For a gas extinguishing system to operate correctly, it is essential for the protected room to be sufficiently airtight.
Depending on the reference standard, a gas extinguishing system usually requires a measurement of the gas concentration, in order to check the compliance of the installation, its proper operation, and its effectiveness when it is activated.
However, measuring gas concentration is rather expensive and difficult to perform (occupation of premises, passage and venting of the gas after tests, etc.).
As a result, these gas extinguishing measurements may be suitably replaced by fan tests (also known as integrity test, blower door test). This involves installing fans in one or more doorways on the premises. These fans will put the room in overpressure and underpressure, and all data collected on the pressure gauges will determine how the extinguishing gas will behave (e.g. height of air-gas exchange over time) in the room during the flooding time. In certain cases, test conclusions may even lead to advice on how to ventilate the gas during the flooding time, depending on the type of gas and height of the combustible load.
This is an essential test to guarantee the fitness-for-purpose and efficiency of a gas extinguishing installation.
Please remember that this test must be conducted by a BELAC-accredited independent inspection body (Type A), according to the EN ISO/IEC 17020 standard, with this type of measurement in its accreditation scope. Any report from a company that does not meet this requirement cannot be taken into consideration.
A detailed report of the measurements is provided.
