 2020

 Q Hi, Is it possible to install this electronic gauge on the discharge side of the pumps to display
the pressure at Brigade booster cupboard for Fire Brigade for accurate pressures?
A We have quite a large IoT connectivity range that will be coming to market in the coming
months. Watch this space!

Q How have you dealt with large volume changes in a room provided with gaseous suppression
(i.e. storage)?
A Rooms such as an archive store need to be assessed as to what the normal upper and lower
storage operating limits are for the room. Once we know this we can assess the O2 levels. We
do have a safety margin to work with that can take up these fluctuations in protected
volumes.

Q How long can people safely stay inside after a type of 'safe' agent being discharged? Can
people be injured by high-pressure gas when they are near the nozzles?
A Exposure time for IG541 is 5 minutes, that’s not to say it becomes deadly after 5 minutes. If
we take a step back in time then there use to be no limit for IG541. Standards introduce a
time limit as a safety feature. As long as the system has been design correctly then most
people are perfectly safe in these low oxygen environments.

For reference, did you know that on a plane the O2 levels drop to 15%

Q Is Cost a factor?
A Small rooms, Novec works out cheaper
Middle size rooms (250m3) like for like
Larger rooms – Inert works out cheaper

Q Is there a standard for air tightness requirements of the rooms that require gas
suppression?
A Rooms need to hold the gas concentration for 10 minutes. A room integrity test is carried out
as part of the room commissioning procedure.

Questions from 13th May 2020