Engine Room Extinguisher

alt said:
The surveyor (the boat is coded) is stating that I MUST use Co2 in the engine room, as that's what it says in the Statute book.

Every professional that I have contacted can't fathom why i'm trying to remove my HFC system in place for Co2.
Click to expand...

Start here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...chment_data/file/292107/msis012ch7rev1012.pdf (page 20)

then :

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/292048/ch3_rev_0413.pdf

to go on to;

http://www.gulfwidesafety.com/gws/docs/IMO_circular848.pdf

Which clearly states that other Inert Gas systems are acceptable.... providing that you can provide/hold datasheets which demonstrates the gas' suitability for the job in hand...
 
Thanks Alt for reviving this thread in a very timely manner for me as I'm currently installing the same system on my boat.
Alf, in the example installations I have seen the detection tubing is suspended from the underside if the engine room floor however from what I can see you have it snaking over the engine directly. This seems a much better set up to me, was it recommended by Firetrace and were there any special considerations on the installation (keeping clear of the Turbo and Exhaust is an obvious one but were there any chafing problems with the engine vibrating). I'm guessing having run it for 7 years you will have found any possible problems!
Thanks,
Marcus.
 
Marcus,

After 7 years, I have had a small leak in the tubing that goes over the batteries... nothing else really. Tubes on engine goes up along the fuel lines, joins the wiring loom from some of the sensors (lube oil and gear oil pressure) that goes forward to the alternator where I have terminated the tubing. I run the tubes near the turbocharger, but not directly above (approx. 1ft to the outside of the charger..
 
Divemaster1 said:
Marcus,

After 7 years, I have had a small leak in the tubing that goes over the batteries... nothing else really. Tubes on engine goes up along the fuel lines, joins the wiring loom from some of the sensors (lube oil and gear oil pressure) that goes forward to the alternator where I have terminated the tubing. I run the tubes near the turbocharger, but not directly above (approx. 1ft to the outside of the charger..
Click to expand...

Thanks Alf.
 
alt said:
The surveyor (the boat is coded) is stating that I MUST use Co2 in the engine room, as that's what it says in the Statute book.

Every professional that I have contacted can't fathom why i'm trying to remove my HFC system in place for Co2.
Click to expand...
Alt, it might be that Irish law requires CO2; I don't know. Very unfortunate if it does. I would never install CO2 in my engine room because the risk of it suffocating/killing me (in an accidental discharge) is, in my book, along the same lines of the chances of it saving me. I would always fit FM200 or similar, which doesn't kill you if it goes off swhen you're in there
I think you should research this some more. Just because surveyor says so it doesn't make it right. When I needed a new coding surveyor (following the sad death of Graham Booth, who had been my surveyor for years) I interviewed several to determine which of them knew the law, as opposed to making it up as they go along. Plenty failed!
 
alt said:
The surveyor (the boat is coded) is stating that I MUST use Co2 in the engine room, as that's what it says in the Statute book.

Every professional that I have contacted can't fathom why i'm trying to remove my HFC system in place for Co2.
Click to expand...

Worth speaking to DuPont (FM200/HFC) whose helpline number for fire suppression systems in Ireland is 059 9182517?
 
Divemaster1 said:
Start here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...chment_data/file/292107/msis012ch7rev1012.pdf (page 20)

then :

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/292048/ch3_rev_0413.pdf
Click to expand...

Both these documents were written by me when I was the Fire Fighting Policy Lead Surveyor at the MCA before I retired in September 2014 and, even though they appear to not to have been updated since the date of issue, IMO, the information contained within is still relevant.

Allan Greenland
 
AllanG said:
Both these documents were written by me when I was the Fire Fighting Policy Lead Surveyor at the MCA before I retired in September 2014 and, even though they appear to not to have been updated since the date of issue, IMO, the information contained within is still relevant.
Click to expand...

...to the UK.

The insistence on CO2 is an Irish phenomenon. We don't know whether it really is a regulatory requirement there, or a misconception by surveyors, but either way the UK regulations won't apply.

Pete
 
Hi all,
Many thanks for the assistance.

As mentioned above, i'm in Ireland.

This is not the surveyor being sticky; the need for Co2 to be in the engine bay is written in the statue book hence law.

My next step is to find how to have this silly law amended. All suppliers whom I e-mailed (world wide) responded asking if I was making some sort of mistake, as HFC / FM is a perfectly safe extinguishing system to use.... they were convinced I was making a typo when I mentioned that I require Co2!
 
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