Remove FM200 system

Hello, can anyone tell me the necessary steps to properly remove an FM200 fire suppression system?
What do I need to know to safely disconnect everything?
Thanks in advance

once you remove the solenoid actuator from the cylinder valve assembly you should be safe from discharging any gas. after that, remove the pipe leading to the main outlet on the tank valve and the tank should be free from the system and safe to haul away (although it’ll still have gas in it). you should be able to remove the rest of the system at that point.

alternatively you could discharge the system and let the room air out for an hour, then go tear it down at will.

Thank you very much for your reply.
Any particular recomendation on how to remove the solenoid actuator?
Is there any precaution I should take before disconnecting anything?
Any “for dummies” explanation you can give me will be very useful.

Thanks

Usually they just unscrew. If you post a picture, it would be more helpful.

Sorry I don’t have any pictures.
The panel is a Mircom FR320.
What should I do to shut the system down to avoid a discharge?

Let’s back up a second… Does the bottle have an electric actuator or a squib?

Squibs :open_mouth:

Oh the discharges…

OK I got some pictures





How do I disconnect the actuator?
Is it safe to disconnect the discharge line after?
Can I also disconnect the pressure gauge?

I need to remove the cylinders and dismount all the devices, pipes, etc.

Looks like a solenoid, the black piece. Should be either a nut or cap on the top to loosen, then pull the black piece straight up. But looks like that 1/4" line might be in the way.

Then break the union above to disconnect the bottle from the pipe. First time I’ve seen a set up with a solenoid.

So I should disconnect/unscrew the solenoid actuator to avoid a discharge, disconnect/break the union above to separate the bottle from the pipe(*) and then dismount everything else?

(*)At the end the cylinder would remain attached to the valve asembly with the solenoid and presure gauge?

I’m not sure what that 1/4" line does.
I don’t know if the valve assembly should stay connected to the cylinder or if it can be removed.

Thanks for your comments.

Yes. As soon as you have the solenoid disconnected, there is no longer physical connection to the releasing panel. So even if you set off the panel, the bottle would not discharge. I would put a strong ziptie around the chrome pin that you see on the bottom of the assembly to keep it from being pulled out. It appears to be a manual release. If you pulled that pin and that level got pushed down, you will release the gas.

Yes, half of the solenoid would remain along with the brass and chrome portion of the bottle, you would leave that intact.

I would not remove anything brass or chrome once you break the union. Somewhere in that assembly, it’s under pressure - just look at the gauge! It looks like you could safely remove the small amount of red pipe above the brass but I would not wrench down on anything brass except to support it. If I were you, I would just remove the other half of the union and cap off the top of the cylinder. This way if something happens like the cylinder gets dropped or bumped, the valve may open but the gas will not escape as easily.

I probably should have said this before but I make no guarantee as to the accuracy of my advise - I’m just going on the pictures you’ve posted, and I’ve never seen an FM200 with a solenoid in person - only actuators or squibs. So this is a new one to me! If I had my hands on it, I could tell you for sure. But if you are not 100% comfortable with removing the bottle I would seriously call someone else. There is a lot of potential energy there and you could get seriously hurt if you loosen the wrong thing. No amount of money or pride is worth a serious injury… or worse…

Thank you very much for your detalied response.
Do you have any advice on how to disconnect/break the union of the red pipe from the valve assembly?
I was thinking of starting at the nozzle and unscrewing the pipe all the way back to the bottle and just unscrew the last piece of red pipe from the valve. Or should I just saw it off?

One wrench on the nut of the union, another wrench to support it, and some elbow grease! Use actual pipe wrenches, not channel locks. But that is what the union is there for, to disconnect the bottle from the piping for replacement or service. After that, just cut out the rest of the pipe. I wouldn’t worry about removing it clean. Work smarter, not harder. But I would advise against cutting anything still attached to the bottle.