St. Columb Major - Room Integrity Testing - 01752 687 017

The office that covers this area is: Plymouth

Phone Number: 01752 687 017 Email: st-columb-major@e2consultants.co.uk

Room_Integrity_Testing is sometimes referred to as Room Testing, Room Integrity Testing.

What is A Room Integrity Test and How Does It Work?

Room Integrity Testing is required for any gaseous fire suppression system. Gas fire suppression systems work by releasing a gas agent into an enclosure and the gas then either reacts with the fire or reduces the oxygen level which then suppresses or extinguishes the fire. For a fire suppression system to work correctly the enclosure needs to hold the gas for a set period of time.

Room Integrity Testing is used to determine if the room is capable of holding the gas from the fire suppression system successfully. On top of which, the test can predict how long it will take for the gas levels to be reduced to the point where a discharge of the system will be needed. Discharging a fire system can be both costly and disruptive.

Does the Test Cause Disruption?

No - people can work in the room and the testing does not affect any equipment in the room. The door fan test equipment is fixed to the main door and will prevent people from leaving or entering the room from the point that it is sealed in place.

What are the Standards and Guidance?

The main standards that recommend Room Integrity Testing on commissioning of a system and the annual re-testing of an enclosure are BSEN15004, ISO14520, BAFE SP203-3 and NFPA 2001. These are UK and US national and international standards that provide guidance on how to carry out the test and the frequency of re-testing.

Testing Procedure

Upon arriving at site and the equipment's unloaded, a consultant will inspect the room to be tested. If not done prior to our site visit the room measurements will also be taken. Our consultant will set our door kit and fan up in the most appropriate door within the room. Please note, there will be no requirement for the removal of any doors to allow for our testing equipment.

Upon setting the equipment up this is the point where nobody can enter or leave this room. Normal work may resume within the room. The consultant on site will now begin to start the fans. The test will depressurise and pressurise the room with computer software generating data to collect.

Upon completion our consultant will check the data against target data provided by our client. If the target is not met our consultants will then begin to diagnose problem areas.

Our consultants are trained to use thermographic cameras to identify leakage areas; these images will be sent to a client with a report. A snag list details leakage areas to be addressed along with pictures of these problem areas. Again, this will be presented to the client with the data report.

How Often Should I Test the Room?

Any room, particularly Electronic Data Processing rooms, often get disturbed by building service work and general building work. Should a small hole be made in the enclosure, or the room size changes, then a retest of the room integrity is required. British Standards recommend that Room Integrity Testing is carried out at least annually to ensure your gaseous fire suppression system will work correctly.