Fire Extinguisher

[ColourfulOwl]

Is there a sort of rule of thumb for the size of fire extinguisher you should have on board? Or is it just get one as big as you can?

When I checked the one that came with my boat when I purchased her last year, it came with a fire extinguisher that happened to be manufactured the same year as the boat - 1999 Safe to say I'm wanting to swap it out. Its a 2KG 13A ABC powder.

Anyone got any recommendations on where to buy a new one from online? The few places I've looked, such as marine superstore, at won't deliver them.

 

[Freebee]

This week ive just bought one from ebay a very good service and fast delivery from link below......a fire blanket is good to have on board as well if you don't have one! 2KG CO2 EXTINGUISHER, 6 LITRE FOAM 1 2 4 6KG POWDER EXTINGUISHER 9 LITRE WATER | eBay

size wise I would have thought the biggest you can accommodate without tripping over it all the time.

 

[penberth3]

Is there a sort of rule of thumb for the size of fire extinguisher you should have on board? Or is it just get one as big as you can?

When I checked the one that came with my boat when I purchased her last year, it came with a fire extinguisher that happened to be manufactured the same year as the boat - 1999 Safe to say I'm wanting to swap it out. Its a 2KG 13A ABC powder.

Anyone got any recommendations on where to buy a new one from online? The few places I've looked, such as marine superstore, at won't deliver them.

No idea where you are, but most large-ish towns have fire protection specialists who will sell you whatever you need.

 

[Boathook]

I purchased these water mist extinguishers last year. Amazon.co.uk plus a couple of smaller ones.
I was checking them yesterday and the gauge needle were nearly into the red on the low pressure side. I've got to contact the supplier to discuss whether faulty or low temperatures are causing problems.
The idea of using water mist is good but if they lose pressure after a year I will revert back to powder.
My old powder ones still at pressure after 15 years though the powder had formed a lump so they possibly wouldn't work.
I will report back as to the out come in the next few days.

 

[ColourfulOwl]

I purchased these water mist extinguishers last year. Amazon.co.uk plus a couple of smaller ones.
I was checking them yesterday and the gauge needle were nearly into the red on the low pressure side. I've got to contact the supplier to discuss whether faulty or low temperatures are causing problems.
The idea of using water mist is good but if they lose pressure after a year I will revert back to powder.
My old powder ones still at pressure after 15 years though the powder had formed a lump so they possibly wouldn't work.
I will report back as to the out come in the next few days.

I have managed to find a local supplier. Only cost £20.99 and I'll pick it up in person tomorrow.

Hadn't realised but the extinguisher I have actually has a pressure gauge on it, its on the underside of the canister. It seems to think it still has 12 bar of pressure after 25 years. Which if it actually does, colour me impressed. I'm half debating if I pop this old back on the boat as an auxiliary one - it already has a mounting place etc which doesn't take up much room in the galley. And I want to put the new on the underside of the salon table anyways.

 

[dansaskip]

I have a water mist one too ( but not bought from Amazon) but pressure is still in the green after over 6 years. I have replaced with new one just because of age to be on safe side. Suspect yours is somehow faulty, don't think it a general problem with water mist extinguishers.

 

[srm]

Most pressurised extinguishers should be discharged after ten years and pressure tested. If they pass the test they can be refilled and should be good for another ten years. Even if pressure still in the green though an older powder extinguisher could fail to work due to the contents compacting. If space allows stowing them with the body horizontal on an athwartships bulkhead rather than the usual vertical may help agitate the powder as the boat rolls.

 

[ColourfulOwl]

Most pressurised extinguishers should be discharged after ten years and pressure tested. If they pass the test they can be refilled and should be good for another ten years. Even if pressure still in the green though an older powder extinguisher could fail to work due to the contents compacting. If space allows stowing them with the body horizontal on an athwartships bulkhead rather than the usual vertical may help agitate the powder as the boat rolls.

If you roll / shake a powder extinguisher should you hear any noise from it?

 

[Trident]

Take a look at the new fire safety sticks - work on all fires, never go out of date and take up almost no room. I think I have 8 on my boat now

They are a little more than a fire extinguisher but even the small one lasts three times as long in use and no rusty marks or flaking paint over the years and the weight almost nothing . Probably the best jump in fire safety in decades . Just google Fire Safety Sticks

 

[PlanB]

Are you talking about general fire, or engine fire.

We had specialist kit in our engine bay, but used to buy Lidl special offers at £10 as they fitted the holders on the boat. Lasted several years before gauge went red. Plus fire blanket in galley.

 

[dombuckley]

Is there a sort of rule of thumb for the size of fire extinguisher you should have on board? Or is it just get one as big as you can?

When I checked the one that came with my boat when I purchased her last year, it came with a fire extinguisher that happened to be manufactured the same year as the boat - 1999 Safe to say I'm wanting to swap it out. Its a 2KG 13A ABC powder.

Anyone got any recommendations on where to buy a new one from online? The few places I've looked, such as marine superstore, at won't deliver them.

The recommended minimum is two portable fire extinguishers, each with a rating no less than 5A/34B, and a minimum combined rating of 13A/89B. Vessels of 11m (36') and above should have at least three extinguishers, with a combined rating of no less than 21A/144B, which basically equivalent to a single 2kg and two 1kg dry powder type .

This is in addition to any fixed automatic extinguishers or systems. Additionally, a fire blanket (manufactured to BS1869) is a must for the galley.

 

[Chris_Robb]

Not keen on Powder or CO2. Powder because of the utter mess produced, you could damage engine parts like alternators if hot. If ingested by the engine thats expensive.

CO2 in confined places can be deadly to humans. At 7 % you will die.

Water mist good. A larger fire, foam is excellent..... I put out a massive car fire with one cylinder, obviously not electric!

Automatic engine room extinguishers must have the engine stopped BEFORE FIRING otherwise most of the stuck goes out the exhaust.

 

[The Q]

Not keen on Powder or CO2. Powder because of the utter mess produced, you could damage engine parts like alternators if hot. If ingested by the engine thats expensive.

CO2 in confined places can be deadly to humans. At 7 % you will die.

Water mist good. A larger fire, foam is excellent..... I put out a massive car fire with one cylinder, obviously not electric!

Automatic engine room extinguishers must have the engine stopped BEFORE FIRING otherwise most of the stuck goes out the exhaust.

If they're automatic you have no control over when they fire, if you do, they aren't automatic.. if your engine is running when they fire all you can do is hope your engine isn't destroyed.

 

[srm]

Powder because of the utter mess produced, you could damage engine parts like alternators if hot. If ingested by the engine thats expensive.

Agreed, lots of experience using extinguishers while running basic firefighting courses. Powder is a pain to clean up, even on an open pier.

However, my boat insurance policy specifically required an automatic powder extinguisher in engine compartment otherwise no claim for engine compartment fire would be considered. I fitted one as a rebuilt/new engine could be part of the claim under those terms, but would prefer CO2 for that purpose. That policy was up to about 6 years ago, then changed insurance.

 

[Chris_Robb]

Agreed, lots of experience using extinguishers while running basic firefighting courses. Powder is a pain to clean up, even on an open pier.

However, my boat insurance policy specifically required an automatic powder extinguisher in engine compartment otherwise no claim for engine compartment fire would be considered. I fitted one as a rebuilt/new engine could be part of the claim under those terms, but would prefer CO2 for that purpose. That policy was up to about 6 years ago, then changed insurance.

The latest auto systems shut the engines down first - and if you use powder on a hot running engine you have to be nuts or very wealthy! Its just money!

 

[penberth3]

The latest auto systems shut the engines down first - and if you use powder on a hot running engine you have to be nuts or very wealthy! Its just money!

Well, exactly. This thing about engines ingesting powder is nonsense. If you have an engine fire, first action is stop the engine!!!

 

[Boathook]

If you roll / shake a powder extinguisher should you hear any noise from it?

My surveyor said that he could hear a gentle thump as he tilted the extinguisher either way. I couldn't hear it but it is a known problem and at work we were all encouraged to turn them upside down, etc even though they were serviced once a year.

 

[srm]

If you roll / shake a powder extinguisher should you hear any noise from it?

I have not stripped and refilled a pressurised extinguisher. However, the ones we used on pre-sea courses were the commercial vessel rechargeable ones with CO2 cylinders (similar to lifejacket ones but larger capacity). The powder came in bags with correct volume for the size of extinguisher. This powder had to be worked well to loosen it up and get it flowing freely before cutting a corner off the bag and carefully decanting into the extinguisher - an unpleasant task due to the fine powder that always escaped into the surrounding air. Once all the powder was in there was a small void space left to allow the gas to expand on discharge.
Assuming pressurised extinguishers have a similar small void space there will not be much room for movement when shaking an extinguisher. Certainly when checking mine I was not sure if I can feel or hear the powder moving.

 

[jdc]

It's worth watching the Yachting Monthly Crash Test boat video on fire extinguishers,

After watching it I got rid of all my dry powder extinguishers. You can't see, can't breathe and I would be very reluctant to let one off due to the impossibility of life aboard afterwards. So I think them actually dangerous if a live-aboard or on an ocean passage.

I replaced them by some water mist, some foam and the engine one by (non-greenhouse gas) halon replacement.

 

[srm]

Yes, dry powder is nasty to use, even in open air, but very effective at initially knocking the fire down and extinguishing.
Where do you plan on using foam and do you have experience of using it?
Foam is very effective if used correctly and has the advantage that the water component also cools the fire, unlike powder or gas. When running one day pre-sea firefighting courses I was always able to get re-ignition after using a gas extinguisher once it dispersed, and often after using dry powder on oil, as the powder sank or the oil bled through. But never got re-ignition after laying down a thick layer of foam.

The dangers of re-ignition rarely gets mentioned when discussing fire fighting on small boats.