Anyone used Fire Safety Stick as an alternative to a fire extinguisher?

[JumbleDuck]

Sorry, but this looks a total load of garbage to me. It would disgrace a GCSE chemistry student.

I don't know if the chemistry is right, but the description of it is incoherent babbling. They change their mind several times about whether the potassium is metallic or not, for a start.

 

[Sandy]

In the boat video

you will see a pan fire in an old motor cruiser. Once put out at 30 sec you will see the vinyl headlining had started to melt. I would like to see the fire stick used on a fire that was more extensively spread.

A wet tea towel would be faster.

EDIT. having watched all the videos I'll give them a miss. Still think the new water droplet extinguishers is the way to go.

 

[thinwater]

Are you sure you mean "photogenically"? Because you are the only person in the entire world ever who, as far as google knows, has ever used that phrase.

A spell checker correction, and you know it.
Pyrogenic Aerosol

 

[thinwater]

I don't know if the chemistry is right, but the description of it is incoherent babbling. They change their mind several times about whether the potassium is metallic or not, for a start.

Advertising is often pretty useless source of information. But this chemistry is well established.
Wiki Condensed Aerosols Fire Suppression

I'm not trying to sell the benefits of any type, just following the thread. I've used all of of them, either on incipient industrial fires or testing. I do find it intersting how the viewpoints in the UK and US differ. The US is far more hooked on dry chemical, perhaps because regulations favor it and perhaps because it is cheaper. I find the view a little myoptic.

 

[JumbleDuck]

A spell checker correction, and you know it.
Pyrogenic Aerosol

I didn't, actually. I thought you may have meant "photochemically", as in "smog". Thanks for clarifying.

 

[zoidberg]

They look very interesting to me and probably fill the gap in the market vacated by the halon extinguishers some time ago.
They will not negate the need to carry conventional equipment until the statutory requirements are changed to include them so they will be an extra cost for most boat owners.
Commonly available systems include:-
Dry powder very effective but leaves a terrible mess and causes damage to engines if running at the time. Causes a dense cloud which can disorientate you and hinder escape.
Foam is also effective and lays down a blanket to help prevent re combustion. Not uncommon in engine, diesel, oil, chip pan fire situations. They do tend to large and heavy compared to other options.
CO2 is effective and works by removing the oxygen from the triangle of fire. Fire = heat +oxidising agent+fuel.
I would not have, or release a CO2 in any confined space, example boat cabin, unless I was firing it into the space from the outside and no one was in there.

Golden rule is get out of the cabin and fight the fire from a place of safety or at least a place with an escape route available. Have a look round your own boat and work out your plan should a fire happen. You may find things don't hang together too well. For instance, fire blankets fixed to the bulkhead next to the stove which would be inaccessible with a galley fire. Fire extinguishers in cabins when they would be more useful to be mounted outside the cabin to fight a fire from outside the door, extinguisher in the cockpit locker which is normally kept locked for security making it inaccessible.
Well worth the time.

I'll be sticking to dry powder and fire blankets although I may purchase one of these as a first shot. It would save all the mess if it works.

I have several face half-masks with quality replaceable filters, which are well suited to boaty tasks such as painting, sanding, epoxying, and I reckon a couple will find a permanent berth onboard. They'll live in a dedicated protective bumbag, with eye protection, beside the big extinguisher.

This the sort of thing Alex Thomson should be using when grinding-back cracked carbonfibre layup.

 

[thinwater]

I didn't, actually. I thought you may have meant "photochemically", as in "smog". Thanks for clarifying.

Either way, it was funny!

 

[thinwater]

I once experienced an incipient fire off shore, caused by a PO wiring idiocy. No damage, and we had it out in minutes, but it made me think about firefighting. Most "safety" instructions read something like "call mayday, get everyone into PFDs, blast one extinguisher, and then jump in the water. " That might be the smart course of action in a summer harbor with a petrol-powered boat with an engine fire. I saw one "pop" at the fuel dock, and though no one was injured, it happened fast.

But off shore, you're more likely to have to fight for real. Help is at least hours, if not a day away, the water is ice cold, and it may be rough. An extinguisher that is either too quickly (pyrogenic types--they burn until they are finished) spent or that does not allow entry into the space to mop up embers (dry chemical comes to mind, and to some extent, CO2) will be a problem.

So yeah, probably more than one is advisable, perhaps different types, and forethought as to how the firefighting effort will proceed. YOu'll need to havea fire blanket and a bucket for water. Also a cool head.