What type of extinguisher?

[haueter66]

I searched and saw alot of talk about fire extinguishers, but not alot about what type.  What I mean is, aren't there CO2 units or something that will work without the mess?  Or will those not work on a current fire?

Thanks

Mark

[hemihead]

I would go with a Halon type. 

[Mopar440+6]

One major question: Where is this fire extinguisher going to be? House? Garage? In your car? The type of fire extinguisher you get will depend alot on where it is going.

[MGBRingo]

This is what I am going to purchase.

http://www.josephprep.com/ColdFire/

[haueter66]

Ah yes, I guess I should have specified.  I am looking for something for my car.

[Mrfixit]

Hello, was wondering if the cold fire is NFPA approved? We use three kinds at work, kind of specific for where they are and their use. BC, ABC, And purple k.

[firefighter3931]

A dry chem with an ABC rating is what you want....extinguishes solids, liquids and electrical. Don't worry about the powder....the residue it leaves is nothing compared to the mess a fire will leave your car in. Trust me, i've seen lots of cars burn to the ground and it's not pretty. 

Ron

[Duey]

I'm with Ron, of course! 

Every car of mine has a Kidde 5# (UL-rated 3A-40BC) extinguisher.  Don't forget about P-A-S-S (pin-aim-shoot-sweep)!  My neighbour is a FF, and he makes sure I have all my extinguishers checked around the house anually (I have a 10# ABC on each floor of my house, a 6L K in the kitchen a 20# ABC in my downstairs workshop and a 5# and two 20# ABC's in the garage)

My neighbour said that if I bring my kids and wife to the station with one of our extinguishers to do a little training, he'll get it refilled for me no charge.  What a great neighbour!

Cheers,
Duey

[hemihead]

A dry chem with an ABC rating is what you want....extinguishes solids, liquids and electrical. Don't worry about the powder....the residue it leaves is nothing compared to the mess a fire will leave your car in. Trust me, i've seen lots of cars burn to the ground and it's not pretty. 

Ron

The raeson I like a Halon Ext. is because it works on ABC fires but has no mess to clean up afterward.They say you can spray it on a fire in your kitchen and even eat the food it was sprayed near.Makes sense since it removes the oxygen from the fire.

[Brock Samson]

Mine fits neatly in the console, just the right size as it don't rattle or roll around, my American Racing folding lug wrench fits right beside it,.. perfect! 

[last426]

In an old job I had I used a lot of fire extinguishers -- one time ten or more on one fire.  It is true that the dry chemical ones cause quite a mess -- plus that chemical seems to almost melt like plastic on really hot metal.  But it is very effective.  Halon and co2 extinguishers make no mess whatsoever but did not seem quite as effective.  In my car and at home I have dry chemicals.  Good to have by the kitchen and in the garage.  Never forget the time that I had my RX7 on jack stands with a leaking fuel pump.  The gas hit the drop cord light and whoosh, the floor underneath the car was ablaze -- a quick squirt from the extinguisher was all it took.  Recently had a fire on my Bricklin (a plug popped out of a fuel line and ignited) and on the hemi (a power steering hose broke and squirted fluid on the header) -- luckily had extinguishers for those as well.  Kim

[haueter66]

Can't the dry chemical harm the engine if it gets sucked in?

I guess thats really what I was wondering... I thought maybe halon or co2 would be better for an engine compartment fire?

[last426]

Can't the dry chemical harm the engine if it gets sucked in?

I guess thats really what I was wondering... I thought maybe halon or co2 would be better for an engine compartment fire?

I would definitely suggest turning the engine off if you can.  Dry chemical is somewhat gritty but I don't know how hard or abrasive the grit is.  It certainly would be stopped by the air cleaner element.  But if there was a roaring fire that burned off the air cleaner and you could not stop the engine, then I would imagine that sucking some into the engine would not be the worst thing -- I can't imagine much getting in there, if any at all.  And in my experience they are a bit more effective.  But heck, most anything is better than nothing.  Kim

[haueter66]

I guess thats a good point... the idea would be to stop the fire quick to avoid excess damage.  If it is a roaring fire it might be beyond the ability of a small extinguisher anyway.

Thanks for the input!

[Rocky]

Your best bet in a driver car is a small ABC dry chem extinguisher.

Fixed systems (Halon or CO2) are generally used for race cars, and are much more expensive than a 5 or 10Lb dry chem extinguisher.

Halon inhibits the combustion process.

CO2 displaces oxygen, so a fire is starved of oxygen and hopefully dies out.

Neither Halon or CO2 are very efficient for a fire in an open engine compartment.

  However, they are good for the cockpit (Just not the driver).  At high temperatures Halon breaks down in to gasses that are poisonous possibly causing more harm than good.  CO2 is heavy, and displaces oxygen, so a driver may actually suffocate if they cannot exit the vehicle in time.

As Kim has stated, shutting off the engine (or cutting the fuel supply)  is usually half the battle with an engine fire.

I've recently taken a class on fire fighting, and can answer most of your questions in more detail if you'd like.





Now you Know...........And Knowing is half the battle...............GO JOE!!!!!!!!!

[Beer]

Just finished Adv Shipboard Fire Fighting this week.

Dry Chemical extinguisher agent is corrosive, if you use that be thorough in your cleanup.

Halon breaks the chain reaction and does not work by smothering. For shipboard use Halon fixed systems refills has become illegal (according to our instructorin the US), and have been replaced with new systems using agents such as FM200. Halon when it is used in a fire, the halon changes into toxic gas because of the reaction with the heat. I would not eat any food that was near where a fire was extinguished with an agent, unless it was a factory bottled can/bottle of Beer cooled by putting the expansion nozzle of a CO2 extinguisher over it and chilling the Beer with the CO2.

I would use an ABC Dry Chem. You can see where the agent is as you are attempting to apply it, and where it needs to go, and you don't have to worry as much about the wind (you can see the agent as it is released), vice the CO2 that will easily blow away with a breeze. From the practice field, the CO2 fires seemed to reflash more with the heat still present with a 10-15 MPH Wind.

Beer

[chargerboy69]

Your best bet in a driver car is a small ABC dry chem extinguisher.

Do not use a Dry Chemical extinguisher. This is what I do for a living. I do service work for the state of Indiana and make sure companys are up to fire code. I service fire extinguishers, alarms and industrial systems. I can get you a Halon extinguisher if anyone needs one. The last thing you want to do is use a dry chemical under the hood of your car. You need a clean agent extinguisher. Never, and I repeat never buy a cheap  ABC extinguisher from Walmert or Lowes for your car. If anyone needs a good extinguisher for there Charger please let me know. Halons and Clean Gaurds are expensive, but well worth the price. I get used ones in all the time at a cheeper price. chargerboy69@hotmail.com . . . . . Tim

[chargerboy69]

The raeson I like a Halon Ext. is because it works on ABC fires but has no mess to clean up afterward.They say you can spray it on a fire in your kitchen and even eat the food it was sprayed near.Makes sense since it removes the oxygen from the fire.

They even have them in Hospitals in surgery rooms. They can be sprayed around a patient that is opened up with no worry. I know I see them in there all the time. .

[Rocky]

Just get some AFFF.

[Duey]

Just get some AFFF.

AFFF?  I've only seen that stuff coming out of a 20-ton, 500hp Oshkosh crash-truck...

[firefighter3931]

Your best bet in a driver car is a small ABC dry chem extinguisher.

Do not use a Dry Chemical extinguisher. This is what I do for a living. I do service work for the state of Indiana and make sure companys are up to fire code. I service fire extinguishers, alarms and industrial systems. I can get you a Halon extinguisher if anyone needs one. The last thing you want to do is use a dry chemical under the hood of your car. You need a clean agent extinguisher. Never, and I repeat never buy a cheap  ABC extinguisher from Walmert or Lowes for your car. If anyone needs a good extinguisher for there Charger please let me know. Halons and Clean Gaurds are expensive, but well worth the price. I get used ones in all the time at a cheeper price. chargerboy69@hotmail.com . . . . . Tim

Well, i put out fires for a living and i've used plenty of dry chem extinguishers on engine bay fires.  Sure it's a little messy but the alternative is much worse. A quick powerwash afterwards and you're good to go. AFFF is for fuel spills only, the foam supresses the release of the vapours. It's fuel vapour that burns....not the actual fuel. AFFF won't work on solid/electrical fires. 

Ron