N2-BLAST® FPS-10000, FPS-16500 & FPS-22500 — Safety Guidelines – South-Tek Systems

Applies to: N2-BLAST® FPS-10000, FPS-16500, FPS-22500

Does NOT apply to: FPS-500, FPS-900 and FPS-900-RS, FPS-1650, FPS-3250, FPS-5000 — see the safety article for your model.

Read the O&M manual in full before working on this system, and follow the feed compressor manufacturer's own safety guidelines.

⚠ Warning — stopping this generator is a fire protection impairment This generator supervises a fire sprinkler system. Stopping it or its feed compressor, putting a riser on air, draining a section, or anything that makes its supervisory signals untrustworthy is an impairment, however short. Before you start: declare the impairment, notify the building owner or their impairment coordinator and the alarm monitoring company, have the affected points put on test, and tag the system under the site's impairment program. Record the riser's supervisory pressure first — read it at the riser's own gauge or at the panel, not from the generator's tank pressure. Before you leave, confirm: the nitrogen outlet valve open, the unit back in Running or Standby, the panel showing no alarm or trouble from the generator, the riser back at the pressure you recorded, the points off test and the tag cleared.

Nitrogen Gas Safety

These generators produce nitrogen (N₂). Nitrogen gas is not poisonous, but high concentrations displace oxygen and can cause asphyxiation.

⚠ WarningInstall the unit in a well-ventilated room that is not sealed off from normal living space air changes. Do not directly inhale nitrogen gas.

General Safety Requirements

These requirements apply at all times:

Follow safe working practices in accordance with OSHA and applicable local health and safety regulations.
Only competent, trained, and authorized individuals may install, operate, maintain, or repair the system.
The owner is responsible for keeping the unit in safe working condition at all times.
Use only approved replacement parts that meet or exceed original specifications.
Use the equipment only for its designed purpose, and do not modify it beyond its technical specifications.

Pressurized Gas Hazards

⚠ WarningComponents operate under pressure. Pressurized gases are dangerous and may cause serious injury or death if handled incorrectly.

Never allow pressurized gas to exhaust from an unsecured hose — it can whip and cause serious injury. If a hose bursts during operation, immediately close all isolation valves if it is safe to do so, then shut off the unit. That is an impairment: notify the building owner or their impairment coordinator and the alarm monitoring company, and tag the system under the site's impairment program. Clear the tag only once the nitrogen outlet valve is open, the unit is back in Running or Standby, the riser is back at its normal supervisory pressure and the panel is clear.
Never disable or bypass a safety relief valve.
Switching the unit off does not depressurize it. The nitrogen storage tank inside the cabinet has its own ball valves, relief valve and gauge, and it stays pressurized after shutdown — as does the riser it feeds.
Before any mechanical work, including a filter change, stop the generator, shut the air inlet valve and relieve the pressure in the section you are opening. On a filter change you do not shut the nitrogen outlet valve. Closing it is its own impairment once the riser is in service. Confirm the section really is relieved — the procedure is in Preventive Maintenance. That is an impairment: notify the building owner or their impairment coordinator and the alarm monitoring company, and tag the system under the site's impairment program. Clear the tag only once the nitrogen outlet valve is open, the unit is back in Running or Standby, the riser is back at its normal supervisory pressure and the panel is clear.

Air Supply Safety

Keep the feed air between 40°F and 100°F (4°C to 38°C), with a pressure dew point below 40°F (4°C). Air outside those limits can cause damage that is not covered by warranty.

⚠ Warning — the air inlet regulator is not a field adjustment Feed the generator at full compressor pressure. The cabinet's air inlet regulator drops it to the 120 to 125 PSIG the machine runs on. Do not add a line regulator, do not turn the compressor down, and do not touch the internal regulator. Never let pressure downstream of the air inlet regulator exceed 150 PSIG — above it the carbon molecular sieve in the separation beds can be crushed, which is permanent damage, not covered by warranty.

Electrical Safety

Always disconnect the generator from supply power before any electrical work, and lock out the external disconnect. That is an impairment: notify the building owner or their impairment coordinator and the alarm monitoring company, and tag the system under the site's impairment program. Clear the tag only once the nitrogen outlet valve is open, the unit is back in Running or Standby, the riser is back at its normal supervisory pressure and the panel is clear.
Electrical connections must be made by a qualified electrician, to an approved disconnect rated for the load in Site and Utility Requirements.
Wear safety glasses when the cabinet door is open while the machine is running.
Use hearing protection when the equipment is in operation.

Installation Safety

These are floor-standing units, bolted down inside a wooden crate. Unbolt the unit from the crate floor before lifting it out with a forklift, through the slot underneath.

⚠ WarningUse only properly rated lifting and rigging equipment when moving the generator. Avoid heavy impacts and jolting motions that may damage internal components.

Install the unit on a solid, flat surface. Anchoring is not required by South-Tek Systems, but follow local and site codes for securing floor-standing equipment; four anchor bolt holes are provided in the support legs.
Install the unit indoors, in a nonhazardous location, in an upright position.
Keep the ambient temperature between 40°F and 90°F (4°C to 32°C).
Do not install near a heat source or in any area where steam or water may contact the unit.
Leave 36 inches of clearance at the front and both sides for maintenance, and 6 inches minimum at the rear for ventilation. The electrical panel is behind the front doors, so the front clearance is also the electrical working space — provide 36 inches or the depth NEC 110.26 requires for the installed voltage and conditions, whichever is greater.
Use a floor jack to reposition the unit after unloading. Do not drag or tip the cabinet.

Warranty and Unauthorized Modifications

Do not alter any factory control, instrument or controller setting without prior written approval from South-Tek Systems — unauthorized changes void all warranties and can damage the system. Do not adjust the factory preset cut-in and cut-out pressures without consulting South-Tek Systems first; changing them can alter nitrogen purity and flow.

Manual download

FPS-10000, FPS-16500, and FPS-22500 O&M Manual

Need help? South-Tek Systems Service — Phone: (910) 415-1880 · Open a support ticket at support@southteksystems911.zendesk.com or through the Help Center.