Major, disastrous fires are often too severe for common fire extinguishing methods, like sprinklers, to handle. Even fire extinguishers can be insufficient in handling larger fires, and the foaming agent can cause damage to personal belongings.
Using carbon dioxide gas as a fire suppression system can put out fires with minimal damage to your home or business.
What is a CO2 Fire Suppression System?
A CO2 fire suppression system is designed to suppress or extinguish a fire in sensitive environments where water from a sprinkler or foam from an extinguisher aren’t desirable.
Common areas where fire suppression systems are preferred are places like engine rooms, generator rooms, power stations, flammable liquid storage rooms, and rooms with large industrial machines.
So how does it work?
A fire needs oxygen, fuel, and heat to keep burning. By eliminating the oxygen in the area surrounding the fire, a fire suppression system will cause the fire to go out. A CO2 fire suppression system will detect the smoke or fire in the area and release the CO2 agent that will cause the oxygen to quickly drop.
CO2 is a colorless, odorless, and electrically non-conductive gas that leaves no residue behind.
These types of fire suppression systems work best on fire hazards classified as Class A, B, and C fires, which consist of common combustibles such as wood, paper, and plastic, flammable liquids (solvents, paint, and gas), and electrical equipment like wires, machinery, and appliances.
To learn more about other CO2 Fire Suppression Systems and how they work, read this article here.
What Should I Know About CO2 Fire Suppression System Safety?
While there are many benefits to using a CO2 fire suppression system as opposed to other methods, there are some important things to remember about using CO2 as well.
You might recall that CO2 suppression systems replace the oxygen in the air surrounding the fire to put it out. That means, similarly, the CO2 in the fire suppression systems will remove oxygen for everything in the surrounding area, including humans and animals. CO2 can cause dangerous asphyxiation to humans at 7.5%. Most CO2 fire suppression systems are designed to use 34% CO2 concentrations to flood the protected space.
As a result, most CO2 fire suppression systems are required to have certain life safety devices to protect personnel in the surrounding area. These devices might include a pneumatic siren to alert personnel that CO2 has been released in the area.
Besides having devices prepared to alert personnel of the danger, it’s important for employees to be properly trained to know what to do and how to evacuate in an emergency situation that requires the use of a CO2 fire suppression system.
How is CO2 Fire Suppression Better Than Alternatives?
One of the many reasons carbon dioxide is a great option for a fire suppression solution is because, as an inert gas, carbon dioxide doesn’t undergo any sort of chemical reactions when combined with other chemical substances. This makes it optimal for fighting all types of fires, including grease fires and fires caused by chemical accidents.
Because CO2 leaves no residue behind, any sensitive equipment in the protected area won’t be further damaged. When a CO2 fire suppression system is used, the downtime required to fix or replace the equipment is virtually non-existent. Workers and administration can get back to work quickly without any additional costs.
Additionally, CO2 fire suppression systems are able to contain any potential fires before it gets too big to handle.
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