For nearly 20 years the FBCTM System Compatible Program has been the leading chemical compatibility resource for the Fire Protection Industry when it comes it comes to installation of BlazeMaster® Fire Protection Systems. The program is the oldest and most comprehensive such platform in the industry.
Since its inception in 2002, contractors, builders, specifiers, building owners, authorities having jurisdiction (AHJ) and fire officials have come to trust this program as a mark of assurance that ancillary products have undergone rigorous third party testing that has confirmed them to be compatible with not just BlazeMaster CPVC but with all of Lubrizol’s CPVC pipe and fitting products, including FlowGuard®, Corzan® and TempRite® Technology brands.
Scientific Approach Eliminates Guesswork
No other brand of CPVC fire protection products goes to the depth and breadth of the FBC System Compatible program. It’s a scientific approach that has evolved over time to eliminate the guesswork from compatibility. That in turn helps everyone involved in a fire protection system installation retrofit – the contractor, the specifying engineer, the building owner, the AHJ and local fire officials – have full confidence in the integrity of the installation.
The program is designed around third party testing. Manufacturers of ancillary products from 13 categories – such as thread sealers, gasket and gasket lubricants, a variety of firestop products and cleaners – submit products for testing by the third party, to testing and auditing protocols developed by Lubrizol.
Currently, 50 manufacturers have certified products through the FBC System Compatible Program, which indicates product compliance in the United States, Canada, Mexico, 25 European countries, the United Arab Emirates, India and China.
Third party testing is the key to this program, in which suppliers submit their products for testing with no alterations allowed to the tested and approved products. The third party also audits the manufacturing facility where the product is made. The testing and auditing protocols, developed by Lubrizol, provides assurance that the approved products are fully compatible and have been tested fairly and properly. Products in the program are given the right to display the FBC System Compatible mark on their labels.
Easy to Use Program, Regular Updates
It’s easy to determine which brands and which manufacturers are compatible with BlazeMaster Fire Protection Systems by using a handy system compatible finder. Our FBC System Compatible Program apps are available for iPhone and Android devices. These connect directly to the FBC System Compatible Program website and searches for chemically compatible products.
If a product’s formulation or manufacturing process is altered in any way, it must be re-submitted for evaluation before it is approved as an FBC compatible product. A regularly published change notification page indicates products that have been added to the compatibility list as well as those that have been removed. This is one more way that everyone involved in an installation or retrofit is kept abreast of the latest updates regarding compatible products.
It is important to emphasize that the FBC System Compatible program is unique to BlazeMaster CPVC in the fire protection category. That’s because every brand of CPVC piping is manufactured with unique compounds. Resins and chlorine content varies, depending on each manufacturer’s product formula. Different products also contain different performance additives. Both factors mean that ancillary products act differently with each manufacturer’s CPVC piping brand. The program is not meant to cover any other brands; similarly, no other brands’ programs should be considered when specifying BlazeMaster Fire Protection Systems.
Eliminate the guesswork regarding chemical compatibility by learning more about the FBC System Compatible Program.
