Inergen vs Novec - Which Fire Suppression Is Best? 

Fire suppression is a protocol that should be a part of every business and home looking to implement an optimal health and safety level for everyone involved - from friends, family and staff members within your team. 

Finding the finest fire extinguishers, whether that be water chemical, foam, mist, CO2 (carbon dioxide), etc is always a debate that many discuss when enforcing a new fire suppression system within their desired area. 

One that we hear of often is the Inergen vs Novec argument and which inert gas fire suppression is best when it comes to extinguishing flames effectively. Carry on reading further to learn more about the two elements, how they compare to each other and whether there is a winner of the two!

A Closer Look at Inergen vs Novec 1230

Fire protection agents are typically effective as they’ve been researched heavily to prevent flames from spreading and in most cases, putting out the fire completely. Whether this is via a reduction of oxygen levels or a cooling effect (or both), fire suppression systems have certainly changed the way we view fire safety nowadays. 

However, today we’re taking a closer look at Inergen vs Novec 1230 fire suppression systems and assessing whether there is a standout performer between the two clean agents. Does one clean agent outperform the other in all areas or does it depend on the scenario? Let’s break down the key elements.

1 - The Flexibility of Both Clean Agents

When it comes to the flexibility of each clean agent, you must look at the distance between the cylinders and where the fire suppressant agent can reach (whether this be vertical or horizontal distance) and also whether the clean agent can cover multiple rooms. 

Inergen systems certainly wins this debate, as multi-room functions can be installed. This clean agent can be far away from the scene of events and still perform optimally. Whereas, if you choose Novec 1230, this clean agent fire suppression system will have to be as close to the potential fire hazards as possible in the event of a fire for it to work efficiently. 

Furthermore, due to you needing to install Novec 1230 closer to the potential fire hazards - if a fire occurs in another room, this substance won’t be able to assist your needs in any way (as it won’t be able to detect the fire).

2 - Quality of the Cylinders

In complete contrast to the previous point, Novec 1230 has a huge advantage in terms of quality and the number of cylinders required to prevent flames from spreading through the premises. 3M Novec 1230 will only require a minimal amount of cylinders for optimal performance, but Inergen will always require a hefty amount. 

Not only does this cost you more money when buying cylinders more frequently, but you will have to own an adequate storage room, as Inergen requires more energy. Of course, some businesses will have the space and money to afford this, but the laborious task of ordering these cylinders consistently will be time-consuming.

3 - Environmental Considerations

As you look closely at these two clean agent gas suppression systems, they will automatically be additionally more environmentally friendly compared to other fire suppression methods. However, comparing the two within this area of debate - they both land on an equal playing field.

This is due to an array of factors. Naturally, Inergen is the more environmentally friendly compound due to the 3 naturally occurring gases it uses. Nonetheless, because it uses so many cylinders at a time compared to Novec 1230, they seem to meet in the middle. 

In terms of being more environmentally friendly, however, Inergen clearly wins. Yet, using that many cylinders at once will cause more delivery transport for each job - meaning it will be closer to the clean agent of Novec 1230. 

With both having no ozone depleting potential or global warming potential, they line up nicely to help the environment along the way. In fact, if you use 3M Novec 1230, you get a 20 year blue sky warranty due to the environmental benefits.

4 - Human Safety

As you compare the two clean agent fire suppression systems, one of the key measurements is how it will affect others when it is spread across the room of the onrushing fire. Being cautious of the concentration levels and the amount of oxygen that a person will receive during evacuation is paramount when designing a fire suppression system. 

When you look closely at the two substances that are released, Inergen has a safety margin/factor of 7% - 26% and Novec 1230 has a safety margin/factor of 88% - 138%. Therefore, Novec has the upper hand when it comes to protecting humans when evacuating the building. 

Especially if it is not an easy building to navigate and evacuate, this could have adverse effects on people rushing around. Not only will they be experiencing smoke and flames, but the concentration levels of Inergen could add damage on top of that.

5 - Price of Both Clean Agents

When you look at the price, cylinder for cylinder - Inergen will win every day. However, because Inergen requires more cylinders to effectively dismiss a rush of flames - if you want a cheaper compound, you should choose Novec 1230. 

You will need approximately 18 Inergen cylinders to do the same job as only 3 Novec 1230 cylinders. Thus, the results are clear that the sheer volume of Inergen cylinders will always cost you more than investing in Novec 1230 cylinders.

Final Thoughts Between the Two Clean Agents

In conclusion, a lot of the decisions made when choosing between Inergen and Novec 1230 depend on the size of your project, the storage access you have and the money you have to invest in optimal fire protection systems. 

Consequently, if you believe that you have the storage access and money to afford the Inergen substance, we would recommend that you choose this clean agent. On the other hand, if your project size is small, you have little storage capacity and money to invest - Novec 1230 will always win. 

They both share individual benefits and some of the decisions will be based on your ethos in the workplace or at home. If you want to be more environmentally friendly, you will go with Novec 1230. Likewise, if you want people to be in less danger, Novec 1230 will be the choice of clean agent also. 

However, if you would rather have more flexibility (covering more distance with your fire system), Inergen will win every time. We hope this has helped you make the crucial decision of the clean agent to go for within your domestic or commercial property. If not, contact us here at MEP Fire and we’d love to help you with your final judgement.