What to do with old fire extinguishers?

[Stemar]

When I asked a harbourmaster about disposing of one - best part of 15 years out of date, on the boat when I bought her, he told me to let it off into the big wheelie bin then bin it. I'm glad I wasn't relying on it working; it emptied, but not with the degree of enthusiasm needed to put out a fire.

 

[Laysula]

Take it round to your local MPs house and fire it through the letterbox.

 

[penberth3]

When I asked a harbourmaster about disposing of one - best part of 15 years out of date, on the boat when I bought her, he told me to let it off into the big wheelie bin then bin it. I'm glad I wasn't relying on it working; it emptied, but not with the degree of enthusiasm needed to put out a fire.

What type was it? Well known that dry powder can compact itself in an extinguisher.

 

[rogerthebodger]

What type was it? Well known that dry powder can compact itself in an extinguisher.

If you mount the dry powder extinguisher horizontal its less likely to compact itself and when mover upright to use the extinguisher will shake up the dry powder.

 

[penberth3]

If you mount the dry powder extinguisher horizontal its less likely to compact itself and when mover upright to use the extinguisher will shake up the dry powder.

Not necessarily.

 

[Boater Sam]

Not necessarily.

Shake well before use.

 

[penberth3]

Shake well before use.

Even that might not work - if the powder has become one big lump.

 

[rogerthebodger]

Even that might not work - if the powder has become one big lump.

Unless there is damp in the powder that very unlikely that why its called dry powder and should be checked every so often.

 

[penberth3]

Unless there is damp in the powder that very unlikely that why its called dry powder and should be checked every so often.

Yes, it should.

 

[JumbleDuck]

What James said, plus another when I removed to check it found a “use by” date on the rear of 2007!!

I just found the fire Betterwear extinguisher whjich my father, a prudent man, bought with the first family car in 1966. I don't know if it would work, but as it comes with a refill kit (a Sparklets bulb and a bag of powder) I am tempted to try.

 

[Stemar]

What type was it? Well known that dry powder can compact itself in an extinguisher.

It was dry powder. I don't much like 'em, but they'll do on a boat that would be a write-off if I have a fire that I can't put out with my foot/

Shake well before use.

More importantly, shake well once a year.
My current extinguishers don't have an expiry date, so I'll keep shaking them annually until the pressure drops or they get more than a little surface rust.

 

[rogerthebodger]

It was dry powder. I don't much like 'em, but they'll do on a boat that would be a write-off if I have a fire that I can't put out with my foot/

More importantly, shake well once a year.
My current extinguishers don't have an expiry date, so I'll keep shaking them annually until the pressure drops or they get more than a little surface rust.

When checking the pressure just ensure that the gauge till works and has not ceased in the current reading

BTW the loal safety regs state that the extinguisher container must be hydrostatically tested every 5 years.

 

[Solent sailer]

Anyone got any experience of these:

Force 4 Fire Safety Stick Extinguisher - 50 Seconds | Force 4 Chandlery

i have seen them advertised and they look great but cant find them mentioned on any "official" sites/HSE fire data sites etc.

 

[syvictoria]

I too am looking for replacement fire extinguishers and am considering ordering 2 of these:

1ltr+ Water Mist Fire Extinguisher - Ultrafire

I can't really fit the larger version, and the additional suitability for class F fires is reassuring. However, they only last for 12.5 seconds! Am I going to be able to put out a small fire in that time? I have no idea! But I don't like the idea of powder and I have very little space...

 

[Usangi]

We recently bought a 1975 Jaguar 27. When we first viewed it, we forgot to ask about safety equipment. We rang and spoke with the seller, who told us the boat did indeed have fire extinguishers and although she hadn't ever checked them, she assumed they were still in date.

We bought the boat, and checked the fire extinguishers. They went out of date in.....1980. The original fire extinguishers!

 

[PilotWolf]

It was dry powder. I don't much like 'em, but they'll do on a boat that would be a write-off if I have a fire that I can't put out with my foot/

More importantly, shake well once a year.
My current extinguishers don't have an expiry date, so I'll keep shaking them annually until the pressure drops or they get more than a little surface rust.

Depending on how much you use the boat I'd be shaking a lot more often than that, especially on a motor boat.

W