Gaseous extinguishing systems protect volumes where water cannot be used: data centers, system rooms, archives, generator and transformer rooms. The distinguishing characteristic of these systems is that they are single-shot systems — they do not operate in stages like sprinklers; they discharge once and must function correctly at that moment. For this reason, maintenance of a gaseous system is not about checking whether "there is a fault," but rather proving that it can still dischargeA zone monitoring module connects an entire conventional detector line to the addressable loop. Critical areas are renewed with addressable devices while secondary zones continue to operate with their existing wiring. This provides significant cost advantage in capacity upgrade and renovation projects.
FM-200 (HFC-227ea) and Novec 1230 (FK-5-1-12) gaseous suppression systems installation, cylinder filling, periodic maintenance, and recommissioning after discharge We provide service. In gaseous systems, the number of companies capable of performing installation, filling, and maintenance together is limited; we execute all three services in-house.
What Is Done During Periodic Maintenance?
Cylinder and gas quantity
TS ISO 14520-1 Section 9.2.1.3requires the tank contents to be checked at least every 6 months and explicitly specifies the threshold for halocarbon gases: a tank of suppression agent shall be refilled or replaced if it experiences more than 5% mass loss or or more than 10% pressure loss (corrected for temperature) Weighing of cylindersA zone monitoring module connects an entire conventional detector line to the addressable loop. Critical areas are renewed with addressable devices while secondary zones continue to operate with their existing wiring. This provides significant cost advantage in capacity upgrade and renovation projects.
- and comparison of the measured weight with the label value Reading of propellant gas (nitrogen) pressure and
- comparison with the value corrected for ambient temperature Comparison of pressure and weight indicators
- with instruments calibrated at least once per year (Section 9.2.1.3)
- Inspection of cylinder body for corrosion, impact marks, label readability, stamps, and last test date
- Integrity of cylinder securing clamps and supporting structure
- Recording of inspection date and inspector name on the label affixed to the cylinder (Section 9.2.1.5)
Manometer reading alone is misleading. Even if there is some leakage in the suppression gas stored in the liquid phase, the propellant gas pressure may appear normal for a long time. The reliable method showing quantity loss is weighing; therefore weighing is not omitted during maintenance. We perform filling of cylinders exceeding the threshold and body testing — see see the cylinder filling and hydrostatic testA zone monitoring module connects an entire conventional detector line to the addressable loop. Critical areas are renewed with addressable devices while secondary zones continue to operate with their existing wiring. This provides significant cost advantage in capacity upgrade and renovation projects.
Discharge path
- Inspection of manifold, flexible connecting hoses, check valves, and piping connections
- Nozzles in place, correct direction, and unobstructed ; not subsequently covered by suspended ceiling or cable tray
- Solenoid valve / actuator mechanically free and safety pin in correct position
- Integrity of pilot line and triggering chain between cylinders
Detection, control, and alarm
- Reading of failure and bypass records on the suppression control panel
- Testing of cross-zone (dual-zone confirmation) detection logic
- Measurement of delay time — conformity with time required for facility evacuation
- Manual discharge and abort button function
- Operation of audible and visual alarms prior to discharge; presence of warning signs inside and at the entrance of the facility
- Solenoid circuit isolated triggering test performed to prevent unwanted discharge
Facility integrity — most frequently overlooked item
Gaseous suppression system extinguishes fire by maintaining a certain gas concentration in the facility for the required duration If gas escapes through an open door, non-closing damper, unsealed hole at cable penetration, or void beneath raised floor, concentration drops and fire reignites after gas discharge. This occurs even if cylinders are completely full.
BYKHY Section 98 requires windows, vents, and ventilation ducts in volumes where gaseous suppression is applied to be designed to close automatically during gas discharge. Points we check during maintenance:
- Self-closing of doors and integrity of sealing strips
- Actual verification that dampers close upon gas discharge signal
- Stoppage of air conditioning and ventilation
- Sealing of cable and pipe penetrations with fire-stopping material
- Whether suspended ceiling and raised floor voids are included in the calculation
- Presence and freedom of pressure relief vent
The measurable form of these items is the facility leakage test (door fan test). The test measures the actual leakage area of the facility and calculates whether gas can be maintained for the required duration. If cables have been subsequently run, partitions changed, or equipment added to the facility, this test is the only reliable verification.
Filling and Recommissioning After Discharge
Cylinders require filling when they exceed the weight loss limit during weighing, when the system discharges in a real fire or unintended discharge, or when the cylinder's periodic body (hydrostatic) test is due. Besides FM-200 and Novec 1230 we also perform filling and hydrostatic testing of CO₂ and argon-based inert gas cylinders; for the complete process and filling thresholds see the cylinder filling and hydrostatic test page. Filling is not merely about pressurizing gas:
- Internal inspection of the discharged cylinder and hydrostatic testing if required
- Renewal of valve, dip tube, and seals
- Recalculation of gas quantity according to the facility's current volume and design concentration
- Filling with correct gas and correct propellant nitrogen pressure, weighing and labeling after filling
- Reinstallation, actuator connection, and recommissioning of the system with integrity tests
The critical point after discharge is the third item. If there have been changes to partitions, equipment, or cables in the facility since the system was installed, filling with the original quantity leaves the system undersized. Volume and concentration are rechecked before filling.
FM-200 or Novec 1230?
Both are clean gases: they do not damage electronic equipment, are non-conductive, leave no residue after discharge. Suppression mechanisms are also similar. The main point where they differ is environmental and regulatory is the party concerned:
- FM-200 (HFC-227ea) is a hydrofluorocarbon; high global warming potential, long atmospheric lifetime. HFC gases are subject to phased reduction under international agreements; this means long-term uncertainty in terms of supply and cost.
- Novec 1230 (FK-5-1-12) is in the fluorinated ketone class; negligible global warming potential, atmospheric lifetime measured in days. Therefore it is outside the reduction schedule.
An existing FM-200 system is not dismantled for this reason; a sound and properly sized system continues to serve. However, in new investments and in large-volume filling decisions this difference must be considered. A third option is also evaluated when deciding: in continuously unoccupied enclosed spaces (archive, storage, server room), oxygen reduction systems that prevent fire formation from the outset can be applied under BYKHY Section 98.
Human Safety
The safety of personnel working in a facility where a gaseous suppression system is installed is part of the design. BYKHY Section 98 requires that during automatic gas discharge or system activation, notifications are provided to the operator and personnel in the facility, and audible and visual alarms are provided and installed to enable persons to evacuate the suppression area. During maintenance, the operation of these alarms, adequacy of delay time for evacuation, and function of the abort button are additionally tested.
Why Should You Procure This Service from a Single Firm?
Fire safety is not a single system, but two interdependent engineering disciplines: mechanical side (pump unit, sprinkler, hydrant, fire cabinet, piping) and electronic side (detection, alarm, announcement, suppression triggering, control panels). Few firms in the market perform both sides together; most facilities obtain mechanical maintenance from one firm and electronic maintenance from another.
The problem starts here. What activates the system during a fire is not individual devices, but the connections between them: the flow switch will alert the panel, the panel will trigger the pump and damper, the announcement will sound before the gas system discharges, the elevator will descend to the evacuation floor. If there is a gap in responsibility between two firms in the middle of this chain, both firms may hand over their equipment as "working" while the system as a whole does not function. The most frequent fault we observe in the field is not a defective device, but an interface that no one ownsA zone monitoring module connects an entire conventional detector line to the addressable loop. Critical areas are renewed with addressable devices while secondary zones continue to operate with their existing wiring. This provides significant cost advantage in capacity upgrade and renovation projects.
As ASPEK Mühendislik, we are headquartered in Ankara and serve throughout Turkey. We conduct mechanical and electronic maintenance within the same team schedule; the installation, filling, and maintenance of sprinkler, hydrant, and fire pump units and FM-200 and Novec 1230 gas suppression systems fall within this scope — areas where finding a qualified technician is most difficult.
We structure our scope accordingly: from detection to gas suppression, from sprinkler and hydrant lines to fire pump units we provide end-to-end end to end in a building — single contract, single point of contact, single reporting format. For facilities that request it, we also add the periodic maintenance of camera (CCTV) systems to the same contract; when fire and security infrastructure is consolidated under one roof, there is no such thing as a "fault falling between two firms."
Legal Basis for This Maintenance
Regulation on Fire Protection of Buildings (BYKHY) maintenance of fire safety systems is defined not as an optional improvement, but as an obligation incumbent upon the building owner and administrator defines it as follows:
- Article 84 — Emergency lighting, signage, and fire detection and alarm systems shall be subject to periodic inspection, testing, and maintenance as required by the system specified in the applicable standards, under the responsibility of the building owner and administrator or the building official to whom they have delegated responsibilities in writing.
- Article 100 — Fire suppression systems shall be subject to periodic inspection, testing, and maintenance as required by the system specified in the applicable standards, under the responsibility of the building owner, administrator, or the building official to whom they have delegated responsibilities in writing is a requirementA zone monitoring module connects an entire conventional detector line to the addressable loop. Critical areas are renewed with addressable devices while secondary zones continue to operate with their existing wiring. This provides significant cost advantage in capacity upgrade and renovation projects.
The common aspect of both articles is this: the regulation does not prescribe the period itself, but refers it to the standard the system is subject to. In other words, maintenance frequency is set not by the regulation but by the standard the system was designed to (TS EN 12845 for sprinklers, the TS EN 54 series for detection, TS ISO 14520 for gas systems) and by the manufacturer's own manual. A specification that says "the regulation requires this frequency" is built on the wrong basis.
The Ministry's regulation guide explicitly requires retention of these records: information, documents, and records related to inspections, maintenance, and tests must be kept in a secure place by the building owner, administrator, or responsible party for submission to relevant authorities in any emergency. Maintenance being performed is not enough; it must be documented that it was performed.
Related Products and Guides
- FM-200 filling · Novec 1230 maintenance and filling
- Gaseous suppression products
- Fire suppression systems guide
- Data center solutions · energy and transformer installations
We have explained item by item which items determine filling and maintenance cost; quotation is always based on survey. explained item by item on our maintenance pricing page
To Set Up Your Maintenance Program
One contract, a solution for everything: we provide end-to-end maintenance to fire detection, gas suppression, sprinkler, hydrant, and pump units in their entirety; if you wish, maintenance of camera (CCTV) systems can also be added to the same contract.
If you do not have the brand, age, and last maintenance record of the existing system on hand, that is not a problem; the first step is anyway inventory and current condition assessment. Setting up an annual program without seeing what is there in the field means selling maintenance for a system that does not exist.
You can examine your system brand's product equivalents in our product catalog ; for requirements specific to your facility's use class, you can visit our sectoral solutions pages.
For survey and quotation you can or send your plan through our write or directly You can call call the number. Survey is free within Ankara; for facilities throughout Turkey, the visit plan is established jointly before contract.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should FM-200 cylinders be filled?
Filling is performed when the weight measured during periodic weighing exceeds the allowable loss relative to the label value; when the system has discharged in an actual fire or unintended discharge; or when the cylinder's periodic pressure test is due. A decision must not be made based on the pressure gauge appearing normal without conducting a weighing test.
If the pressure gauge appears normal in a gaseous system, is the cylinder full?
Not necessarily. Since the suppression gas is stored in liquid phase, even if some leakage occurs, the propellant nitrogen pressure can remain in the normal range for an extended period. Weighing is the only method that reliably indicates quantity loss.
Is chamber tightness testing (door fan testing) mandatory?
The ability of the gaseous system to suppress depends on maintaining the required gas concentration in the chamber for the necessary duration. If the leakage area is large, even with full cylinders the system cannot perform its function. Particularly if cables have been added, partitions changed or equipment added to the chamber subsequently, conducting this test is the only measurable way to verify that the system will operate.
Should FM-200 or Novec 1230 be preferred?
Both are clean agents in terms of suppression performance and safety to electronic equipment. The difference lies on the environmental and regulatory side: FM-200 is an HFC with high global warming potential and is subject to international phase-down; Novec 1230 is at negligible level. Existing FM-200 systems are not removed for this reason; however, this difference must be taken into account in new investments and large refilling decisions.
The system has discharged, what should I do?
After the chamber is ventilated and made safe, the cause of discharge is determined, cylinders are taken for filling, and valves and seals are replaced. Before filling, the current volume of the chamber and design concentration are verified again—if the chamber has changed, filling with the previous quantity will leave the system inadequate. Cylinders are remounted and the system is restored to automatic mode through testing.
What is required for personnel working in a room with a gaseous fire suppression system?
BYKHY Article 98 requires audible and visual alarms that notify the operator and personnel in the chamber during gas discharge and provide for evacuation. This must be accompanied by a delay time sufficient for evacuation, a functional manual stop button, and warning signs inside and at the entrance of the chamber.
Who performs gaseous fire suppression system maintenance and cylinder filling?
Maintenance operates on two fronts: the detection-actuation panel side and the mechanical side of cylinders-nozzles-piping; ASPEK handles both with its own personnel. Let's be honest about filling: no company fills FM-200, Novec or CO2 cylinders in its own workshop; filling is performed at a certified filling facility. We manage the entire process—removal, shipment, filling supervision, return installation and recommissioning—on a single-source basis throughout Turkey.
Can the maintenance company also perform the periodic inspection?
Weighing, pressure verification, actuation testing and deficiency correction are handled by us under one roof. In facilities where independent inspection is required, a Type A inspection body cannot remedy deficiencies it finds due to impartiality requirements; we assume responsibility for cylinder replacement, filling coordination and system recommissioning after inspection.
What documents are provided after filling and maintenance?
Cylinder weighing and pressure values, hydrostatic test dates and panel test results together with a maintenance report; if filling was performed, the filling facility's documents and recommissioning certificate are delivered together. This file is proof of system readiness during fire department inspection and in insurance claims processes.
What happens if I do not perform maintenance?
Gas leakage is silent: the cylinder remains in place but its contents are depleted; a system whose pressure gauge and weight are not checked will either not discharge or discharge insufficiently in a fire. The suppression concentration required by TS ISO 14520 cannot be achieved with insufficient gas. In server rooms, archives, transformer rooms and similar spaces, the cost of this is the very asset that the system was installed to protect.
Does the insurance company request gaseous system maintenance records?
In spaces protected by gaseous systems such as data centers, archives and electrical rooms, it is common practice to request maintenance and filling documents after loss. Terms vary by policy; in facilities where weighing records and filling certificates are regularly filed, the process proceeds much more quickly. We keep this file current for each maintenance for our customers in Ankara and throughout Turkey.
On what basis is FM-200 filling price determined?
Cylinder quantity and water volume, amount of gas to be filled (kg), whether the hydrostatic test period is current, parts to be replaced such as valves and hoses, and facility location are the main line items. Providing a fixed price list would be misleading; we prepare a detailed itemized quotation after survey. All determining line items are explained in detail on our maintenance pricing page.