Fire extinguisher

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nathanlee

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Hi all,

A good while ago I had some fire training with work. The chap came along and we lit some fires and put them out with various different types etc. All quite good fun, but there's one thing he drilled into me on that day. Don't use powder extinguishers!

Now, I used to have a dry powder in my Mini and oneday the wiring loom went up in smoke.. right behind the fuel tank. I quickly abandoned the car and blasted the boot with the extinguisher. It made a horrid mess, although probably saved the car.

Anyway, this fire chap said he would recommend co2 instead as dry powder tends to ruin everything... Everytime I mentioned dry powder he jump on my case and corrected me with co2.

Which brings me to my query. I can't find any chandlers that do mini co2 extinguishers. They all seem to be dry powder.

What are peoples thoughts here? Sure, anything is better than a sunk boat, but I'd rather not have to pay for a mishap by spending the next month finding powder in everything.

Cheers,

Nathan
 
I still prefer halon (but its illegal)
I really don't care about legal issue if the boat did catch fire.
We also have co2 but they are the big ones like you see in offices etc.
 
Dry powder extinguishers are light cheap and practical.
You can reasonably have several on a smallish yacht. OK if you have to use them its messy, but you should not be planning to have fires. Its not supposed to be convenient.
CO2 extinguishers are big heavy and expensive. They may not take kindly to the marine environment. You would have to get proper stowage for them as they are too heavy to have crashing about in the event of a knock down, collision, or running aground.
CO2 itself can also be deadly in a confined space.
Don't forget a fire blanket easily accessible near the galley.

And some buckets!
Carrying Halon extinguishers can get you into trouble now iirc.
An automatic system for the engine bay may be required, I think these can be foam or 'halon replacement'. The worst thing about powder is the damage it can do to an engine that is running.
So prevention is better than cure. Check that fuel system, make sure the bilge is free of fuel, make sure all electrics are sound, blah blah....
 
I've just replaced all the fire extinguishers on my boat.

I bought 3 x 2kg foam, 1 x automatic halon replacement (suit 1 cubic metre) and swapped a nearly empty CO2 for a full one. They came from Battersea Fire Protection and cost just over £200.
 
The rail wasnt live of course!! AFFF are water based so not for use on electrical fires!! The only difference between Foam and AFFF is the AFFF forms a film over the smouldering fire, to stop re-ignition, (Aqeous Film Forming Foam). The only thing that might save you from the high voltage, is the rubber hose the foam was applied with! Not a good idea!
 
I have one Co2 industrial sized extinguisher on board. During safety briefings for new crew I point first to the fire-blanket near the cooker, then a dry-powder extinguisher in the saloon. Finally, as a last resort, the Co2 which is in an open locker near the hatch. The instruction is, stay in the cockpit and under no circumstances re-enter the saloon if the Co2 has been used for even a quick blast.
By using Co2 you have created a hole in the water filled with gas you can't breathe and which has nowhere to go.
 
I happened to need fire extinguishers during my professional life. (Power plants) We had various type of extinguishers suited for various type of fires, the most frequent being oily rags left lying about everywhere and fuel/oil leaks. This experience lead me to decide to ban the powder extinguishers from my boat. The mess they leave behind is often worse than the fire itself. But ... there is a big but : the powder is far more efficient at killing a fire than any other product. Nevertheless, I now have three CO2 extinguishers on board.
Using CO2, one must be aware of its dangers :
- It's lethal,
- it's nearly useless in a windy environement,
No big difference with the halon (old or new)
A good method to get rid of the CO2 after having discharged one or more extinguishers is to pump it out with the bilge pump ... yessss, it works.

Wish you never need one!

"... used a water extinguisher on a live rail."
You are very lucky to still be here to tell us the story!
 
Sorry Englander but the power was ON!!!
Aqueous FOAM FORMING FILM produces totally separate globules that do not conduct eletricity. The only reason they are not recommended for electrical fires is that the nozzle that forms the film could be vandalised and expel a stream of water. Hardly likely on a private boat.
Very very effective on diesel fires.
 
The oft quoted idea of using a bilge pump to pump gases, be it CO2 or calor etc.
A bilge pump designed for water may not prime very well when dry. When sailing certain leaky wooden boats I have come across a few bilge pumps that don't work too well when dry(despite working fine once wet), so would be useless with gas, and you would never know...
I think I would use some sort of windscoop, although gases do in fact disperse on their own, a throught draught can only help.
I was impressed with the co2 extinguishers in the link, do they meet all the bull for inland waterways and charter?
Also suggest making the people who leave oily rags all over the place clean up the powder!
Or was 'oily rag' a derogatory term for 'less qualified person in the engineering trades'?
Cheers,
 
Yes agree every effective on diesel fires. NOT reccomended for electrical fires. I was taught never to use one for electrical fires, for the past 20 years anyway, having done fire training every year for the past 20. But I do admit that it does have a high resistance to leccy. Still wouldnt use one though. Plus it's Aqeous film forming foam, unless I'm very much mistaken and Google is wrong and all the fire extiguisher makers are wrong and all my instructors are also wrong.
 
quote: CO2 extinguishers are big heavy and expensive. They may not take kindly to the marine environment. You would have to get proper stowage for them as they are too heavy to have crashing about in the event of a knock down, collision, or running aground.
CO2 itself can also be deadly in a confined space"

__________________________________
Woah there - too much doom I say. CO2 are available in boaty-sized containers.

When you've discharged a powder cannister (I have!) you will definitely suffer inhalation problems - the powder is as fine as talcum and goes everywhere, and that means every...

PWG
 
I have 2x2kg power, one between saloon and fore-cabin and the other by the companionway. I also have a 3kg AFFF under the saloon table and a further 1kg AFFF in the fore-cabin. Also a halon replacement in the engine compartment.

I recall being instructed that if you have 2 extinguishers - only use one on the fire and keep the other for yourself. Also, I agree that using power could turn a small fire into a major clear-up exercise.

My strategy therefore would be to attack most fires (perhaps not electrical) initially with the 3kg AFFF. If that doesn't succeed then retreat to the cockpit using a powder extinguisher to keep the fire at bay while we launch the life-raft.

John
 
I fitted an Automatic Halon Replacement extinguisher for the engine compartment; two powder in the saloon and one powder in the rear cabin. I was advised against an auto powder in the engine compartment, even though it was a lot cheaper, as it will mess up the engine if activated.
 
Yup was also taught that AFFF could be used on smally electrical fires when I was in the RN. Civvy side I've been told by everyone no - never ever on electrical.
I've questioned this with one of the lead instructors at the fire fighting school at Warsash and was told that only some forms of AFFF could be used on electrical fires and any other foam is a complete no no, so in order to make the rules simple foam is not be used on electrical fires.
 
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