Fire Extinguisher's

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Sadlerfin

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It's time to replace mine on our 31 ft yacht. Currently the boat came with two powder extinguishers, one in the deck locker and one in the saloon, we have a hole in the steps over the engine to insert the saloon Extinguisher without opening the hatch in addition we have a fire blanket over the cooker.

I'm thinking of x2 , 2kg powder and a smaller one in the forward cabin.

What's the view of the forum in particular the different types now available.

Thanks
Derek
 
Powder will destroy a running engine. Best all round is AFFF which can also be used on mains fires as long as the nozzle is not damaged. (I was trained to use these on 750 volt railway track with the power on). They blanket the fire and also cool the area and will not damage anything once the fire is out.
 
PCUK said:
Powder will destroy a running engine. Best all round is AFFF which can also be used on mains fires as long as the nozzle is not damaged. (I was trained to use these on 750 volt railway track with the power on). They blanket the fire and also cool the area and will not damage anything once the fire is out.
Click to expand...

Did some fire training using AFFF, impressive stuff when I was tasked to put a 12' x 12' drip tray with an oil, diesel and petrol mix out. It leaves a foam layer to stop the fire re-igniting which is useful, demonstrated when the instructor poured burning petrol back into the tray and it went out.

We have 1 litre AFFF in the companion way, a 3 litre AFFF in the saloon and a 2Kg CO2 under the chart table. Also clean gas ext in the engine space, a fire blanket and a bucket.

If you buy on line away from chandlers the prices for a decent sized AFFF is quite reasonable and you need a large one because small ext only last a few seconds.

Consider moving the fire blanket away from the cooker, if there is a fire you may not be able to reach it.

Pete
 
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Another vote for foam here - though I’d look into water mist too if refitting today. The Crash Test Boat fire video shows how powder whites-out the cabin, with everyone being forced to escape out the companionway coughing and leaving a fireman in breathing apparatus to actually put out the fire.

Pete
 
Most Fire brigades will advise on suitable equipment, and sell you approved gear at non-marine prices! Bear in mind that small extinguishers wil give you very little fire fighting ability; if the flames are more than around 30cms high, which is a very small fire, you are unlikely to be able to extinguish it with a hand held extinguisher.

A fireman reminded me once, out at sea there will not be 9 tons of fully equipped Fire engine coming to your rescue within a few minutes. The last petrol engine boat I had, I was advised to carry 2x 6kg foam extinguishers and 2 fire blankets minimum. That was some years ago, and I suspect nowadays they would recommend foam.

If you have burning fuel fire, a CO2 extinguisher is likely to simply blast burning fuel all ver the place giving you half s dozen fires to extinguish. Ive seen it demonstrated. Not as spectacular as water on a chip pan, but most certainly not what you would want!
 
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I've gone to water mist.

While Dry powder covers all of the types of fire found on a boat it kills engines and you cannot breath in an environment where it has been used.

CO2 is one to avoid as it only deals with flammable liquids and electrical.
 
Sadlerfin said:
It's time to replace mine on our 31 ft yacht. Currently the boat came with two powder extinguishers, one in the deck locker and one in the saloon, we have a hole in the steps over the engine to insert the saloon Extinguisher without opening the hatch in addition we have a fire blanket over the cooker.

I'm thinking of x2 , 2kg powder and a smaller one in the forward cabin.

What's the view of the forum in particular the different types now available.

Thanks
Derek
Click to expand...

Better to site the fire blanket away from the cooker, otherwise, in the event of a cooking fire you will have to reach over the fire to access it.
 
Just done/doing the same thing.

I went for one small dry powder and a larger (3L) water mist that lives in the cockpit locker. I will probably also get a small foam one for the galley area.

The dry powder is to allow the crew to get out of the cabin safely and the water mist is for actually fighting the fire.

The powder would make a mess of everything
 
Sandy said:
I've gone to water mist.

While Dry powder covers all of the types of fire found on a boat it kills engines and you cannot breath in an environment where it has been used.

CO2 is one to avoid as it only deals with flammable liquids and electrical.
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Would you care to expand?

I intend to use a fixed one for the engine room activated from outside. Surely that will exclude all the air (and stop the engine!).
 
Pete7 said:
Did some fire training using AFFF, impressive stuff when I was tasked to put a 12' x 12' drip tray with an oil, diesel and petrol mix out. It leaves a foam layer to stop the fire re-igniting which is useful, demonstrated when the instructor poured burning petrol back into the tray and it went out.

We have 1 litre AFFF in the companion way, a 3 litre AFFF in the saloon and a 2Kg CO2 under the chart table. Also clean gas ext in the engine space, a fire blanket and a bucket.

If you buy on line away from chandlers the prices for a decent sized AFFF is quite reasonable and you need a large one because small ext only last a few seconds.

Consider moving the fire blanket away from the cooker, if there is a fire you may not be able to reach it.

Pete
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Foam is very good
My dad ex ww2 raf told the tale of how two of them removed a wing tank from an aeroplane which had torched on landing.
The aluminium top had melted off the half full tank but it was covered in foam.
A bit stupid but the foam did work.
 
Its worth getting to a Fire Training session to get hands on experience of using different extinguishers. If you never fired a CO2 for example, the noise will at best make you jump and maybe drop it,losing many of the precious seconds of fire fighting it gives before running out Also the risk of cold burns if you hold the wrong part. It will also help you realise how little time you have befroe the thing expires, particualrly the neat little ones sold in the swindleries! You will be lucky to put out a well alight waste paper basket with one of those!

Those little hand held ones give a false sense of security: they arent able to touch an engine fire for example unless you catch it in the first seconds. On the boat, once its gone, its gone, and if you still have fire, what are you going to do next? Plenty of the liquid stuff over the side, but where is the bucket? can you reach the water with it to fill it? Mine always has a lanyard on the handle so I can pick up as well as dispose of water if I need to, for example.
 
oldharry said:
Its worth getting to a Fire Training session to get hands on experience of using different extinguishers. .
Click to expand...

+1

I've had a fair few hands-on fire fidghting sessions over the years (prof. required). The most terrifying was putting out a pan of oil with the blanket. The first time I did this I asked to repeat three times so that I got past the shock of getting that close to it.

If you've not already done this (sorry if sounds patronising) I would go through the boat making a note of all the fire risks. Most of the obvious ones are now very low risk (eg diesel engines) but... Have a think about how you would deal with each of them and what equipment you would need to hand - and then site it close to hand! Then think about the human factors that would increase the risk and how you can reduce those (eg I only allow smoking on the puff-deck; that's the fore- or stern- deck :) . I have a blow torch for the paraffin fire pre-heater that does not get used under way etc).

I've decided, on advice from this parish and others, to go for water-mist but I think it's a personal thing. Just be aware that foam produces a skating ring - ask me how I know!
 
I changed from powder to AFFF last year. One thing to remember is that water-based ones need to be protected from frost in the winter.
 
Graham_Wright said:
Would you care to expand?

I intend to use a fixed one for the engine room activated from outside. Surely that will exclude all the air (and stop the engine!).
Click to expand...
Fire needs Heat, Oxygen and fuel. Extinguishers work by removing one or more of these elements.

C02 removes Oxygen for a while! If the surface is still hot and has fuel, e.g. wood, when the oxygen returns the fire restarts.
 
Good thread which has made me think a bit more. Couple of years ago I relegated the powder extinguishers to secondary use and put in foam ones in more accessible spots. Seemed to me that having several types for different purposes would lead to confusion in an emergency.
Comments here have made me think about size - the longer the blast or squirt, the better.
Viv, would be helpful if you could expand on your preference for the firepal. The ad makes it sound as if one will do everything including whistle Rule Brittania. I'm more easily confused these days and could do with an opinion from someone reliable
 
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