Fire extinguishers how big, how many?

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philwebb

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Hi folks, I have just had a survey for insurance and I’m correcting numerous faults. My fire extinguisher complement appears to be too low. I have two 1kg powder and a fire blanket. I have been told that in addition I need 2 x2kg 13A/55BC fire extinguishers, one in the saloon and one in the cockpit locker. I’ve only got a 26ft boat!!
My friend has a 2 year old 38ft boat, it is equipped with 2x1kgpowder and 1x2kg extinguisher for the engine compartment. (Original equipment).
I wonder whether this requirement is OTT. Could I be risking sinking due to the weight of extra safety gear?? What does the panel think?
 
My view is that the small ones don't last long enough to put out a fire of any size. They should give you time to get out of the boat. A bigger extinguisher in the cockpit locker can then be used to put the fire out. I also have an automatic in the engine bay.
 
Get rid of the dry powder ones - if you ever have to use them they make a terrible mess, especially if you have to use them on an engine fire they can damage it severely - much better to replace with a foam type extinguisher. On my 33' boat I have two foam in the saloon and one in the rear cabin & a fire blanket. Plus an automatic one in the engine compartment. I've just had a survey and fire extinguishers were not mentioned... On my previous 26' boat I just had 2 powder ones.
 
PetiteFleur said:
Get rid of the dry powder ones - if you ever have to use them they make a terrible mess, especially if you have to use them on an engine fire they can damage it severely - much better to replace with a foam type extinguisher.
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Some of the powder engine compartment automatic extinguishers shut off the engine if they are triggered, to avoid the powder being drawn into the engine.

The alternatives I have seen are much more expensive.
 
Those dry mist extinguishers look interesting. Thanks for the link - I'll bear them in mind when the foam ones expire
 
PetiteFleur said:
Get rid of the dry powder ones - if you ever have to use them they make a terrible mess, especially if you have to use them on an engine fire they can damage it severely - much better to replace with a foam type extinguisher. On my 33' boat I have two foam in the saloon and one in the rear cabin & a fire blanket. Plus an automatic one in the engine compartment. I've just had a survey and fire extinguishers were not mentioned... On my previous 26' boat I just had 2 powder ones.
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Before you replace them with foam please read, inwardly digest and understand the different types of extinguisher

https://www.extinguisheradvice.org.uk/types-of-fire-extinguisher.php

In my humble opinion foam has no place on a boat, as it is only rated for a Class A and B fire. Now ask yourself does that cover all the types of fire on a boat. Added to which when using foam you need to cover the fire with a blanket of foam this takes practice. If you can ever get training on the use of fire extinguishers and how to use them then go. I've had several fun filled days with the local fire service, with a loan of their uniform, putting out all sorts of fires with all sorts of extinguisher some work better than others.

Water mist is the way to go.
 
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OP needs to return to the insurance company and get precise details of what they demand. It is more likely that they would refer you to an appropriate standard. If the insurance company dictate then you have no choice apart from another insurance company. Meanwhile various authorities will dictate what is needed. RYA for racing. inland Water ways for their standard. Some marinas or in our case the club who own the marina will dictate what must be carried appropriate to the size of the boat. If I recall correctly our club would require 2 extinguishers for your sized boat. Small dry powder OK. Of course you can carry what ever you think reasonable. Meanwhile I don't think your surveyors assertions are to be trusted. olewill
 
On my Fairline mobo, I have a big Seafire in the engine room, a CO2 in the saloon, a CO2 in the aft lockers, foam and blanket in the galley and each cabin has a cheap powder thing as a “belt and braces”.

The powder ones are and arse! I’ve done enough fire surveys, refits and rewires to know once the powder has activated, it destroys varnished brightwork, metalwork, carpets, pretty much everything! Although they are effective in an early fire.
 
Sandy said:
Water mist is the way to go.
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A couple of points to consider are local regulations and servicing. Where we're based, CO2 are illegal on boats, FE36 very hard to find and even harder to service locally and the same applies to water mist. Regs for boats based in Portugal stipulate what has to be fitted and annual service by certified agent is mandatory. We have 3 x 1kg powder and 1 x 3L foam for engine room or elsewhere.
 
I have two 1kg powder ones on my small sailing boat. To my surprise, these do not have an expiry date but do have a pressure gauge which shows them to be in the green zone (neither under nor over pressure). Should I change them? They are from a reputable supplier, Kidde.
 
ghostlymoron said:
I have two 1kg powder ones on my small sailing boat. To my surprise, these do not have an expiry date but do have a pressure gauge which shows them to be in the green zone (neither under nor over pressure). Should I change them? They are from a reputable supplier, Kidde.
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If you do I'll have em.;)
 
ghostlymoron said:
I have two 1kg powder ones on my small sailing boat. To my surprise, these do not have an expiry date but do have a pressure gauge which shows them to be in the green zone (neither under nor over pressure). Should I change them? They are from a reputable supplier, Kidde.
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Dry powder can compact over time but you can get them serviced for not much money.
 
Having recently been in a boat fire I can vouch for extinguishers at both ends of the boat, both mine were in the cabin and we were in the cockpit, there was no way we could get the extinguishers, the flames and fumes were too fierce. The fire resulted from a gas explosion, a nearby boat gave me a 1Kg Powder and it instantly extinguished the fire but it was used in seconds. We are dealing with the mess now, painting, wiring, cleaning and stitching, including the mainsail, clearing up the powder is the least of my concerns, although we don't have an inboard. My boat is only 21 foot and after seeing how quickly and fiercely a boat fire can burn and how helpless you can feel without correct type and placement of extinguishers, I will be going for two 2Kg extinguishers, either powder or water dry mist and next to each will be fire blankets, either to extinguish a fire or to use as protection if you have to try and get past a fire. I had considered MOB procedures, have lifejackets, emergency ladders, sharp emergency and rigging knives and even a 9foot sweep, but never really paid too much thought to fire, how wrong was I!
 
Graham376 said:
A couple of points to consider are local regulations and servicing. Where we're based, CO2 are illegal on boats, FE36 very hard to find and even harder to service locally and the same applies to water mist. Regs for boats based in Portugal stipulate what has to be fitted and annual service by certified agent is mandatory. We have 3 x 1kg powder and 1 x 3L foam for engine room or elsewhere.
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Ahhh Graham376 I fell into the usual trap that I assumed that everybody is in the UK.
 
ghostlymoron said:
I have two 1kg powder ones on my small sailing boat. To my surprise, these do not have an expiry date but do have a pressure gauge which shows them to be in the green zone (neither under nor over pressure). Should I change them? They are from a reputable supplier, Kidde.
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You should remove them occasionally from the mount bracket and give them a good shake upside down to stop the powder compacting. Comp[acting is exacerbated by engine vibration. olewill
 
Corribee72 said:
clearing up the powder is the least of my concerns
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Understandable. My aversion to powder instead comes from the Crash Test Boat video where they applied a brief squirt to a small cooking fire, within a second or two the visibility in the cabin was completely obscured, and shortly afterwards everyone was evacuating up the companionway in search of fresh air to breathe. A fireman in breathing apparatus had to come and check whether the fire was out.

I currently have foam on board (full-size in the cockpit locker, medium in the saloon, small in each sleeping cabin) - Sandy points out above that it doesn't cover burning gas nor mains electrics, which doesn't bother me. If I have a burning gas leak I'd rather turn off the supply than put out the flame and fill the boat with gas, and I rarely have 240v on board and when I do it inherently comes with the option of evacuation ashore. The point about laying down an unbroken blanket of foam only really applies to pools of burning liquid (I too have done it on a firefighting course) and that's not really a hazard I expect to face. I received an extra extinguisher due to a buy-one-get-one-free offer and decided to use it for practice on various bits of scrap wood, fabric, plastic etc in my back garden. It put them all out pretty handily without any special technique.

However, if refitting now I would probably go for water mist anyway just to cover all the bases. For one thing it seems likely that foam might make the cabin sole dangerously slippery!

Pete
 
I have 3 x 5lb ABC type powder so 2kg. ( I look at them and think of size in the old LBS cause I'm old :))
Cockpit locker, Galley and fwd.

I have a small hole into engine compartment for extinguisher nozzle. Dry Chem is the only kind which will fit.

Why? They are cheep, cheerful, easy to find and will work. On all the types of fire likely on my boat. All be it rather messy.
I am not keen on CO2. Why? Relatively expensive, Puts people out even more effectively than fires, Diffuser gets very cold and if held wrong can cause injury,

I have seen foam mentioned. I am a great believer in foam extinguishers. Even though I don't have any on my own boat.
A water gas and a foam extinguisher are very similar. Just a different nozzle and foam compound added to the water.
Works very well on class A fires. Cools and Smothers. 2 sides of the fire triangle. Powder and CO2 only do one(CO2 does have a limited cooling effect, Usually not enough to considered as extinguishing)

Water mist. Smothers, Cools, and does not smother people. Very effective and safe on A,B and C fires.

PS instead of disposing of the old ones I kept them as spares. JIK Best not tell anyone though.
 
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