Fume Hoods, Cupboards and Cabinets Fire Protection

Locating the Firetrace tubing in the likely path of heat and flame results in faster detection and suppression.

Firetrace has successfully protected over 10,000 laboratory fume cabinets around the world.

Fire is inherently dangerous, yet it can be even more dangerous when mixed with chemicals and other compounds in a laboratory environment.

Firetrace Automatic Fire Suppression Systems are always on guard against fires in laboratory fume hoods, protecting property and personnel.

Most organizations protect only the lab – but NOT the fume hood, fume cupboards or fume cabinets – using traditional systems when building fire suppression systems.

When a fire occurs, the heat and flame are drawn out through the fume hood's exhaust and never reach the sprinkler heads in the room. The fire typically will consume the cabinet and spread through the ducting before the system ever has a chance to activate.

Some labs still rely upon portable extinguishers to protect the facility. These portables require close proximity to the fire, causing increased risk to personnel. Additionally, these extinguishers can be ineffective if operated improperly by untrained staff.

In-cabinet protection has become increasingly common, using a self-contained "sprinkler-head" type detection and dispersal system. While better then a traditional room sprinkler system, this method is also problematic.

In these units, the fresh airflow combined with the outflow through the baffles can direct flames and heat in multiple directions based on the location of the source of the fire. This increases the probability that the heat and flames required to activate the system may never reach the detection device on the cylinder's detection device on the top of the unit.

By the time the fire would be large enough to overcome the airflow and activate the system, the amount of damage could be staggering.

Should the fire begin on the working surface of the unit the flames and heat might not pass higher than the first baffle, instead spreading up behind the baffles and into the ductwork, never activating the sprinkler.

To effectively protect the hood, detection must be available in any path the flame and heat might follow.

The Ideal Solution

These areas, by the design of the fume hood, are exactly where the heat and flames are drawn.
Placing FDT in each likely path of the heat and flame, results in a quick detection and suppression of the fire (over 10 times faster than traditional systems), minimizing fire damage to the hood and lab.

Additionally, Firetrace Systems meet the requirements frequently placed on fire suppression systems by Fire Marshalls such as:

• Firetrace Systems can have multiple Pressure Switches with dry contacts that can be wired to activate local alarms, building alarms and disable fuel sources such as natural gas.
• Firetrace Systems can be manually activated, should the operator see a fire and want immediate suppression and they can even support multiple Manual Activation Stations.
• Firetrace Systems with Indirect Low-Pressure specifications, are UL-Listed and FM Approved.

Firetrace Installation Process

The Firetrace System Tank can easily be mounted on the top, side, behind or, in cases where the storage compartment does not pose a hazard, under the unit to suit the user's needs.

Firetrace's Red Detection Tubing (FDT) should be run across all exhaust openings, securely and unobtrusively behind the baffles (baffles shown here aremade of clear Plexiglas to allow proper viewing of the system).

Should a fire start, flames and heat drawn into any of the baffles will automatically activate the Firetrace Fire Suppression System, quickly and effectively, instantaneously suppressing the fire.

This system also features the Manual Release Station (large red button on the right) and a Pressure Switch on the tank, which is connected to the building structures fire alarm system.

Firetrace Systems work with a variety of extinguishing agents, including including but not limited to HFC-227ea clean agent and CO₂ along with dry chemical, foam or other products depending on the type of hazard that requires protection.