Do clean agents “suck” the oxygen out of the room like the old Halon systems?
No! It is a misconception that Halon “sucks” the oxygen out of a room or hazard area. Clean agents, such as FM-200, Inergen, Novec 1230 and even Halon, do not extinguish fires by the removal of oxygen. Most clean agent suppression agents work on the primary principle of heat absorption with some chain breaking mechanism to extinguish fire. These products are designed and installed as “people friendly” or “life safe” extinguishing agents. They are used in occupied spaces for just such a reason. These agents have undergone rigorous testing for applications where people may be present.
