Gaseous fire suppression systems have long been used to safeguard essential business assets with a high level of protection. These systems are designed to offer a clean, safe, and eco-friendly method for securing valuable business components. There are various types of systems engineered to provide rapid fire detection and suppression, including total flooding systems of rooms, inerting systems, and targeted systems tailored to specific risks.
Detection & Suppression
Total Flooding Systems require a separate electronic detection and control system. According to international standards, these systems need two detection methods, with detectors placed at high levels and in ceiling or floor voids. There is usually a time delay, ranging from 30 seconds to 2 minutes, before the system activates. Once deployed, the agent is released through a network of pipes, creating an agent-air mix to suppress the fire. The reliance on heat and smoke detection means that fires in enclosed spaces may take longer to detect and suppress, potentially causing more damage to the specific risk area while protecting other assets in the room.
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Reacton Systems are a straightforward, self-activating fire detection and suppression system with excellent versatility for protecting a range of assets. They are designed for specific object risks and mounted directly on the equipment most at risk from fire.
Its localised installation reduces detection times and enhances suppression effectiveness, allowing for rapid fire response at its source within seconds. The system is highly reliable and offers excellent cost-performance value due to the unique UL certified Detection Tube. This tube not only detects fires but also serves as the delivery vessel for the extinguishing agent without relying on complex electronics or moving parts. Extinguishing agents can be matched to specific applications, and various container sizes are available.
Reacton Systems come in two types:
Direct (DLP) Systems: Release extinguishing agent directly from the burst point of the tube, closest to the fire, providing the fastest extinguishing time and minimising fire spread.
Indirect (ILP) Systems: Discharges the extinguishing agent through strategically positioned nozzles, activated by the Reacton tube bursting and minimising fire spread.
Both our systems are listed to UL2166 and Reacton are the world's first company to achieve UL2166 listing for our Direct (DLP) Clean Agent Technology system!
Minimising Business Disruption
Fires can be devastating, but often the post-fire disruptions are even more damaging. Delays in replacing machines, data loss, production downtime, and insurance disputes can lead to greater financial losses than the cost of the asset itself. The faster a fire is detected and extinguished, the less impact it will have on business operations. Targeted suppression technology effectively minimises business functionality loss.
Replacing a faulty component instead of an entire machine reduces downtime and often eliminates the need for rental equipment. Data loss is often prevented, and insurance claims are simplified or unnecessary. Reacton Systems require only a small amount of extinguishing agent for refilling, typically ranging from 1-18 kilograms, and cylinders can be quickly exchanged on-site, minimising downtime. The detection tube can be easily replaced, leading to reduced reinstallation time and keeping post-fire downtime to a minimum.
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Space Efficiency
Maximising floor space is crucial in today’s business environment. Fire suppression systems should ideally have a minimal footprint. Total Flooding Systems need large gas cylinders stored locally, which can occupy significant space. Additionally, pressure relief vents are necessary to avoid structural damage from high-pressure gas releases, requiring valuable wall space.
Total flood systems can take up a significant amount of valuable floor space and be hard to move without considerable disruption.
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Reacton Systems are compact and can be installed directly on or inside the equipment being protected, eliminating the need for large cylinders or multiple standalone systems. These systems are portable and can move with the equipment or be transferred from old assets to new ones with ease. If room configurations change or equipment is added or removed, Reacton Systems do not require extensive re-engineering. They can be adapted to new risks by adding more lengths of detection tube, allowing for protection of multiple risks with a single, small system.
Reacton Systems are compact and scalable as a business grows its assets.
Personnel Safety
Today's Room Total Flooding Systems, except for CO2, are designed for use in occupied spaces. Standards like NFPA 2001, EN 15004, and ISO 14520 provide guidelines for safely designing and installing these systems to ensure both effective suppression and personnel safety.
These systems work by releasing extinguishing gases into a room, impacting the atmosphere to suppress fires. Chemical agents remove heat and chemically react with the fire, while inert gases displace oxygen to prevent combustion. Inert gas systems require large high-pressure cylinders and pressure relief vents to avoid over-pressurisation, which could damage the room structure.
Reacton Systems, being compact and low pressure, ensure high protection levels for equipment with minimal impact on the overall room atmosphere. They meet or exceed NFPA 2001 standards for the protected volume, and the small amount of extinguishing agent used has negligible impact on the atmosphere. Consequently, personnel safety is not compromised, as the amount of agent released is normally well below safety limits.
For instance, a 100m³ room would need approximately 76kg of FK-5-1-12 to achieve a 5.3% concentration with a safety limit of 10% (154 kg). A typical Reacton System would use around 2 kg of Reacton 1230 Clean Agent, resulting in a mere 0.275% concentration, causing no significant over-pressurisation. Additionally, the agent is discharged within the equipment, not into the room, posing no risk to occupants.
Financial Benefits
Most fire suppression systems, fortunately, remain unused. They are installed to provide protection but are rarely activated. Nonetheless, proper maintenance and service plans with qualified providers are essential to minimise false alarms and ensure the system’s reliability.
The initial cost of a fire suppression system can be significant. Service plans should cover both electrical and mechanical checks at least twice a year. The costs associated with testing cylinders, refilling, and the extinguishing agents themselves can add to the system’s lifetime costs.
Reacton Systems are smaller and typically less expensive to purchase compared to larger room flooding systems, even if multiple systems are used. The main advantage lies in their lower ongoing costs. Maintenance is straightforward and inexpensive, and the cost of refilling extinguishing agents is significantly lower. For example, refilling 57 kg of FK-5-1-12 in a room flooding system versus 2 kg in a Reacton System demonstrates clear cost benefits. Reacton distributors offer service exchanges, allowing for easy replacement of used systems without sending them away for refilling.
Environmental Impact
Reducing the carbon footprint and environmental impact is crucial for modern businesses. Fire suppression systems must comply with zero Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) and have the lowest possible Global Warming Potential (GWP).
All fire suppression systems impact the environment, either directly through chemical agents with limited atmospheric lifespans or indirectly through the energy required to manufacture large cylinders. Room Flooding Systems generally use more environmentally friendly agents like FK-5-1-12 and HFC-227ea, but they still have some impact.
Reacton Systems release only minimal amounts of extinguishing agent, reducing environmental impact. For example, releasing 2 kg from a Reacton System, compared to 60-1000 kg from some room flooding systems, illustrates the environmental advantage. The small, low-pressure containers used are more eco-friendly to produce than larger high-pressure containers.
Reacton 1230 Clean Agent, used in Reacton Systems, has the lowest GWP available and remains in the atmosphere for just 3-5 days, compared to HFC-227ea GWP of 3220 and atmospheric lifetime of 36.5 years!
UL2166 Listing
Reacton Fire Suppression are the world’s first company in Fire Suppression innovation to receive Listing to UL 2166 for Direct (DLP) Technology on both CE & DOT variants utilising Reacton 1230 Clean Agent. This certification is the latest step in our on-going initiative of global product certification. We strive to develop globally approved products to the highest standards, demonstrating our commitment to superior innovation and quality. It complements our existing LCPB certifications.
Having a system UL listed against the UL 2166 standard for Halocarbon Clean Agent Extinguishing System Units provides our product with the world's most recognised and adopted approval for Clean Agent systems. It’s been commonplace for indirect and total flood systems to have UL 2166 listing for some time but Reacton Fire Suppression are now the first company who have successfully developed this for Direct technology. This has been as a result of huge innovation and demanding testing required to prove the technology to the rigorous UL 2166 standard.
Reacton Fire Suppression Ltd have now had their portfolio of pre-engineered products officially tested and certified for the applications previously only accessible by other systems. What this now offers is a globally recognised and well adopted fire test that can be applied to the Direct technology, giving you peace of mind that the product has gone through the most demanding of independent tests and passed.
UL 2166 not only allows the Direct systems to be applied to larger volumes than current systems, but it also satisfies the requirements of NFPA 2001 and has performance, construction and operational tests that much larger systems have to endure. This is a massive step forward in showcasing that Detection Tube systems from Reacton not only ensure the safety and reliability of your high value assets but now offer an accessible and approved alternative technology.
UL 2166 is a standard for safety that applies to the construction, performance and operation of Halocarbon clean agent fire extinguishing systems units intended to be installed, inspected and maintained in accordance with NFPA 2001 (Standard on Clean Agent Fire Extinguishing Systems). These units are typically used for total flooding of enclosed rooms or structures. The halocarbon agents used in these systems are non-conductive, leaving no residue, making them safe for use in environments containing sensitive equipment.
Reacton’s 1230 Clean Agent and FM-200™ waterless fire suppressant from Chemours™ are the leading choice for automatic fire suppression when rapid protection & zero clean-up is required for your sensitive equipment. All products are recognised and listed in standards such as ISO 14520 & NFPA 2001.
Reacton Fire Suppression is a global manufacturer of Fire Detection and Suppression Systems. For supply enquires around the world, contact us today. With offices in the UK, Dubai UAE and Arizona USA, we have you covered.
For more information on Reacton Fire Suppression products, please get in touch with the team by emailing info@reactonfire.com or call us on + 44 (0)800 0306526.
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