Comparison of Fire Suppression

Systems: FM-200 vs Novec 1230

October 31, 2022

The 21st century has brought immeasurable amounts of innovation

across a wide range of industries. When it comes to fire
suppression, water is becoming a tool of the past. With the ever-
changing landscape of technology in every facet of our lives along
with the mainstream use of highly-combustible materials making
their way into modern-day furnishings, the need for rapid fire
suppression is far greater than ever before. FM-200 fire suppression
systems and Novec 1230 FK-5-1-12 systems are changing the face
of fire suppression and fighting 21st century fires with fire
suppression technology.

Comparison Table of FM-200 & Novec 1230

3M™ Novec™ 1230 FM-200
Type of Compound Fluid Fluoroketone Hydrofluorocarbon
Appropriate for fire
Class A, B and C Class A, B and C
hazards
Electrically non-
Yes Yes
conductive
Discharge Time 10 seconds or less 10 seconds or less
Stored as a liquefied compressed
Storage Stored as a liquid
gas
Proximity of Cylinders Must be located very near or Must be located very near or within
to Protected Space within the space to be protected the space to be protected

Environmental Impact:
Ozone Depletion
None None
Potential (ODP)
Atmospheric Lifetime
0.014 33-36.5
(Years)
Global Warming
1 3500
Potential (GWP)
Global Environmental
Warranty on Agent 20 Years None
(Years)
Subject to Phase-Down No Yes
under EU F-Gas
 Regulation
Subject to U.S.
Proposals for Global
No Yes
Phase-Down under
Montreal Protocol
Subject to Potential
U.S. EPA SNAP Status
No Yes
Change Proposals
Directed at HFCs
Manufacturer
Advocating for Global Yes Yes
HFC Phase-Down
Safe for humans? Yes Yes

Potential Health Effects:

Concentration 4.0-6.0% 6.7-8.7%
No Observable
Adverse Effects Level 10% 9%
(NOAEL)
Clean Up None None
Varies based on a number of
Varies based on a number of
factors; Typically less expensive
Cost factors; Typically higher in price
than Novec 1230 and requires less
than other systems
agent to protect a larger area
Server rooms, heathcare facilities,
Server rooms, heathcare facilities,
libraries/record rooms, archives
libraries/record rooms, museums,
Systems are typically and museums, marine
military applications, any place
used in areas such as applications, any place with
with assets that could be ruined by
assets that could be ruined by
water
water

Novec 1230
The Novec 1230 fire suppression system was designed as an
alternative to hydrofluorocarbon and a replacement for halon. It's
stored as a liquid but discharged as a non-toxic gas. Unlike other
fire suppression systems that displace oxygen or drown fires in
water, the Novec 1230 clean agent system is a waterless gas that
interrupts a fire by absorbing the heat. This disruption quickly
breaks the chemical chain reaction that a fire needs to thrive. The
Novec 1230 system is electrically non-conductive, leaves no
residue, and is safe for human occupancy.
FM-200
The FM-200 fire suppression system is another innovative clean
agent fire suppression method that's intended to act as a halon
alternative. It's a hydrofluorocarbon compound that's also known as
HFC-227ea. It's discharged as a, waterless, colorless, non-toxic
gas. FM-200 fire suppression systems are comprised of carbon,
fluorine, and hydrogen which work together to also interrupt a fire's
chemical chain reaction and remove the heat which then stops a
fire before it ever has a chance to spread. The FM-200 clean agent
system is also electrically non-conductive and safe for human
occupancy,

Novec 1230 vs. FM-200

Environmental Impact of Novec 1230 and FM-200

There have been concerns regarding the environmental impact of

fire suppression systems for many years. FM-200 fire suppression
was the first halon replacement to hit the market when it became
apparent that halon was a detriment to environmental health. Both
Novec 1230 and FM-200 fire suppression systems are significantly
safer for the environment than older methods of fire suppression,
and both agents cause zero ozone depletion. However, FM-200 has a
global warming potential of 3500 and an atmospheric lifetime of 33-
36.5 years, while the Novec 1230 clean agent system has a global
warming potential equal to carbon dioxide at just 1 and a miniscule
atmospheric lifetime of 0.014 years, or about five days. This makes
Novec 1230 significantly safer for the environment, there are now
new regulations against the use of the FM-200, see the following
link for the EPA new rules for HFCs. https://www.epa.gov/climate-
hfcs-reduction/final-rule-phasedown-hydrofluorocarbons-
establishing-allowance-allocation

Human Safety Level

Both Novec 1230 and FM-200 are considered safe for use around
humans. The Novec 1230 system is used at a concentration level of
4.0-6.0% and its No Observable Adverse Effects Level (NOAEL) is
10%. What this means is that during testing, researchers found that
Novec 1230 did not cause any adverse effects on humans until it
was used at 10% concentration, or approximately double what the
recommended concentration is. The FM-200 system has a
concentration use of 6.7-8.7% and a NOAEL of 9%. This means that
there is less of a margin between FM-200's use concentration and
the concentration level where humans can be affected, however,
FM-200 remains perfectly safe when used at proper levels.
Additionally, neither of these clean agents displace oxygen when
discharged and they do not obstruct vision which means the
environment remains safe for humans as they remain working or
exit the building.

Storage

Clean agents like FM-200 and Novec 1230 are stored in cylinders
until they are ready to be discharged through a system of pipes in a
carefully calculated concentration. FM-200 requires less of the
compound to protect a greater area than Novec 1230. Because of
this, a Novec 1230 suppression system may require more cylinders
to protect the same amount of space, thus creating the need for
more storage space. As for the compounds themselves, both are
discharged as a gas but Novec 1230 is stored as a liquid and FM-200
is stored as a liquefied compressed gas.

Discharge Time

FM-200 and Novec 1230 have the same discharge time of 10

seconds or less, which is exponentially faster than other fire
suppression systems.

Clean Up

Because both clean agents are waterless and leave no residue,

there is no clean up time at all. This is revolutionary in the world of
fire suppression and enables businesses to continue working with
very minimal downtime, if any.

Systems are typically used in areas such as:

Both of these systems are efficient at suppressing types A, B, and C

fires. Anywhere that A, B, and C fire hazards exist is ideal for either
of these compounds. Both systems are generally used in the same
types of areas and industries like data centers, IT rooms, museums,
archives, libraries, healthcare facilities, laboratories, military
applications, and marine appliciations. Both Novec 1230 and FM-200
are electrically non-conductive which allows them to suppress fire
while not disrupting machinery or electronics. Additionally, rubber,
plastics, and most common metals are not affected and remain
completely operational.

Cost

The cost of either fire suppression system varies widely based on

its intended use and the amount of space to protect. However, an
FM-200 fire suppression system is currently more expensive than a
Novec 1230 system because of the phase down of HFC and the new
AIM Act in the USA. When considering the entire cost, it's important
to consider not just the amount of space to protect, but also the
amount of storage needed for the cylinders. Novec 1230 needs
slightly more of the compound to protect the same size space as
FM-200, which means that the Novec system may need more
cylinders which will take up more storage space and ends up adding
to the overall cost.

Conclusion
Novec 1230 and FM-200 both offer tremendous fire suppression
abilities and contribute overall to decreased revenue losses,
significantly less downtime, and better life-safety potential. When it
comes to fire suppression, Control Fire Systems currently
recommends using Natura™ Inert Gas Systems or Novec 1230 FK-5-
1-12 for new installations. There is never a good time for a fire to
occur, but now is a good time for you to start making sure your
assets are protected should that time ever come. Contact us
today so we can help you minimize the possible damage. Control
Fire Systems offers a comprehensive selection of fire suppression
solutions, including Kidde fire systems' FM-200 and Novec 1230,
allowing clients to make informed choices based on their specific
safety and protection requirements.