FM200 / Novec | Clean Agent Fire Suppression
Non-conductive, residue-free fire suppression engineered for mission-critical spaces. Protect servers, control rooms, archives, labs, and medical equipment without water damage or lengthy clean-up.
Overview
Clean agents (commonly known by trade names such as FM200 or Novec-type agents) suppress fire by absorbing heat and interrupting the combustion process—without leaving residue on sensitive equipment.
- Data centers, server rooms, UPS & battery rooms*
- Control rooms, SCADA, NOCs, broadcasting
- Healthcare imaging, labs, cleanrooms, museums & archives
*For lithium-ion risks, assess with battery-specific protection in addition to room protection.
- Discharges in seconds; rapid knock-down of incipient fires
- No residue—no corrosion, no post-event clean-up on electronics
- Non-conductive; protects energized equipment
- Minimal downtime vs. water-based systems
- Water Mist: great for some Class A risks, not ideal for electronics.
- CO₂: effective but for normally unoccupied hazards with stricter safety controls.
- Aerosol: compact footprint; selection depends on enclosure and hazard type.
How It Works
Addressable detectors identify smoke or heat and trigger a releasing control panel. After a programmable delay and alarms, the system discharges the clean agent through a nozzle network to flood the protected volume.
- Cross-zone detection to reduce false releases
- Audiovisual pre-discharge alarms & shutdown interlocks
- Door/fan control for enclosure integrity
To maintain agent concentration long enough to prevent re-ignition, the room must be reasonably airtight. We perform enclosure integrity tests and recommend any sealing improvements prior to commissioning.
Design & Sizing
Each system is engineered to the protected room’s volume, leakage characteristics, hazard class, and temperature. We size cylinders, pipe diameters, nozzle count, and discharge times to meet applicable codes and the manufacturer’s design rules.
- Room dimensions & height, cable trays, sub-floors, voids
- Equipment heat load & fire class (A/B/C)
- Ambient temperature & occupancy considerations
- Single zone, single cylinder bank
- Multi-zone with selector valves
- Modular add-on cylinders for future expansion
- Hydraulic flow calculations & isometric drawings
- Cause-and-effect matrix & interlock list
- Commissioning test plans & handover pack
We align designs with applicable standards (e.g., FM200 clean-agent suppression and local AHJ requirements).
System Components
| Component | Function | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Agent Cylinders | Stores the clean agent at pressure. | Banked for volume; pressure monitoring with gauges/switches. |
| Discharge Valves | Releases agent on signal from releasing panel. | Electric & manual actuation; safety pins & seals. |
| Pipework & Fittings | Conveys agent to protected zone. | Hydraulically calculated diameters/tees/reducers. |
| Nozzles | Distributes agent uniformly. | Specific orifice sizes & throw patterns per layout. |
| Releasing Control Panel | Logic, supervision & release timing. | Cross-zone logic; abort/maintenance keyswitch. |
| Detection & Alarms | Smoke/heat/flame detection and notification. | Sounders, strobes, pre-discharge timers. |
| Ancillaries | Door/fan control, pressure relief, signage. | Post-discharge ventilation procedures. |
Applications
Data halls, server rooms, network hubs, exchange nodes, UPS rooms.
Control rooms, MCCs, DCS cabinets, testing labs, process control.
Archives, records, galleries, rare book storage, broadcast studios.
Our Delivery Workflow
Room assessment, leakage review, hazard classification, equipment mapping.
Flow calculations, nozzle layout, interlocks, and submittals for approval.
Cylinders, piping, nozzles, detection & control, warning devices, signage.
Functional tests, enclosure integrity, cause-and-effect verification, training.
Periodic inspection, cylinder weigh-checks/pressure, detector testing, reports.
Room changes, expansions, and integration with fire detection and access control.
Protect Your Critical Rooms—Without Water Damage
Send us your room drawings or a quick sketch and we’ll size a clean-agent system for you.