Fire Protection

[Hawaiian Style]

Hey all,

Read a thread tonight about a headlight switch that started smoking and it reminded me that I still have yet to invest in some fire protection.

I had an ugly experience with an amp that caught fire :repair::flame: and a dry chemical fire extinguisher a while back and was wondering what ya'll thought about other types (foam, ect)

I'd like to use Halon gas (we use it in the planes) because it doesn't leave a stinking mess like the dry chem.

Any thoughts??

 

[Eagle]

Hey all,

Read a thread tonight about a headlight switch that started smoking and it reminded me that I still have yet to invest in some fire protection.

I had an ugly experience with an amp that caught fire :repair::flame: and a dry chemical fire extinguisher a while back and was wondering what ya'll thought about other types (foam, ect)

I'd like to use Halon gas (we use it in the planes) because it doesn't leave a stinking mess like the dry chem.

Any thoughts??

Halon is only good in enclosed spaces. Dry chem leaves a mess, but it works in engine compartments and on breezy days.

 

[Hawaiian Style]

What about the old-school foam type?

 

[rixXJphx]

What about the old-school foam type?

Usually not approved for electrical fires, since the foam conducts electricity.

Dry chemical is the proper type, and destruction of some stuff by the fire extinguisher is an unfortunate side result.

 

[Thayer]

My school flying club gave me a halon extinguisher from H3R that I want to put in my Jeep, but the sticker says, "For aviation fire protection use only. No other use use allowed by law." Will it not work for vehicle fires?

http://h3r.com/products/rta600.htm

I see that the halon extinguihsers H3R makes for vehicles uses the same extinguishing agent, but the spout is different and they spec a farther discharge range, 6-8 ft for the aviation one and 9-12 ft for the vehicle one. I see the vehicle one also has a gauge and is refillable. Are those the only differences?

 

[Hawaiian Style]

Well, I got two. One halon and one dry chem. I'll try the halon first and if that fails, then the dry chem comes out.

Oh yeah, and the "For aviation fire protection use only. No other use use allowed by law." Tell them you were on the way to the airport when the fire started :laugh3:

 

[Rev Den]

Dry Chem leaves a mess....but WORKS.

That should answer your question.

Rev

BTW With Dry Chem remember to pull it out of the bracket every so often and shake it, smack the bottom, to keep the agent from caking to bad.

Rev

 

[Jes]

BTW With Dry Chem remember to pull it out of the bracket every so often and shake it, smack the bottom, to keep the agent from caking to bad.

Rev

If you actually go wheeling doesn't that do the same thing?
CIC.

 

[woody]

If you actually go wheeling doesn't that do the same thing?
CIC.

Ummm probably not, unless one is fully gettin it...

It's the continual vibration of driving with it in one fixed position that lets the powder get packed down... Every so often, pull it out & shake/smack it around with a rubber mallet. Not ALL of them are metal cased: If yours is plastic, don't smack too hard. Especially if you live in mud-wasp country, inspect the schnozzle for clogs.

Halon is restricted because (like freon) it is an ozone-eating gas It works great in enclosed spaces or around electronics, but IIRC it's on the pricy side to refil. Besides aviation, it's used in race cars, armored vehicles, server farms etc...

 

[Hawaiian Style]

Just to throw another thing into the mix, CO2 is another option...

 

[Mrburns]

Remember that extinguisher DO have dates on them...and unless you have a specialty unit...they are compressed with some form of gas....meaning they should be replaced or serviced every year! Halon is by far the most effective agent...but it has its drawbacks...if you are in the enclosed cab it can kill you!...it works by displacing oxygen at an incredible rate... Most halon's are illegal and are no longer manufactured although you can still buy specialty systems for planes/drag cars etc...a typical ABC extinguisher ($10-15)that you can buy from nearly all drugstores, home improvement shops yada yada is more than enough :wave:

 

[Thayer]

Oh yeah, and the "For aviation fire protection use only. No other use use allowed by law." Tell them you were on the way to the airport when the fire started :laugh3:

Good idea. Hahaha, I bet if I pull the sticker, no one will ever know

I also like the halon because it says it has a shelf life of 20 years.

 

[bajacalal]

Good idea. Hahaha, I bet if I pull the sticker, no one will ever know

I also like the halon because it says it has a shelf life of 20 years.

I think what happened is Halon was found to be severly ozone depleting so its not avaliable to the general public, just like R-12. If theres a fire in your passenger compartment I couldn't imagine passengers still bieng in there when you spray it so I guess its safe to use in your Jeep though maybe not legal.

 

[Neil]

I used to drag race in the pro stock class and I ran the automatic under hood Halon model. They also had a model that you physically pulled a "rip cord" to activate. The beauty of this system was that you did not have to open the hood. This also fixed the problem of discharging in an enclosed space. It was also a $300.00 system. (wish I had that kind of money to blow now) I had one fire, the system worked as advertised. There was no damage to the engine, and best of all it didn't injest any dry-chem. With the remote air filter on the Cherokee I see no need for the halon system. Just blow the dry chem off with an air hose. The reason I used the halon system on my race car was that I was pumping mass ammounts of fuel to the to the three duces and the air cleaners were right on top of the carbs.

Neil

 

[Highlander]

Here's the something about that extinguisher I just noticed.

it's only a 2B.C. rated extinguisher. If you read into DOT laws most commercial carriers require at least a 10B.C. on board. Basically if you get any fuel involved in the fire the halon you have will only put out a section 2sq feet big.

GO dry chem.. whereas it is more messy you can pick up a disposable one at Walmart for around 8-10 bux. Rating is higher and much better for any fire in cloth and wood.

The halon will cost between 20-30bux to recharge an extinguisher that size.

Reccomended services.
Drychem...turn upside down and fluff once a month.. Every 6 years a chemical check is needed. every 12 a hydrostatic test is needed on the shell. (disposables get tossed at 6 years)

Halon... no service needed. Shell can be visually examined at 12 year intervals. (with the one posted it looks disposable so probably could go longer as long as it shows a charge) 1211/1301 blend halon is rare in my service area only bc rated to around 6 lbs when it picks up an a rating

co2.... shell must be tested every 5 years. Extinguishers tend to be much heavier and only carry a bc rating (great for price on fills and can run a keg with some mechanical work)

Foam.. MESSY!!!!.. should be checked for chemical composition every 3 years. Just simply a pain in the butt IMO.

There are several nice engine units I saw at a trade show a few months back but most are still under development and are somewhat expensive.

 

[PavementSux87XJ]

I have 3 dry chem's in my XJ ......... My first car turned into a Camaro-b-ue when a short in the dash ignited. Since then Ive had atleast 1 extinguisher in each car or Jeep .

I have one beside each of my front seats and one in that little cubbyhole in teh back so one is always accessable at all times

 

[hudsxj]

Just be really careful with halon, as it will kill you very easily. I run a big co2 extinguisher, due to the fact that when I drove a diesel. If I got into some natural gas or just had a run away problem I could spray it in the intake and not have any problems getting it started again.