NFPA recommends that the electronic and heating,
ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment be
automatically shut down in the event of any suppression
system discharge, although the reasoning behind this
is different for water-based and clean-agent systems.
Electronic equipment can often be salvaged after
contact with water so long as it has been de-energized
prior to contact. With water-suppression systems, the
automatic shutdown is recommended primarily to save
the equipment. With clean-agent systems, the concern is
that an arcing fault could reignite a fire after the clean
agent has dissipated. In either case, however, the decision
to provide for automatic shutdown is ultimately the
owner’s, who may determine that continuity of operations
outweighs either of these concerns.