Looking at the Advantages and Disadvantages of an Inergen Gas System

Due to the high risk of fire in a lot of workplaces around the world because of the vast range of flammable materials, equipment, and assets, it is imperative that you look for a solution that doesn’t require human intervention.

Luckily, fire suppression systems have been tried and tested in multiple applications and provide excellent automatic fire suppression methods. Yet, not every application requires the same fire protection system. 

Therefore, in today’s blog, we’re going to run through the advantages and disadvantages of an Inergen Gas system to see whether this could be a valuable option for your domestic or residential property.

What is an Inergen Gas System?

An Inergen gas system is an automatic fire protection system that is used to extinguish fires in enclosed spaces by reducing the oxygen level to 12-15%. It relies on an individual blend of gases, including nitrogen, argon, and carbon dioxide, to stop a fire from spreading around the application.

In terms of how much of each gas is required, an Inergen (IG55) system will use 52% nitrogen, 40% argon, and 8% carbon dioxide to stop consistent combustion. When a fire breaks out, it releases this precisely mixed gas into the protected area. 

No matter how it is ignited, a fire will always require oxygen to burn, so by lowering the available oxygen, the Inergen fire suppression system removes the fire's main energy source, leading to rapid suppression 

Notably, Inergen gas is also safe for humans due to it being powered by naturally occurring gases. It maintains a safe and breathable atmosphere for anyone in the room during and after release. 

Unlike some other fire suppression methods, the Inergen gas system leaves no residue, meaning you can quickly return to your home or work after the fire has been extinguished.

Advantages and Disadvantages of an Inergen Gas System

Although on paper, Inergen gas systems look like an optimal alternative for all fire suppression needs in every building, there are some core advantages and disadvantages that will help you make a more informed decision on whether they’ll suit your needs or not. 

Advantages of an Inergen Gas System

Firstly, we’ll walk through some of the main benefits you can expect from an Inergen gas fire suppression system, as there are many that may align with your property when searching for the correct fire suppression system:

• Safe for human consumption: Due to the fact that it releases naturally occurring gases rather than unnatural substances, it is breathable for humans during evacuation from the building.
• Quick-fire suppression: When the sensors detect heat and smoke, Inergen is released into the space affected, extinguishing the fire within 40 seconds.
• No risk for the environment: If you install an Inergen system, you can expect it to leave no lasting effect on our planet due to its environmentally friendly nature. It has no ozone depletion potential or global warming potential, meeting all the conditions of our future environmental standards.
• Leaves no residue: In the aftermath, often there is a cleanup that is required, whether that be chemicals, water, foam, or gas. Yet, with these gas suppression systems, you won’t have to worry about any sensitive assets being affected.
• Your equipment will be safe: Following on from the previous benefit, these naturally occurring gases will not impact your equipment due to the quick disposal of the gas after extinguishing the fire (short atmospheric lifetime).
  

Disadvantages of an Inergen Gas System

Even though the benefits are extremely positive for most businesses looking for the quickest and most efficient method of extinguishing a fire, there are some disadvantages that you need to be aware of with these gas systems before asking a provider for an Inergen system:

• Requires more steel for manufacturing the cylinders: Because Inergen gas systems require high-pressure steel cylinders, they will take more effort to construct.
• Hefty storage requirements: Due to their requiring more energy and storage room, you will need a good amount of space if you want to use these cylinders for fire suppression.
• Regular maintenance: To ensure that these systems are performing at their highest standard, they need regular maintenance, which may in turn cost you more money as a business.
• Suitable for enclosed spaces: These gas fire extinguishing systems are only extremely effective in enclosed spaces rather than in larger locations where some fire extinguishing agents could perform better.
• Price: Installing an Inergen fire protection system is not as affordable as some of the other fire suppression systems you can purchase on the market.

What Are the Suitable Applications For an Inergen Gas System?

As we stated above, Inergen systems do their best work in enclosed spaces. Some examples of suitable applications for these inert gas fire suppression systems would be:

• Computer and data centres 
• IT rooms
• Server rooms
• Telecommunication rooms
• Manufacturing spaces
• Medical facilities 

These are just a few examples of where Inergen can efficiently suppress flames when an involuntary or voluntary fire occurs in your application.

As they leave no corrosive by-products and also have non-conductive properties, they are safe for electrical equipment, and because they effectively reduce oxygen levels while being non-toxic, they have no environmental impact. These qualities make them a preferred choice for safeguarding both people and valuable assets.

Should You Choose an Inergen Gas System For Your Business?

In regards to whether you should choose an Inergen system for your business, this depends on whether you have the correct requirements for it to fit in your desired location. To understand if it is possible, the best thing you can do is speak to an expert in fire suppression system installation, as they will give you the necessary information to see whether it is feasible.

If you were to do this alone, there are many factors that can go wrong, such as: the smoke and heat detectors not working, the fire suppression liquid not coming out, and many more possible problems. 

To ensure you don’t make this mistake and obtain the correct fire suppression system, MEP Fire is here to help you find the correct model for your business or home. Get in touch with our team today, and we’ll make sure that you have everything you need to make the correct decision.