2 Kilo Auto Fire Extinquisher

[oldgit]

Cheapest on ebay around £35-£40.
Love to buy locally but nobody stocks them, including my very local chandlery.

 

[wonkywinch]

I wouldn't buy safety related gear from Ebay, too many dodgy products on there.

I've been a happy customer of Safelincs for many years, they sell what you're looking for.

Small Automatic Powder Fire Extinguishers

 

[Stemar]

Aldidl have them from time to time.

 

[VicS]

Aldidl have them from time to time.

Automatic ones ??

I have manual ones from Lidl.
.

 

[PetiteFleur]

Don't use Powder Auto fire extinguishers, you can buy Auto Halon replacement fire extinguishers(clean gas extinguishers) - unfortunately they are more expensive, but won't damage your engine and no residue left. Make sure you get one to suit your engine space volume.
Fireblitz.co.uk is one supplier

 

[Stemar]

Automatic ones ??

I have manual ones from Lidl.
.

Doh!

Note to self - read the ******* post

 

[oldgit]

The 2 K auto extinquishers on Ebay are Fireblitz.....................2 in the engine bay at present, one has gone into the "Red."

After any serious fire in the engine compartment have some doubts regards my caring much about some powder in the cylinders or a coating of white powder on top of layer of burnt glassfibre ?
Would be interested in any actual testing or proof of internal damage caused, and the assumption that any sentient skipper would be shutting down any engines a bit sharpish ?

 

[afterpegassus]

Don't use Powder Auto fire extinguishers, you can buy Auto Halon replacement fire extinguishers(clean gas extinguishers)

I understood that halon fire extinguishers were no longer permitted due to the impact on the ozone layer ?
I witnessed halon in action many years ago (demonstration )and they were far superior to the alternatives.
A potential headache was the only downside ( ozone notwithstanding!!)

 

[penberth3]

I understood that halon fire extinguishers were no longer permitted due to the impact on the ozone layer ?
I witnessed halon in action many years ago (demonstration )and they were far superior to the alternatives.
A potential headache was the only downside ( ozone notwithstanding!!)

I think you've misunderstood 'halon replacement'.

 

[Momac]

.....................2 in the engine bay at present, one has gone into the "Red."

Warm it up a bit and see if it goes back in the green.
Does each extinguisher have enough capacity for the entire engine bay volume?

 

[wonkywinch]

I understood that halon fire extinguishers were no longer permitted due to the impact on the ozone layer ?
I witnessed halon in action many years ago (demonstration )and they were far superior to the alternatives.
A potential headache was the only downside ( ozone notwithstanding!!)

It's called FE36 now. But the same way smoking, eating sausages and drinking Guiness were all seen to be OK in the 1960s, I expect it will be unfashionable before long.

 

[afterpegassus]

I think you've misunderstood 'halon replacement'.

I may well have done....

 

[William_H]

The problem I would think with any automatic extinguisher is the possibility that it will discharge inadvertently. You would excuse a dry poweder mess if it was a real bad fire but get grumpy if it was a false firing. I would go for the halon replacement type extinguisher if you want automatic operation. ol'will

 

[oldgit]

Warm it up a bit and see if it goes back in the green.
Does each extinguisher have enough capacity for the entire engine bay volume?

Each extinguisher is supposed to do 2 cubic meters and would guess that engine comp is about 4 metres.
The fire suppression was fitted by the builder but doubt original units are those in there.
Going to cough up and buy another Fireblitz unit from ebay.

Hope to be off to Dunkerque in the spring and checking all the safety kit, including lifejackets plus need to send off the dinghy.

 

[Stemar]

Given the issues with powder in the engine compartment, would water mist be better?

They are capable of extinguishing class A (solids), class B (flammable liquids) and class C (flammable gasses) fires. Please note that the current certification standards do not allow yet the the formal certification of water-based extinguishers on B and C fires. Hence the limited number of classes stated on the front of all water mist extinguishers. Water mist extinguishers are nevertheless suited for B and C fires.
Water Mist Extinguishers

 

[rogerthebodger]

The problem I would think with any automatic extinguisher is the possibility that it will discharge inadvertently. You would excuse a dry poweder mess if it was a real bad fire but get grumpy if it was a false firing. I would go for the halon replacement type extinguisher if you want automatic operation. ol'will

This is exactly why the fire extinguisher in an engine compartment should not be automatic but a remote activated externally from the engine compartment.

This allows you for asses if the engine is safe to shut down before setting off the extinguisher.

 

[Momac]

This is exactly why the fire extinguisher in an engine compartment should not be automatic but a remote activated externally from the engine compartment.

This allows you for asses if the engine is safe to shut down before setting off the extinguisher.

Some insurances require an automatic engine bay fire extinguisher otherwise an engine bay fire is excluded as an insured peril.

 

[rogerthebodger]

Some insurances require an automatic engine bay fire extinguisher otherwise an engine bay fire is excluded as an insured peril.

If would the insurance pay for a replacement engine when the automatic fire exchanger goes off without cause.

Just another example of people making rules when they do not understand to real facts and just protecting their backside

 

[wonkywinch]

I checked with Safelincs re the Firebitz FE36 automatic units. They said they stopped stocking them as sales were slow (last one sold 2 years ago). I see the chandler's are out of stock too.

Not surprised at a retail price of £200 for the 2kg unit. Apparently, according to AI, an Aston Martin DBS Volante also costs c £100 a kilo

 

[PeterBoater]

Each extinguisher is supposed to do 2 cubic meters and would guess that engine comp is about 4 metres.
The fire suppression was fitted by the builder but doubt original units are those in there.
Going to cough up and buy another Fireblitz unit from ebay.

Hope to be off to Dunkerque in the spring and checking all the safety kit, including lifejackets plus need to send off the dinghy.

That goes against current practice. When the fire sets off one extinguisher, it will not be adequate to cover 4 cu m so the fire will continue; the fire then sets off the second extinguisher that again will not be adequate to cover 4 cu m. Current practice and recommendation is to have a single extinguisher to cover the total volume of the engine bay, minus the volume of the engines etc. Belt and braces would be to have two 'full volume' extinguishers, one at each end or side of the bay, but that would be expensive.