Fire extinguishers

[Nick_H]

As others have said, dry powder creates a white out in the room, gets caustic dust everywhere, and you'll need to leave the area as the powder gets on your chest, so if you replace the dry powder with the same, I'd also have one foam extinguisher on board in case you have a minor fire. Foam is no good for electrical fires though, so I think you want both.

To get rid of the old dry powder, I set mine off underwater by lying on the bathing platform, then the empty cylinders can be disposed off simply as metal. Don't set them off in the air as they'll look like white smoke flares and someone will come and rescue you

 

[David_J]

As others have said, dry powder creates a white out in the room, gets caustic dust everywhere, and you'll need to leave the area as the powder gets on your chest, so if you replace the dry powder with the same, I'd also have one foam extinguisher on board in case you have a minor fire. Foam is no good for electrical fires though, so I think you want both.

To get rid of the old dry powder, I set mine off underwater by lying on the bathing platform, then the empty cylinders can be disposed off simply as metal. Don't set them off in the air as they'll look like white smoke flares and someone will come and rescue you

Neat disposal!

 

[Nick_H]

Neat disposal!

Do it at sea, not in a crowded anchorage, as it leaves a powdery slick for a short while afterwards.

 

[VicS]

1 Kg dry powder extinguishers at Lidl on 15 Jan. £8.99

http://www.lidl.co.uk/en/our-offers-2491.htm?action=showDetail&id=19999

 

[prv]

Foam is no good for electrical fires though

Is that as in "won't put out electrical fires", or "will electrocute you if used on electrics"? Because I don't think the latter applies any more, all the foam extinguishers I looked at said they were safe up to 35,000 volts.

Pete

 

[aquapower]

1 Kg dry powder extinguishers at Lidl on 15 Jan. £8.99

http://www.lidl.co.uk/en/our-offers-2491.htm?action=showDetail&id=19999

I have used them before found the plastic brackets to be useless on a boat.

 

[Nick_H]

Is that as in "won't put out electrical fires", or "will electrocute you if used on electrics"? Because I don't think the latter applies any more, all the foam extinguishers I looked at said they were safe up to 35,000 volts.

Pete

Interesting, I'd always been told that you cant use foam on electrical fires but it seems modern ones have an additive, and are OK.

There's a useful comparison on the fire service web site, particularly on the shortcomings of powder type:

"Care must be taken when using powder extinguishers that you do not inhale the powder. Powder extinguishers should therefore not be used in small, confined spaces where there is a risk of inhaling the powder. In fact the British Standard does not allow powder extinguishers in offices and living accommodations any longer. The clean up after applying a powder extinguisher is also very difficult and the powder causes damage to soft furnishing, carpets and computer drives etc. So a careful balance has to be struck between the generally quite cheap but powerful powder extinguishers and the cleaner, but less powerful and sometimes more expensive foam/water (with additive) extinguishers."

Based on that, if I was buying now, I'd buy all foam.