Fire Safety, Extiguisher Type?

[batman]

Hi folks,
I was just reading a thread on "Airstream fires?".
My question is which type of fire extinguisher do you have?

Dry chemicals do put out fires, however they have fine particles that get into everything. Very, very messy clean up and possibly damaging to nearby motors, electronics or hard drives. (YUK)

Halon gas puts out fires, it displaces the oxygen in a localized area. They are quick and there is no messy chemical powder to try and clean up.

I have used both on house and car fires. Halon gas is my extinguisher of choice now. After using both dry chemical and halon gas I will always have halon. I have a 5 lb for the house and 2.5 lb for each vehicle.

What ever kind or brand you have, get it out. Check the date. Contact your local fire department and see if they are giving demo's in your area. Become familiar for your safety, and the safety of others.

-Dennis

[jcanavera]

Have halon extinguishers changed in their properties over the years? I used to manage a data center (late 70's early 80's) that had a halon extinguishing system and back then the guys servicing the system talked about how important that to be effective, the halon needed to be kept at a certain concentration level based on the volume of the area you were protecting. It would make me think that halon might only be effective for a very short period of time due to the inability to maintain that concentration. While chemicals are a pain, they do smother the combustion which to me would keep the fire from reigniting.

I also thought it wasn't ozone friendly and that halon (as I knew it) was being phased out.

Jack

[prairieschooner]

Halon manufacture has been banned although there are Liquid Agent alternatives;
http://www2.dupont.com/FE/en_US/products/fe13.html

What are Halon Alternatives? Comparing Halon Alternatives to Halon
and others

[batman]

Originally Posted by jcanavera

Have halon extinguishers changed in their properties over the years? I used to manage a data center (late 70's early 80's) that had a halon extinguishing system and back then the guys servicing the system talked about how important that to be effective, the halon needed to be kept at a certain concentration level based on the volume of the area you were protecting. It would make me think that halon might only be effective for a very short period of time due to the inability to maintain that concentration. While chemicals are a pain, they do smother the combustion which to me would keep the fire from reigniting.

I also thought it wasn't ozone friendly and that halon (as I knew it) was being phased out.

Jack

Absolutely correct. I should have used the term "Clean Agent" fire extinguisher.

The EPA has banned the new production of Halon. It is a CFC, bad for our ozone layer.

There are newer deamed to be environmentally safer alternatives like Halotron 1, it is an HCFC-123.

Haha, Looks like its time for me to upgrade

Still love my Halon for it's effectiveness. I put out a VW fire one time even the burning tire.

You all be safe out there.

-Dennis

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by batman

The EPA has banned the new production of Halon. It is a CFC, bad for our ozone layer.

There are newer deamed to be environmentally safer alternatives like Halotron 1, it is an HCFC-123.

Haha, Looks like its time for me to upgrade.

Not necessarily time for an "upgrade."

From h3Rcleanagents.com:

Halon 1211 (a liquid streaming agent) and Halon 1301 (a gaseous flooding agent) leave no residue and are remarkably safe for human exposure. Halon is rated for class "B" (flammable liquids) and "C" (electrical fires), but it is also effective on class "A" (common combustibles) fires. Halon 1211 and Halon 1301 are low-toxicity, chemically stable compounds that, as long as they remain contained in cylinders, are easily recyclable.

Because Halon is a CFC, the production of Halon ceased on January 1, 1994, under the Clean Air Act. There is no cost-effective means of safely and effectively disposing of the Halon that has already been produced, therefore recycling and reusing the existing supply intelligently and responsibly to protect lives and property is the best solution.

The EPA recognizes that that Halon remains the most effective "clean" extinguishing agent available, despite its ozone depleting potential, and there are no federal or state regulations prohibiting the buying, selling or use of Halon extinguishers. All Halon available now is recycled so it is an environmentally responsible choice.

Halon is similar to CO2 in that it is suitable for use in cold weather and leaves no residue. Unlike CO2, however, Halon does not displace the air out of the area where it is dispensed. Even for the toughest fires, less than an 8% concentration of Halon by volume is required, leaving plenty of air to use in the evacuation process.

[MaineStreamer]

If you have a dry chemical fire extinguisher, it is timportant to shake it periodically to stir up the dry chemical. When I was safety manager for my laboratory 30 years ago as a chemist, one of the things I was instructed to do was to shake the fire extinguishers periodically to make sure that the dry chemical did not settle into a cake at the bottom and thereby become unusable.

[spclkaz]

Some resources here to help you make your choice...

My Business - Fire Safety Articles By Mac McCoy*(Click on title to read article)*34 Fire Facts That Can Save Your LifeAn Emergency Fire Plan That Can Save Your LifeFighting Small FiresFire Extinguisher Education for RVersFire Safety ? It?s Your Respo

[Silver Hawk]

What MaineStreamer said is very important!
Most people buy them and forget them - from the outside they look new, but after a while the chemical hardens in the bottom. When you need them, they don't work!
We use a rubber mallet - turn it upside down and whack it a few times - every sixth mouths or so -
Best to take them to a local Licensed Extinguisher Supplier to check them - they open them up, clean them out and recharge them. Most Cities Fire Regulations require this yearly for business.

[RAH]

One of the first projects I undertook was installing 3 more fire extinguishers to supplement the one that came with the Airstream. I put one under the kitchen sink, and put 2 in the bedroom inside the lower cabinets, one on each side of the bed. They are out of the way, but there in unfortunate event I need to use them.

[batman]

Originally Posted by RAH

One of the first projects I undertook was installing 3 more fire extinguishers to supplement the one that came with the Airstream. I put one under the kitchen sink, and put 2 in the bedroom inside the lower cabinets, one on each side of the bed. They are out of the way, but there in unfortunate event I need to use them.

That is cool! 1 extinguisher for every 10 feet of trailer. Lets hope none of us ever have to use them. It is good to be prepared for the worst so we can enjoy the rest.

-Dennis