A room integrity test predicts how long fire suppressant agents take to descend to a given level in the room without having to release the agent itself.
The Required Equipment
The Integrity test is carried out using the following equipment:
- Modular adjustable panels for the door frame which adjusts to fit a wide variety of door sizes.
- UKAS Calibrated Fan(s) and range configuration
- UKAS Calibrated gauge(s)
- Laptop Computer
- Enclosure Integrity Software
Equipment Set Up
The blower door system is setup in an available doorway which usually needs to have a height of 2.00m and a width of 900m. The protected area (server room) is then pressurised and the fan flow readings are taken, then to check those measurements the room is depressurised to take measurements to compare. The predicted retention time is calculated from the leakage characteristics and the enclosure and extinguishing system data.
A retention time of 10 minutes is the normal minimum period the suppressant agents except Co2 that requires a 20min retention Time. Ten minutes is long enough for most deep-seated fires to be cooled so that re-ignition is unlikely. Gaseous fire suppression systems should provide adequate time for the emergency services to attend and in most cases prevent the fire taking hold.
When do I need an Integrity Test?
When you have a gaseous suppression system installed to your protected area – such as a server rom or data centre, you are required to undertake a room integrity test to ensure that the suppressant is maintained within the area and will work in case of fire. It is a requirement of most insurance policies and British standards that your suppression system is tested at least annually. It is worth noting that if you suffer fire damage and you don’t have valid room integrity certification you may invalidate your building insurance.
You are also required to undertake a room integrity retest if any modifications are made to the area within the 12 month period. So if you make any alterations to the building envelope such as move a partition, installing new cables or pipes within the protected enclosure, you will almost certainly affect gaseous fire suppression retention. Any changes to the room (no matter how small) will require you to undertake further room integrity testing.
APT’s experienced engineers who are trained to Level 2 to carry out room integrity testing to the required NFPA 2001, BS ISO 14520 and/or BS EN15004 methodologies.
If your enclosure fails the test there is no need to panic, we can undertake low impact smoke testing to identify the main air leakage paths. Thereafter, a detailed air leakage report can be produced to allow your engineers to seal the areas. Alternately we also offer a room sealing service (if required) providing a one stop solution for all your room integrity testing requirements.
If you require any further details on preparing for your room integrity test, please visit download our room integrity checklist. Or if you would like more information on our server room integrity test services please contact us at info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk or call Darren direct on 07775623464.