Cost Effective: What Does It Means NAF Extinguishing Agents based on fluorocarbons represent cost effective solutions for both halon replacement and new systems.   To assess the overall cost of a clean agent total flooding system for different agent candidates, the designer must take into consideration various factors. These considerations apply not only for new systems but also for retrofit where Halon decommissioning is being implemented.   The extinguishing concentration of a particular product depends on the quantity of product needed for a certain application and therefore the cost related to a particular agent. Cost per kilogram of different agents vary considerably and the choice of a particular agent may help to save unnecessary cost thus maintaining the same degree of safety.   The quantity of a product together with its physical properties influence also the quantity and type of hardware required by the fire extinguishing system. Some products or technologies require considerably different number of cylinders and valves which significantly influence the total cost of the system.   The type and number of valves and cylinders also has an influence on the maintenance cost. It is obvious the cost of maintenance of a particular systems which require less number of cylinders and valves will be lower that another one which require a larger amount of hardware.   Also the complexity of engineering influences the total cost of a particular system. Products with favourable physical properties may show very good area coverage and allows the use of less number of nozzles compared to other agents. Simple engineering invariably means a lower cost of design and installation of the system.   The picture below clearly illustrates the associated costs of different products and technologies.