FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. What is the main advantage of hypoxic air over existing fire protection?
A.NO MORE FIRES..... Current water and gas suppression systems put out fires. Oxygen reduced air PREVENTS fires from starting; it is impossible to create ignition from any source or origin in this controlled environment. There is no way to test current fire suppression systems to see if they actually work, hope for the best? We are a complimentary system to water sprinklers. We protect the contents of the room.
Q. Can people enter the area of reduced oxygen?
A.Yes. At oxygen levels of 15% humans may inhabit the area for up to 6 hours, after which they should take in 30 minutes of ambient air. It is the identical atmosphere found on an airplane. If strenuous work is involved a medical check up is recommended. People with heart or respiratory problems should be checked prior to entering for prolonged periods of time. Worst case scenario, hypoxic air, may cause headache and nausea, cured by leaving room; it is not a chronic illness. Over ten million athlete hours have been logged in this environment without any side effects. That is a remarkable safety record.
Q. How large is the equipment to make oxygen reduced air?
A. Small compared to existing fire suppression and invasive piping. Equipment size is not dependent on the volume of the room but rather the leakage, air tightness, activity and number of humans occupying the facilities. The size of the equipment is marginal from largest to smallest installation. Our software will determine the most effective and cost efficient system to install. We have every safety feature imaginable.
Q. How air tight does a room need to be sealed?
A. The room must be as air tight as possible (10% or less) to be economical and efficient. However, it is not necessary, if not practical; we can place equipment to reduce virtually any room to 15% oxygen levels. The more efficiently the room is sealed, the less ongoing operating expense. Think of an air conditioner running in a room with open windows, same concept. A normal system will run 6 to 8 hours daily.
Q. What are maintenance requirements?
A. The same maintenance interval as with a fire alarm system. Air filters
requires annual changing, perhaps review every six months. The compressor,
nitrogen generator and membrane have a life expectancy of 20 years. We
can remotely monitor the system for maintenance and repair requirements
and have our network of 2,000 technicians available to remedy any situation
24 hours a day 7 days a week throughout the entire United States of America
. We test our system at factory prior to installation. Our competition
can not offer this unique feature. This will ensure quality product to
end user.
Q. How does circulating air affect the system?
A. Air conditioning, ventilation and heating systems need to be in a closed loop or equipment cost and operating expenses for electricity will be expensive as oversized equipment will need to be purchased. Remember, it is a controlled environment, and controlled entry, similar to an airplane. It operates the same as an air conditioner.
Q. What is the cost of installing the Zer0Burn system?
A. We are cost competitive on small installations and significantly less on larger installations as we have economy of scale. Each facility is reviewed by qualified personnel. Technicians perform a wind blower (fan) test to analyze the leakage in the room. RWI software will then determine equipment requirements. Each system installed is customized to that facility and therefore it is difficult to project precise equipment and installation costs without the aforementioned criteria. The units are manufactured in the USA . RWI systems are more than competitive to any existing form of fire protection and in some cases much less. Only a complete review will determine the cost. Remember, no more fires means a reduction in property/casualty insurance costs.
Q. Are there any waste products created?
A. The compressor creates a small amount of water as part of its dehumidifying process. This water is eliminated by connecting directly to existing plumbing. The nitrogen generator vents air with enriched oxygen (30%) content. The compressor generates heat which can be routed into other rooms. We are a green company complying with the Kyoto Protocol.
Q. Does the compressor and generator need to be in the room being protected?
A. No. The nitrogen generator must be within 100 yards of the compressor. There is no limit, within reason, as to how far the generator can be from protected area. We are simply delivering air under low pressure. We would recommend that this room be protected from fire. Zer0Burn has alarms for any nitrogen outage, unlike competitors.
Q. What type of piping is required?
A. The nitrogen supply should be in steel pipe, if outside, until it enters the protected area, and then plastic, rubber, copper pipe can be utilized. It can also be routed through existing air conditioning ducts; however, our preference is to keep distribution of nitrogen separate. Ther software will determine homogeneous nitrogen distribution.
Q. What type of safety features do you have?
A. Safety is our mission. The system includes both
battery operated and electronic oxygen monitors for independent cross
checking. A microprocessor performs multiple tasks in monitoring system
for safety and M&R requirements.
The software will select the exact size of the equipment, set alarms for
high/low oxygen levels, nitrogen generator/air compressor high/low alarms,
nitrogen output level alarms, etc. The software is capable of modifying
the working parameters of system.
