Fire Extinguisher Tip

[larrie]

The one in our van is rated ABC or Trash, Liquids, Electrical. Seemed like he best solution when I bought it.

[daveb]

Gas type extinguishers are suited better for electrical type fires as well as close quarter fires where the gas breaks up the chemical features of the stuff burning itself. Hopefully the heat or ignition source will cease long enough to stop re-ignition. They are not as good for plastics and wood types fires. Although all do the same, chemical types cling more to disrupted the fire so combustion is less likely to re-ignite. But the chemical can damage stuff like moving parts and electronics. There is a point where lowering the ignition temp or flash point can be accomplished better by dry chemicals compared to a CO2 or halon types. It's a matter of application and time. Hard for me to explain being I drank beer tonight which also will work to some extent if you shake the can. For the size, CO2 types are large and can be an issue on skin. Asphyxiation is also a concern. Halon is neat, clean but is less likely to disrupt re-ignition after it dissipates. It is good for propane fires as it breaks up fires reaction to burn but if the gas keep coming Chemical types are great but damage some stuff yet are better as an all around product to put out wood, plastics and other solids. Of course you can always crack beer cans and throw them at your burning vehicle...just save a couple so you can cry as it burns to the ground...just kidding! Actually Halon and dry chemical are both good to have on hand. Dry chemical extinguishers do fairly well on wet type open fuel fires like grease, diesel, and gasoline as well.

At least that is what I have been told.

[dhally]

Originally Posted by daveb

... Hard for me to explain being I drank beer tonight ..

Are you sure it was just one?

[BroncoHauler]

Been researching extinguishers a bit. From what I've seen so far, depending on the extinguishing agent used, even a 5lb tank only has between 9 - 14 seconds of discharge time. Plenty to put out a small cooking fire, but a vehicle fire?

I currently have a 2.5lb extinguisher dedicated to my teardrop, but I need to figure out what size extinguisher to mount in all my other vehicles and where to mount them. I have plenty of mounting options in the Bronco due to the full cage, but with only a soft top on the Bronco, mounting it out of view for passers-by is essential so it doesn't grow legs and wander off is vital.


Herb

[Viejo]

I'd better get to the hardware store early today, looks like there's going to be a run on fire extinguishers.

[rob_gendreau]

Anyone use a ColdFire or FireAde extinguisher? I trained with some at the track once and it seemed to work pretty well. Unlikely you'd be stuck in the vehicle, and a refillable one might take up more space, but you could use the tank to pressurize a solar shower...maybe even wash yourself with it. I suspect it's like surfactants, but the MSDS doesn't say since I guess it's proprietary. Since it's biodegradable and all you could also use it to douse campfires, although I dunno if you could reignite the wood afterwards, perhaps after it dries. At least in class B fires one of the advantages is supposed to be it prevents reignition, unlike CO2 for example. You can get non-rechargeable ones in small cans so you could have several in easily accessible locations.

It wouldn't be for an electrical fire, but I suspect that we'd just get a fire initiated by a short, not an ongoing electrical fire. Reminds me I'd thought about installing kill switches.

[daveb]

Originally Posted by dhally

Are you sure it was just one?

Me? Drink? Well I had posted something about Herbs trailer but edited it cause I didn't want to offend him and bring a teardrop to his eye

Originally Posted by BroncoHauler

Been researching extinguishers a bit. From what I've seen so far, depending on the extinguishing agent used, even a 5lb tank only has between 9 - 14 seconds of discharge time. Plenty to put out a small cooking fire, but a vehicle fire?




Herb

Kind of depends on how far involved the fire is and what’s burning. A 2 lber can do a fairly good job on an engine fire most of the time. I use a 5 lb dry chemical on transformer fires and that oil is usually so hot it re-ignites several times before the oil temp is low enough to smolder. The key is to slowly pull the trigger and lob it on... don't blast it. Then the extinguisher lasts a lot longer. Blasting an oil fire can also be kind of dangerous. But a fully involved vehicle fire…call the fire dept.

[BroncoHauler]

Originally Posted by daveb

... I use a 5 lb dry chemical on transformer fires and that oil is usually so hot it re-ignites several times before the oil temp is low enough to smolder.

You carry a special fire extinguisher just for SMB Transformer models? How noble of you. I didn't realize that they tended to burst into flames. Maybe they're based on Pintos.


Herb

[BroncoHauler]

Here's an interesting article on choosing a fire extinguisher. This article comes from an aircraft perspective, so the application is somewhat different, and as a disclaimer, this article is posted ( and written?) by a fire extinguisher manufacturer.

http://www.h3raviation.com/news_cockpit ... ection.htm


Herb

[daveb]

Originally Posted by BroncoHauler

You carry a special fire extinguisher just for SMB Transformer models? How noble of you. I didn't realize that they tended to burst into flames. Maybe they're based on Pintos.


Herb

Why do you think SMB doesn't make them anymore