Water mist extinguishers - do not freeze

[cpedw]

I just received my order of new water mist extinguishers to replace the dry powder that everyone eschews. I hadn't thought of their obvious limitation. It's in block capitals on the front of the extinguishers:

PROTECT FROM FREEZING.

They will have to live at home when the boat's laid up; another minor but annoying task for autumn and spring. And there will be no extinguisher on board when laid up but at least terra firma will be close at hand should the need to evacuate arise.

Derek

 

[sarabande]

The contents will unfreeze when the ambient is =>1^o.

 

[cpedw]

The contents will unfreeze when the ambient is =>1^o.

Will the container still be intact?
And what if the fire occurs when T<0^o?

Derek

 

[LittleSister]

And what if the fire occurs when T<0^o?

Once the fire gets going well, it'll soon be above zero degrees!

 

[[70521]]

How often have you left a container of water on the boat and it has frozen solid?

 

[prv]

How often have you left a container of water on the boat and it has frozen solid?

I’ve had the water in the toilet bowl turn to ice, and that would have been salt.

Pete

 

[Boathook]

How often have you left a container of water on the boat and it has frozen solid?

My berth is on a freshwater river and that can freeze and has in the past burst the toilet inlet pump.

 

[NormanS]

How often have you left a container of water on the boat and it has frozen solid?

I have. What point are you trying to make?

 

[Graham376]

Anti-freeze can be added to water and foam extinguishers but for stored pressure IIRC the compressor needs 150 psi.

 

[Mistroma]

How often have you left a container of water on the boat and it has frozen solid?

A couple of copper pipes were burst in the hot water system when I bought my previous boat. It was stored on the South coast of England. Easy to repair and never any problems with them for next 25 years in Scotland. I was very careful to completely drain the system every winter to prevent further damage.

My current boat had a bottle in the saloon half full of solid ice at least once. That was in Ardrossan which was usually much warmer than around my home.

Perhaps it isn't very common but not unknown and once can be enough to damage something.

 

[[70521]]

I have. What point are you trying to make?

Water in boats rarely freezes.

 

[NormanS]

Water in boats rarely freezes.

You can tell that to the water filter which I forgot to drain, several years ago. Stupid thing didn't have a drain plug. Since we live aboard for odd weeks in the winter, and drain all the fresh water pipework, between these weeks, the filter remained full of water, and consequently froze and split. Problem permanently solved by doing away with it.
I can assure you that in our neck of the woods, unless precautions are taken, water in a boat will definitely freeze.

 

[cpedw]

Water in boats rarely freezes.

In my experience, once or twice per year typically. That's enough to persuade me to empty the calorifier and water pump every winter. And to keep these new extinguishers at home November-March.

Probably would be less often if afloat over winter, but still a real possibility.

Derek

 

[Hoolie]

A few years ago we had frost damage to the undrained calorifier. The boat was afloat on the western Mediterranean

 

[GregOddity]

A few years ago we had frost damage to the undrained calorifier. The boat was afloat on the western Mediterranean

I know most from Northern Europe tend to disregard ice problems in the South of Europe but the fact is that cloud cover at night is sparse and that makes the temperature loss very fast and even in summer you can actually get very cold at night. During the winter there is Ice and Frost from October to the end of Feb. I've had -2 more often then I care to remember during winter at night. It will freeze anything left with water. We also use Anti-Freeze in the South of Europe. I've had -11 at night sailing of the coast of Portugal where I was born. That was not very pleasant.
On Selkie we have antifreeze on the toilet and a heater close to the water pump. We use the yard facilities instead. ( and keep our fingers crossed )