Hot Rods What is the best fire extinguisher

Looking for the best thing to carry with me when out for a drive - what do you use or what do you suggest? I would like to avoid the older style that used the white powder...... Thanks

 

That is not an "older style". That is just a dry chemical extinguisher. They are still a standard extinguisher.

If you are looking for no mess, you want Halon 1211.

Be aware, these cannot be deployed inside the vehicle if you are in it. They not only extinguish fire, but will extinguish you, as well.

 

Halon 1211 will not extinguish you. It is quite safe, although you don't want to hang around too long after discharging it in a confined space as it does deplete the oxygen. So spray it, then leave the area and make sure it is well ventilated/purged before re-occupying the area. Here's the safety sheet:
http://www.wfrfire.com/msds/pdf/halonMSDS.pdf

 

Halon is the way to go. Pricey but worth it if you have to use it.

 

Don't think you can get one any more but I like a Halon extinguisher.

That said the absolute best fire extinguisher is the one you never have to use.

 

After Deuce Roadsters car caught fire his small halon extinguisher was basically useless because it ran out before the fire was completely out,he was thankful someone came to help with chemical type extinguisher,yeah it made a mess but the car wasn't a total loss.

I have a big 10 lb ABC chemical fire extinguisher in the wagon. HRP

 

I'd be inclined to say that the best extinguisher is the biggest one you can easily take with you. Just my two cents worth

 

Mine's almost as big as my truck!

 

An airplane supply would have the best choice for units that work well in a confined space, Hard to pull over to the curb in a plane. Besides Halon, the is an agent widely used in racing called "COLDFIRE" which basicly soapy water. Kind off messy to clean up but a whole lot better that DRY CHEM.

 

For me the one I want is going to be old style and big enough to put out a decent size fire!!!

Just my opinion but I guess that is all that matters anyway.

Jimbo

 

Dry chem is a bitch to get out of a carb. And somehow it finds its way into every orifice.

A bit of advice that maybe will save someone some sorrow. They make clear sight plugs for adjusting floats on a holley. it is suggested that you don't run them except for tuning. The roadster rolled in Tuesday night for tune, and it was runni9ng the clear sight plugs. The floats were a bit high so I was adjusting them, and wiped one of the plugs off and it popped out.

Fires happen but one should do whatever is necessary to keep them from happening. Better than an extinguisher is watching your chit.

 

i have them in all my cars , including my daily driver

 

Um, yeah it will. I build giant data centers where there are air packs to don so you can make it out alive, because the distance to the doors is so great. You won't make it out alive.

 

There is a reason why the halon extinguishers are only used for the engines on aircraft, they are dangerous and they will kill you by diplassing the oxygen. For any fire in the interior of and aircraft, it is the dry chemical type.

 

retired firefighter here, HRP has the best answer in my opinion...yeah there are all kinds of exotic shit out there, but really do you need to go to that expense for your average car fire. make sure your ext covers all common class fires, ie ABC...class A is common combustibles like wood, cloth, paper...class B is flammable & combustible liquids such as gas, oil, etc....class C is ENERGIZED electrical components...once the power is off, they usually become a class A fire.....I like to keep mine on the floor by my seat, easily accessible....seen too many under the hood that when you have an engine fire, you cant get to the extinguisher!!! be safe & 1 oz of prevention is worth 1lb of cure

 

One thing to think about , if it's windy Halon and CO2 will just blow away and won't be very effective. Dry chem has some weight to it and it sticks. Also if the fire isn't fuel , plain old water will do the trick.....that's what we use on the big red truck.

 

Water don't work worth a flip when its electrical.
But its fun to watch.

I discovered a long time ago that even a t shirt is effective in the proper situation.

For most guys an ABC will do the trick, about 5 or 10 lbs.

 

water is fun to watch being used on a class D fire, combustible metal such as magnesium...draws the oxygen out of the water in a chemical reaction & makes the fire grow fast.

 

We use Halon 1301 in our data centers, which is the gas flooding agent. The Halon 1211 you mentioned earlier is more of a liquid stream and is the more common "portable" agent. Like I mentioned, you don't want to hang around in an area where it's been deployed as it does deplete the oxygen, so if you can't make an exit in a minute or so then a mask or air pack is a good idea. But the Halon itself won't kill you, asphyxiation will. So the following statement is a bit misleading: "Be aware, these cannot be deployed inside the vehicle if you are in it. They not only extinguish fire, but will extinguish you, as well.

 

Is Halon still legal?

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.

How long will the supply of Halon last?

While the production of Halon ceased on January 1, 1994, under the Clean Air Act, it is still legal to purchase and use recycled Halon and Halon fire extinguishers. In fact, the FAA continues to recommend Halon fire extinguishers for aircraft.
How safe is Halon?

Halons are low-toxicity, chemically stable compounds that have been used for fire and explosion protection from early in the last century. Halon has proven to be an extremely effective fire suppressant. Halon is clean (i.e., leaves no residue) and is remarkably safe for human exposure. Halon is a highly effective agent for firefighting in closed passenger carrying areas. Due to its effectiveness and relatively low toxicity, the FAA continues to recommend or require Halon extinguishers for use on commercial aircraft.

Extensive toxicity evaluations have been compiled by nationally recognized United States medical laboratories and institutions on Halon 1301 and Halon 1211. These evaluations have shown that Halon 1301 and Halon 1211 are two of the safest clean extinguishing agents available. Dual Halon concentrations of about 5% by volume in air are adequate to extinguish fires of most combustible materials. This concentration is equivalent to emptying twelve 2.5 lb. units in a closed room of 1000 cubic feet, which would be highly unlikely.

Does Halon remove oxygen from the air?

It is a common misconception that Halon, like CO2, "removes oxygen from the air."

According to the Halon Alternative Research Corporation (www.harc.org): "Three things must come together at the same time to start a fire. The first ingredient is fuel (anything that can burn), the second is oxygen and the last is an ignition source. Traditionally, to stop a fire you need to remove one side of the triangle-the ignition, the fuel or the oxygen. Halon adds a fourth dimension to fire fighting-breaking the chain reaction. It stops the fuel, the ignition and the oxygen from working together by chemically reacting with them."

 

Magnesium flares dropped out of ac in the Navy. Fire School showed us they could be put out with water in a very fine misty spray to cool it below ignition point. Yes, just a demo and who's got the time if it's burning next to a bomb load.

 

the one within reach......

 

ohhh, and very traditional......

 

Here is my 2 cents. Whatever extinguisher you choose be certain you know how to activate it and how to use it to its utmost advantage. Learning on the fly after the fire has started wastes a lot of valuable time. Ask me how I know this to be true.

 

Dry chemical in my avatar!

 

Every car has a 5lb ABC of Halotron, lasts 10 yrs before needing to be replaced, leaves no mess, isn't corrosive and doesn't cake......plus is still available.

The powder is cheaper but cakes at the bottom when it has been sitting, making you have to hit the bottom to dislodge it or nothing comes out in an emergency. It is very hard to clean out of all places, is VERY acidic (look up videos of the cars after) and needs to be replaced every 5 yrs.

Also remember the cheaper ones like a Kidde might not be able to be serviced and refilled. So buy a good one.

 

That is a mighty fine hair splitter you have there.

 

The one I used Sat night to put the electrical fire out in my car was an ABC dry chemical. I didn't mind cleaning up the mess so bad, once I get the wiring repaired, I still have a car I can drive..

In my opinion, the best fire extinguisher is one that works. Gene

 

Other threads have warned to stay away from Kidde
https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2017/k...medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark