FM-200™ Fire Suppression Systems
HFC-227ea (FM-200™) Fire Suppression Systems
Clean, Waterless Fire Protection for Critical Environments
HFC-227ea is a clean fire suppression agent widely used to protect critical equipment, electronics, electrical infrastructure, and other assets where water-based suppression could result in significant damage or operational disruption.
Commonly associated with the FM-200™ trade name, HFC-227ea is an electrically non-conductive, residue-free extinguishing agent capable of rapidly suppressing fire without water or post-discharge cleanup.
Orbis provides HFC-227ea fire suppression solutions for industrial, commercial, electrical, data infrastructure, and specialized equipment applications.
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What Is HFC-227ea?
HFC-227ea is a halocarbon clean fire extinguishing agent chemically known as 1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane.
FM-200™ is one of the best-known commercial trade names for HFC-227ea.
HFC-227ea has been used extensively in clean agent fire suppression systems because it combines rapid fire suppression with several characteristics particularly suited to sensitive equipment:
- Electrically non-conductive
- Leaves no residue after discharge
- Requires no water
- Rapidly reaches the protected hazard
- Suitable for sensitive electronic and electrical equipment
- Zero ozone depletion potential
- Can be applied in normally occupied spaces when systems are designed within applicable exposure and safety limits
These characteristics make HFC-227ea particularly useful where protecting the equipment itself is almost as important as extinguishing the fire.
How Does HFC-227ea Fire Suppression Work?
HFC-227ea suppresses fire primarily by absorbing heat from the combustion process.
When a fire suppression system activates, the agent is released from pressurized storage cylinders and distributed through the protected area. The liquid agent rapidly vaporizes during discharge and mixes with the air surrounding the fire.
As HFC-227ea absorbs heat, the combustion process can no longer sustain itself and the flame is extinguished.
Unlike water, foam, or dry chemical agents, HFC-227ea does not leave a liquid, powder, or corrosive residue behind.
This makes it particularly valuable for environments containing electronics, control systems, communications equipment, machinery, records, or other assets that could be damaged by conventional extinguishing media.
Why Use HFC-227ea?
Fast Fire Suppression
HFC-227ea systems are designed for rapid agent delivery. Properly designed systems can establish the required extinguishing concentration within seconds, helping control fire before significant propagation occurs.
Early suppression can reduce:
- Fire damage
- Equipment loss
- Production interruption
- Business downtime
- Secondary damage to adjacent assets
No Water Damage
HFC-227ea extinguishes fire without water.
For facilities containing sensitive electrical or electronic equipment, this eliminates one of the principal disadvantages associated with sprinkler discharge or other water-based suppression methods.
This is especially valuable in:
- Data centers
- Server rooms
- Electrical rooms
- Control rooms
- Telecommunications facilities
- Industrial automation environments
No Residue or Cleanup
HFC-227ea vaporizes during discharge and does not leave extinguishing residue on protected equipment.
After a fire event has been investigated and the protected space has been safely ventilated, there is no dry chemical powder, foam, or suppression liquid requiring removal from sensitive equipment.
This can significantly simplify recovery following a discharge.
Electrically Non-Conductive
HFC-227ea is electrically non-conductive and is commonly selected for protection of energized electrical and electronic equipment.
Typical protected assets include:
- Switchgear
- Electrical distribution equipment
- Server and network equipment
- PLC and automation systems
- Control cabinets
- Telecommunications equipment
- UPS systems
- Power conversion equipment
Common HFC-227ea Applications
HFC-227ea systems are particularly well suited to enclosed areas containing high-value equipment or processes where conventional suppression could cause additional damage.
Data Centers & Server Rooms
Servers, network equipment, UPS systems, and electrical distribution infrastructure can be protected without introducing water or suppression residue into the environment.
Electrical & Control Rooms
HFC-227ea provides clean suppression for switchgear, electrical distribution systems, control equipment, and other energized infrastructure.
Telecommunications
Network equipment, communication rooms, telecom shelters, and related infrastructure can be protected while minimizing post-discharge cleanup.
Industrial Control Systems
PLC cabinets, automation equipment, motor-control systems, instrumentation, and process-control infrastructure can be protected against rapidly developing electrical fires.
Power & Utility Infrastructure
HFC-227ea may be applied to selected electrical rooms, control systems, substations, power conversion equipment, and supporting infrastructure where clean agent suppression is appropriate.
Archives & Critical Records
Because HFC-227ea leaves no residue, it can be considered for applications where water or dry chemical contamination could damage valuable documents, records, or other sensitive materials.
Marine & Specialized Equipment
Clean agent systems may also be applied to selected marine, transportation, machinery, and specialized equipment hazards depending on the enclosure, fire risk, regulatory requirements, and system configuration.
HFC-227ea Total Flooding Systems
Total flooding systems are designed to establish an extinguishing concentration of agent throughout an enclosed protected space.
A typical system includes:
- HFC-227ea storage cylinders
- Cylinder valves and actuators
- Distribution piping
- Engineered discharge nozzles
- Fire detection devices
- Releasing control panel
- Manual release
- Abort controls where required
- Audible and visual notification devices
- Pressure supervision
- Equipment shutdown interfaces
When the detection and releasing system confirms a fire condition, the suppression system activates and HFC-227ea is discharged through the nozzle network into the protected enclosure.
Correct agent quantity, nozzle design, discharge characteristics, enclosure integrity, pressure relief, detection logic, and system controls are all important parts of the overall system design.
HFC-227ea for Pre-Engineered Equipment Protection
HFC-227ea can also be used in certain localized and pre-engineered suppression configurations.
Orbis offers enclosure-level suppression solutions designed for applications such as:
- Electrical cabinets
- CNC machines
- Server racks
- Control panels
- Telecom cabinets
- Industrial equipment
- Power conversion equipment
- Remote electrical enclosures
Depending on the application, systems may use direct heat-sensitive tubing or an indirect configuration in which detection activates a separate discharge network.
This allows fire protection to be concentrated directly around the equipment presenting the hazard rather than protecting an entire room.
HFC-227ea and Occupied Spaces
HFC-227ea can be used in normally occupied spaces when the suppression system is properly designed within applicable agent concentration and human exposure limits.
This does not mean that HFC-227ea should simply be described as “non-toxic.”
Proper fire suppression design must consider:
- Design concentration
- Maximum expected agent concentration
- Exposure duration
- Pre-discharge alarms
- Time delays where required
- Emergency evacuation
- Abort functions where applicable
- Ventilation following discharge
- Applicable fire and life-safety requirements
System design and installation should follow the applicable requirements of NFPA 2001, local codes, the Authority Having Jurisdiction, and the applicable system documentation.
Environmental Characteristics of HFC-227ea
HFC-227ea has zero ozone depletion potential (ODP) and therefore does not contribute to stratospheric ozone depletion.
However, HFC-227ea is a hydrofluorocarbon and has a high global warming potential (GWP).
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency currently identifies HFC-227ea with:
Ozone Depletion Potential: 0
100-Year Global Warming Potential: 3,220
For this reason, HFC-227ea should not be described as a low-GWP or environmentally neutral extinguishing agent.
Hydrofluorocarbons are also subject to environmental regulations and phase-down policies in various jurisdictions. Availability, servicing requirements, agent recovery, and future regulatory considerations should therefore be evaluated when selecting a suppression technology.
For projects where minimizing greenhouse-gas impact is a primary requirement, Orbis can also evaluate alternative clean agent or inert gas suppression technologies.
HFC-227ea vs. Other Fire Suppression Agents
The correct extinguishing agent depends on the hazard, protected equipment, available space, environmental objectives, applicable regulations, and project requirements.
HFC-227ea
Best suited for applications requiring fast, compact, clean, electrically non-conductive suppression with no post-discharge residue.
Consideration: High GWP.
FK-5-1-12
A clean halocarbon agent offering electrical non-conductivity and residue-free suppression with substantially lower global warming impact than HFC-227ea.
Inert Gas
Uses naturally occurring atmospheric gases or gas blends to reduce oxygen concentration sufficiently to suppress combustion.
Advantages: Zero or very low global warming impact depending on agent composition.
Consideration: Typically requires more cylinder storage space.
CO₂
Provides effective gaseous fire suppression and is widely used in industrial applications.
Consideration: CO₂ presents a significant life-safety hazard at extinguishing concentrations and requires specific safeguards where personnel could be exposed.
There is no single extinguishing agent that is ideal for every application. Orbis evaluates the hazard and project requirements before recommending a suppression technology.
Standards & Compliance
HFC-227ea clean agent systems are commonly designed with reference to standards such as NFPA 2001 – Standard on Clean Agent Fire Extinguishing Systems, together with applicable fire alarm, electrical, building, and local regulatory requirements.
Specific approvals, listings, certifications, and conformity requirements depend on the system configuration, components, jurisdiction, and project specification.
A component carrying a UL, FM, CE, TPED, DOT, or other certification or conformity designation does not automatically mean that the complete suppression system carries the same approval.
Orbis can provide applicable technical and compliance documentation for the system proposed for a specific project.
Why Orbis?
We evaluate the actual hazard instead of forcing every application into a standard configuration.
Our team works with contractors, integrators, equipment manufacturers, consultants, and end users to identify the appropriate suppression approach based on the protected equipment and project requirements.
Orbis is not limited to a single extinguishing agent.
Depending on the application, we can evaluate:
- HFC-227ea
- FK-5-1-12
- CO₂
- Inert gas
- Pre-engineered enclosure suppression
This allows the suppression technology to be selected around the project rather than selecting the project around one agent.
From individual electrical cabinets to complete rooms and critical facilities, Orbis supports both localized equipment protection and larger engineered suppression applications.
Our team can assist with:
- System selection
- Equipment sizing
- Technical documentation
- System configurations
- Bill of materials development
- Contractor support
- International project requirements
- Replacement and retrofit applications
