At Pressure Test, we have a team of fire protection consultant engineers who can help and advise you on the suitability of fire suppression systems for your property.
Clients often have a fire suppression system fitted only to find that the enclosure into which it discharges is unable to retain the gas. One of the most important requirements of any system is to have the ability to contain the agent that provides the protection. Our main purpose is to test an enclosure to verify if containment will occur to ensure that its fit for purpose, will suppress a fire and is in line with legal requirements.
Whether you require a fire suppression system to suit the enclosure conditions, or if you require the enclosure improved to suit the existing system, Pressure Test offers a consultancy service to ensure your enclosures can either meet the requirements of the existing system or provide advice on to how to modify and improve the existing system or the enclosure.
All gaseous fire suppression systems discharge their agent into an enclosure, the turbulent discharge conditions mix the gas evenly with the air, as this occurs air and a proportion of the gas is expelled from the area protected via leakage paths within the enclosure. This will cause a decrease in the concentration of extinguishing agent remaining in the confines of the area, and as long as this is with acceptable limits the system will function correctly. It has however been observed that the loss of agent is proportional to the leakage from the enclosure. based on this it is important to keep leakage to a minimum, to do this the leakage needs to be known and leakage paths identified if prevention is to take place.
Based on this criteria the International Standards Organisation (ISO) developed a standard for Gaseous Fire Fighting systems using UK design guide (DD233) as its protocol which incorporates Door Fan Testing (Room Integrity Testing) for Hold Time modelling (hold time being the time taken to retain the agent) this resulted in publication of ISO 14520 part 1, this was adopted as the European Standard EN15004-1 both published as BS – ISO 14520-1 and BS EN 15004-1 in 2000, these were modified in 2006, again in 2008 and again in 2015. All standards including the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) require this as well as the provision an adequate pressure relief facility.
This is best summed up as follows:
Compliance with section 7 of EN15004 (2008 Edition)
7.4.1: “The protected enclosure shall have sufficient structural strength and integrity to contain the extinguishant discharge. Venting shall be provided to prevent excessive over- or under-pressurization of the enclosure.” (see Pressure Relief)
To achieve this Room Integrity testing should be carried out upon installation of a fire suppression system.
Assuming the system satisfies the test a retest should be carried out at least annually thereafter to ensure the system continues functioning effectively, this is classed as a gas system enclosure MOT. Remedial work is advisable if the enclosure fails to satisfy the test, ideally this should continue until an acceptable result is achieved. Should any changes be made to the enclosure, a re-test is advisable.
Collectively, our engineers have over 100 years’ of experience in the fire suppression and integrity testing business. We offer a wide range of services and consultancy to aid every aspect of Fire Protection system, from design through to installation and commissioning.
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