Carbon dioxide fire suppression systems are used to extinguish fires by removing oxygen from the equation. Quite simply, fire requires a fuel source, oxygen, and heat to continue burning. When a carbon dioxide system activates, CO2 rapidly displaces the oxygen in a room, essentially starving the fire of oxygen within seconds. Since these systems remove the oxygen from a room, this form of fire protection is primarily installed in unoccupied sections of a building. Despite this limiting consideration, there are still a variety of facility applications that can benefit from this residue-free and highly-effective method of fire safety.
Benefits of Carbon Dioxide Fire Suppression Systems
Ideal for water-sensitive spaces like IT servers, museums, flammable storage, and any other space that could be negatively affected by traditional suppression systems like water sprinklers, carbon dioxide systems stop fires without damaging sensitive equipment, structures, or assets. Other benefits associated with carbon dioxide suppression systems include:
- Faster Suppression Time: Unlike traditional extinguishing options that are designed to remove the source of the heat over time, C02 rapidly deploys from the system to eliminate the fire’s oxygen in less time. Faster containment times equal less damage to property, equipment, and hazardous materials.
- Carbon Dioxide Leaves No Trace: Since CO2 is non-combustible, colorless, and odorless, it leaves no form of residue. Once the carbon dioxide levels have returned to safe levels, personnel are free to resume operations in the space with no additional clean-up required. Especially useful when sensitive electronics, flammable liquids, or valuable equipment are involved, carbon dioxide systems prevent prolonged recovery periods and mitigate the potential damage caused by foam or other methods of fire suppression.
- Approved & Trusted Fire Suppression: From leading industrial producers to Navy transportation vessels, carbon dioxide fire systems have earned the trust of private companies and government agencies across the world. The latest CO2 systems are designed with multiple accompanying safety features, and actively alert all personnel within the vicinity that a suppression activation is about to occur.
Safety Considerations & Employee Training
While CO2 suppression systems are among the most viable forms of fire protection for diverse facility applications, these powerful suppression systems do pose a risk of asphyxiation. Any amount of CO2 above 7.5% concentration is considered hazardous, and advanced carbon dioxide systems flood rooms with concentrations of up to 34%. To protect everyone within your facility, it’s essential that you and your team are adequately trained, clearly understand how your system operates, and seek professional guidance from a company that specializes in commercial fire protection in Chester County before attempting to install a CO2 suppression system on your own.
Learn More About Our Carbon Dioxide Systems
From complete installation and education to routine service and repair, our experts at Keystone Fire and Security only utilize the most advanced CO2 suppression systems. We offer free fire safety consultations, a range of accompanying safety equipment, and our professional technicians have years of experience promoting facility safety with your budget and lasting protection in mind.