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FM-200 (HFC-227ea) Clean Agent Fire Suppression

Waterless, residue-free suppression for rooms that cannot tolerate water damage, with SSI design, service, inspection, and recharge support across the East Coast.

At a Glance

  • Agent name: FM-200 clean agent, chemical designation HFC-227ea, also referenced as FE-227 in some documentation.
  • Primary use: Total flooding clean agent fire suppression for enclosed rooms where water damage is unacceptable.
  • Performance depends on room integrity, tight enclosures, correct design concentration, and integrated detection and release controls.
  • Regulatory reality: HFC production is being phased down under the AIM Act, existing systems remain serviceable, planning matters for long-term ownership.
  • What SSI does: System assessment, code-driven design support, cylinder recharge coordination, inspections, repairs, and upgrade pathways.

What FM-200 Is

FM-200 is a halocarbon clean agent (HFC-227ea) used in total flooding fire suppression systems. It is selected when a facility needs fast suppression without water damage, residue, or corrosion risk. Common drivers include uptime, sensitive electronics, and high-value operations.

FM-200 clean agent fire suppression logo

FM-200 is often specified for enclosed critical rooms where sprinklers would create unacceptable collateral damage.

Quick Technical Snapshot

Item What it means for owners
Agent chemistry HFC-227ea, a clean agent used for total flooding room protection.
Residue No residue, helps reduce post-event cleanup and equipment contamination risk.
Ozone Depletion Potential ODP is 0, one reason it became a Halon replacement option.
Environmental planning HFC phasedown affects long-term agent strategy, service planning, and budgeting.

How an FM-200 Total Flooding System Works

FM-200 systems are typically arranged as a cylinder bank (agent stored as a liquid, super-pressurized with nitrogen), connected to piping and nozzles. When detection confirms a fire condition, the releasing control panel discharges the agent into the protected volume to suppress the fire quickly.

Core Components You Should Expect

  • Automatic detection, often smoke detection, sometimes with cross-zoning or staged logic based on the hazard and AHJ expectations.
  • Releasing control panel tied to alarms, abort, time delay, and system supervision, commonly coordinated with the building fire alarm system.
  • Agent cylinders, valves, actuators, and pressure switches for supervision and reporting.
  • Engineered piping and nozzles sized for the room geometry and discharge performance targets.
  • Room interface controls, HVAC shutdown, damper actions, pressure relief where required, and discharge warning appliances.

Where FM-200 Fits Best

FM-200 is typically used in enclosed, high-value spaces where water, foam, or dry chemical would cause unacceptable damage, cleanup, or downtime.

Typical Applications

  • Data centers, server rooms, UPS rooms, telecom hubs, and network closets with meaningful asset density.
  • Electrical rooms, control rooms, MCCs, and critical process control environments.
  • Museums, archives, and collections where residue or moisture would be catastrophic.
  • Medical and laboratory spaces with sensitive equipment and continuity requirements.
  • Industrial special hazards where targeted, engineered clean agent protection is justified by risk and value.

If FM-200 is not the right long-term fit, SSI also supports alternative clean agent and special hazard strategies, including SF-1230 (FK-5-1-12) clean agent systems, ProInert2 inert gas systems, and ECARO-25 (HFC-125) clean agent systems, based on hazard, room constraints, and ownership priorities.

Requirements for FM-200 to Perform

Clean agent systems are not forgiving. If the room leaks or the protected volume is misunderstood, you can pass an install and still fail performance. The basics below are where projects succeed or fail during commissioning.

Room Integrity and Hold Time

  • The protected space must be defined correctly, including decisions about raised floors, ceiling plenums, and interstitial spaces.
  • Leakage paths must be sealed, penetrations, door frames, cable trays, conduit, duct openings, and construction interfaces are common failure points.
  • Room integrity testing (often door fan testing) validates whether concentration can be maintained for the required duration.
  • For enclosure readiness guidance, see Proper Sealing of Clean Agent Rooms and Clean Agent Room Integrity Testing and Sealing.

Detection, Controls, and Life Safety Coordination

  • Releasing logic should match the hazard and AHJ expectations, including time delays, manual release, abort, alarms, and supervision.
  • Interfaces often include HVAC shutdown, damper control, door holder release, and signal reporting to the building fire alarm.
  • Clean agent projects frequently touch both suppression and alarm requirements, explore SSI capabilities at Fire Alarms and Detection.

Design Considerations That Matter in the Field

FM-200 systems are engineered systems, not commodity installs. Performance depends on calculations, room conditions, and integration details that need to be right before commissioning.

Key Design Questions SSI Will Push You To Answer

  • What is the actual protected volume, including ceiling and underfloor decisions, and are those spaces sealable?
  • What is the ventilation profile, and what shuts down on release, fans, dampers, and pressure relief?
  • What hazards are present, Class A, B, or C, and what concentration is required under applicable standards and manufacturer guidance?
  • Where are the nozzles, and how do obstructions, ceiling height, and equipment layout affect distribution?
  • How is the system supervised, documented, and tested for AHJ and insurer review?

For a deeper engineering overview, see Design Considerations for Special Hazard Fire Suppression and the Clean Agent Fire Suppression overview.

FM-200 Status and the AIM Act, What Owners Should Do Now

The American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act is driving a phasedown of HFC production and consumption. FM-200 is an HFC, so long-term ownership decisions should include agent availability, cost planning, and upgrade pathways, especially for multi-site operators.

HFC phasedown chart related to AIM Act planning

Practical takeaway: treat FM-200 as a lifecycle strategy, not a set-and-forget asset. Plan for service continuity, recharge realities, and future conversions where appropriate.

Owner Checklist

  • Inventory what you have: cylinder quantities, fill status, last inspection, control panel model, detection type, and room integrity status.
  • Prioritize rooms where a discharge is most likely or most consequential, and validate enclosure integrity before you need it.
  • Decide whether your long-term path is maintain, retrofit, or migrate, and align that decision with AHJ, insurer, and corporate environmental requirements.
  • Use SSI guidance on compliance and planning: SSI AIM Act overview.

External Standards and Reference Links

Inspection, Testing, Recharge, and Upgrade Support

Clean agent systems protect you only if they are maintained. SSI provides inspection, testing, and service support to help keep FM-200 systems reliable, supervised, and ready for AHJ and insurer scrutiny.

Common Service Needs We See

  • Annual and periodic inspections, supervision checks, functional testing of releasing components, and documentation support.
  • Cylinder weight or pressure concerns, maintenance after contractor work, or changes to the room that compromise integrity.
  • Recharge coordination after discharge, accidental release, or agent loss issues.
  • Modernization planning, panel replacements, detection upgrades, or conversion options aligned to your long-term strategy.

Learn more about SSI service support: Service and Maintenance.

Why SSI for FM-200 Systems

If you are trying to prevent commissioning surprises, minimize downtime, and keep your special hazard systems defensible, you need a team that treats clean agent work as engineered life safety, not a commodity install.

  • Special hazard focus across suppression, detection, and integrated system performance.
  • Experience grounded in field realities, sealing, room integrity, HVAC interfaces, and AHJ expectations.
  • Regional responsiveness from SSI headquarters in Breinigsville, Pennsylvania, supporting facilities across the East Coast.
  • Service capabilities aligned to urgency, including on-call support pathways and lifecycle planning.
  • Proof and background: 10 Reasons to Choose SSI and What Our Clients Say.

FM-200 Downloads and Product Documents

Use the documents below for baseline information, then verify your installed system specifics with the equipment manufacturer and your system records.

FM-200 Clean Agent FAQ

Is FM-200 safe for occupied spaces?

FM-200 systems are commonly used in normally occupied spaces when engineered correctly. Safety is driven by design concentration, exposure limits, warning time, and compliance with applicable standards. Always coordinate with your AHJ and follow manufacturer documentation and NFPA guidance.

What causes FM-200 systems to fail performance testing?

The most common cause is enclosure leakage, unsealed penetrations, door issues, plenum leakage, or ventilation pathways that were not controlled on discharge. The system can discharge correctly and still fail if concentration cannot be maintained.

How do I know if my room is “tight enough”?

Room integrity testing provides the answer. If you have upcoming commissioning, a failed test, or recent construction changes, address sealing before re-testing to avoid repeated rework cycles.

Should we keep FM-200 or plan a conversion?

It depends on your risk profile, lifecycle budget, corporate environmental requirements, and the condition of the installed system. Many operators maintain existing systems while planning a phased conversion strategy. SSI can help you evaluate practical options, including FK-5-1-12 class agents and inert gas systems where they fit.

Service Area, Built for Real Response

SSI is headquartered in Breinigsville, PA and supports clean agent and special hazard projects across the East Coast. If your site is within a practical response radius, roughly a 12-hour drive of Breinigsville, SSI can typically support inspections, repairs, and upgrade work without handing you off to a distant provider.

If you operate a multi-site footprint, ask SSI about standardizing inspection documentation, room integrity practices, and lifecycle planning so your clean agent program is consistent across locations.

Request an FM-200 System Review or Recharge Plan

If you need FM-200 service, are planning a clean agent upgrade, or you are dealing with a room integrity issue, contact SSI with the basics and get a technical path forward.

Fastest triage: share room dimensions, ceiling height, whether the ceiling plenum and raised floor are part of the protected volume, current detection type, and how HVAC shutdown is tied into release.

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