10 Year Pressure Testing

Home > Servicing > 10 Year Pressure Testing

SERVICE EXCHANGE CYLINDERS - Ten Year compulsory Hydrostatic Stretch and Pressure Testing

Fire suppression systems utilise high pressure vessels which must be maintained by law.  The process of testing is achieved by hydrostatically pressurising the pressure vessel that contains the fire suppression agent.

Hydrostatic pressure testing must be carried out every 10 years. The pressure vessel (fire suppression cylinder) must be decanted, cleaned then dried.  Once the contents and contaminates have been removed the fire suppression cylinder is filled with water.  

The cylinder is pressurised to one an a half times of its working pressure. The certification is carried out by a third party under strict regulation.

Hydrostatic Pressure Testing is compulsory and it is an offence not to have this done every 10 years.

Our company offers a same day service exchange.  We will arrange for the identical fire suppression cylinders to be delivered to site. The fill, pressure, make and manufacturer of the cylinder will be identical.  The gas is certified and tested and is also purified during the Hydrostatic Testing process.

There are no emissions during this process, so any impact on the environment is negligible. With FM200 and Novec1230 fire suppression systems it is more challenging, as the size, shape and fills are mostly varied from application to application.

Key information that is required, is a photo of the Cylinder Valve, the label on the cylinder, the height from the floor to the centre of the valve outle

Guidance Notes regards pressure testing can be found by CLICKING HERE

Fire suppression cylinders are pressurised as follows:

• Inergen - ranging from  bar to 300 bar
• Aragonite 200 bar/300 bar
• ProInert 200 bar/300 bar
• I2 - 200 Bar
• I3 - 300 Bar
• IG55 - 200 Bar/300 Bar
• FM200 - ranging from 25 bar to 42 bar
• Novec1230    - 25 bar
• CO2 - 60 bar

The testing pressure must be 1.5 x that of the wiring pressure, therefor the cylinders are pressure tested to:

• Inergen - ranging from 225 bar to 450 bar
• Aragonite 300 bar/450 bar
• ProInert 300 bar/450 bar
• I2 - 300 Bar
• I3 - 450 Bar
• IG55 - 300 Bar/450 Bar
• FM200 - ranging from 40 bar to 63 bar
• Novec1230    - 40 bar
• CO2 - 90 bar

Fire Suppression Limited offers the following service:

• Disconnection of the fire suppression cylinders 
• Collection of the cylinders
• Service replacement cylinders
• Decanting, pressure testing and re-certification
• Recommissioning