Room Integrity Testing for Enclosures Using FM-200 Agent.
It is essential that the sealing aspect of protected enclosures is taken into account when using a FM-200 system in your enclosure. This is because the sealing requirements for effective retention are much more stringent than those for any of the Inert agents. If a protected enclosure is protected with a FM-200 fire suppressant system, it needs to be sealed more air tight by at least 50% than that allowed for Inert Agents. Obviously this makes it more important to get the enclosure design right, to allow for a more air tight envelope. To satisfy the requirements for containing FM-200 on existing protected enclosures currently being upgrades from other Gaseous Fire Suppression systems, it may result in the need for structural improvements inevitably leading to an increase in building costs.
Ensure you have an air tight server room envelope
The Integrity of a protected enclosure is defined by the ability of enclosure to adequately retain an extinguishing agent at a suitable level of concentration for 10 minutes to suppress a potential fire situation. For any protected enclosure to be effective with any the Gaseous Fire System the design concentration must first be achieved, and thereafter maintained at suitable levels ; achieve this the enclosures envelope must be adequately sealed.
To achieve compliance with the relevant standards you are required to undertake a room integrity test upon completion of the installation. One efficient way to ensure compliance with ISO 15004 is to carry out a room integrity test by undertaking ing the pressurisation of the room with a blower fan system and also under takes the air sealing at the same time. Once the room is pressurised the air testing company can carry out a localised smoke test to identify all the air leakage paths; thereafter, targeted sealing works can be undertaken. A final room integrity test can then be carried out to ensure compliance with the relevant standards.
For further information on our room integrity testing services, please contact our technical manager Darren on 07775623464; or email us at info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk