advice on fire extinguishers please

Burnham Bob

Burnham Bob

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a survey suggested the fire extinguishers on the boat were past their sell by date. i have a good AFFF (foam) one and two dry powder ones, 800 gram and 1 kilo. It's these that are past it althogh I bet they will work if I try them! Remembering the previous post on how much mess dry powder makes what do you recommend? If I get a fire in the engine compartment I have a neat arrnagment in the steps through which i can poke a fire extinguisher and simply fill the compartment with the fire extinguisher output.

I have a fire blanket next to the galley. How about replacing both dry powder ones with a CO2 extinguisher? I would imagine the foam one and the blanket would be okay for fires in the sallon and galley. Do i really need dry powder?

The boat is Trapper 500 so hardly large below.
 
Replace 'em all with foam unless you have lots of mains-voltage electrics. A bit more expensive than powder, but not ruinously so if you seek out online specialists.

Pete
 
Everybody says that about the mess of a powder extinguisher. To be honest, if the fire s large enough to require an extinguisher, cleaning up afterwards is the least of it. Firstly, how many times have you had to use the extinguishers? Never, so how much clean ups hve you done, none. Most fires aboard cause a huge amount of soot and you will need to have a major refit afterwards.A small fire, you don't need a fire extinguisher anyway, and a fire blanket will do initially if there is no diesel or petrol involved, a bucket dipped in the floaty stuff will put it out fast. If it's away, heck get out, a couple of kilos are unlikely to put it out.
 
Bobobolinsky said:
Everybody says that about the mess of a powder extinguisher. To be honest, if the fire s large enough to require an extinguisher, cleaning up afterwards is the least of it.
Click to expand...

It's not a matter of mess, it's the way the powder generates a dense fog in a couple of seconds, obscuring all vision. See the Crash Test Boat fire video for an example - that's what persuaded me to replace mine.

Pete
 
I've got 2x 1Kg in the saloon at either end, so if I'm in the focsle I can grab an extinguisher and exit through the fore hatch. Coming the other way it's just inside the companionway. In no circumstances would I fight a big fire.I have two x 2Kgs too, which will go in the cockpit. I think with fires, it is better to prevent than fight

No Smoking below.
No Deep fat frying even without the risk of a pan fire, I would hate to get burnt with hot fat
That really just leaves an engine or electrical fire.
It's more about not doing risky things, like romantic candles, solid fuel, or liquid fuel fires.
 
Bobobolinsky said:
In no circumstances would I fight a big fire.
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Really? You can't exactly run out into the street and call the fire brigade, after all.

Obviously you don't want to get trapped by it, but as long as I had an escape route behind me I'd try to fight a fire below until it burned through the hull (or more likely a hose) and the boat was obviously sinking under me. No other option except the liferaft (if you carry one) and that option is not a favoured one.

Pete
 
Bobobolinsky said:
Everybody says that about the mess of a powder extinguisher. To be honest, if the fire s large enough to require an extinguisher, cleaning up afterwards is the least of it. Firstly, how many times have you had to use the extinguishers? Never, so how much clean ups hve you done, none. Most fires aboard cause a huge amount of soot and you will need to have a major refit afterwards.A small fire, you don't need a fire extinguisher anyway, and a fire blanket will do initially if there is no diesel or petrol involved, a bucket dipped in the floaty stuff will put it out fast. If it's away, heck get out, a couple of kilos are unlikely to put it out.
Click to expand...

I had a minor fire in my Carter 30 when the flexible gas hose to the gimballed cooker ruptured; it was put out by the crew turning off the gas bottle in the cockpit, and my letting off a dry powder extinguisher.

I didn't realise how corrosive the powder was, and after all the drama left it until we got into port.

It left deep, large black speckling all over the varnished woodwork it had settled on, and there was no recovering the finish, fortunately a small area.

Funnily enough I don't remember any cloudy lack of visibility, but it was all over pretty quickly.

So my message would be, if you survive the fire, clean up ASAP !
 
I have two 1kg powder, minor problem is that they don't have a best-before date marked (or a date of manufacture). I assume they can be considered OK while the pressure gauge shows the correct pressure and they get an occasional shake?

Is there any actual reason why they might need replacing? since the maker doesn't appear to think there is. (They are actually about 5 years old).

Similarly fire blanket? again I can't see how one of these would deteriorate.

Yes I know I really ought to get a foam jobbie.

Deep fat frying!? In how many ways is this Not A Good Idea?
 
blackbeard said:
I have two 1kg powder, minor problem is that they don't have a best-before date marked (or a date of manufacture). I assume they can be considered OK while the pressure gauge shows the correct pressure and they get an occasional shake?
Click to expand...

I believe that's correct. Expiry date is for when the manufacturer was too cheap to fit a gauge, so they have you buy a new one just in case.

blackbeard said:
Deep fat frying!? In how many ways is this Not A Good Idea?
Click to expand...

Wasn't there one of the epic singlehanders of the past who deep-fried chips mid-ocean in the same metal bucket he used for bailing and for "sanitary purposes"?

Pete
 
prv said:
It's not a matter of mess, it's the way the powder generates a dense fog in a couple of seconds, obscuring all vision. See the Crash Test Boat fire video for an example - that's what persuaded me to replace mine.

Pete
Click to expand...

Same detail here, fogging not cleaning afterwards is the issue.
 
CO2 extinguishers are excellent if the compartment they are being used in is relativly un- ventilated, HOWEVER it's worth remembering that they effectivey displace the oxygen so if you're also in the under ventilated compartment you may keel over! Dry powder will also have an axphysiating quality. AFFF would be my recommendation then co2 noth withstanding the above.
 
Burnham Bob said:
still wnder whether the CO2 extinguisher would be a good idea though......has anyone ever used one?
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CO2 puts the fire out very fast, no oxygen no fire, but no oxygen and people die, so has to be used with care. Also has no cooling effect so as CO2 drifts away fire starts again. Needs to be used with care too, you can freeze your hands onto the extingisher, not nice. CO2 is good for high voltage stuff because it is non conductive and can displace all the oxygen in an electronics box.

As for using it when HMS Valiant had a fire in the reactor compartment access house when she was in Chatham Dockyard I was standing by to operate the CO2 flood sysytem which would have filled the entire hull with CO2. Fortunately some one put the fire out with a handheld CO2. We had the entire Kent Fire Brigade lined up on the dockside that night, flashing blue lights as far as the eye could see
 
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Dry Powder Clean up

With

A little help from some friends in Weymouth we are about to patent our tried and tested powder removal method. Open front hatch, fit extractor fan and tube to hatch, liberal use of gaffer tape to seal, joints and switch on fan.

Then with compressed air line agitate dry powder residue and it is all soon cleared out.

Pity we never actually had a fire in the first place!

Aurai
 
quick bit of research and the SOLAS site suggets you shouldn't store CO2 units in living quarters

so it loooks like dry powder. although its the usual sod's law. if i buy a new one i won't need it and i'll wodh i'd saved the money..... :)

but my whole life and boating experience is based on that principle
 
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