Fire Extinguisher Discussion

[Kenomac]

It's a good thing I started this thread, as it caused me to take a much closer look at our fire extinguishers. This one in the engine compartment was turned slightly sideways making it difficult to see the gauge.

It's being replaced asap with one large or two equivalents.

[a64pilot]

Ken, You may be able to have it re-filled.
I'm confused though, cause a pressure gauge on a Halon fire extinguisher won't work, Halon is like Propane, a gas that under pressure is liquified, so if the tank is completely filled with liquid, or nearly empty, the pressure is the same, just like a CO2 or propane tank.

Only way I know of to determine how much agent there is in a liquified gas fire extinguisher is by weight, again like a propane bottle.

Automatic Halons are in my opinion very nice things to have, worth having refilled if possible, may have to bring it stateside or have it refilled though, and I doubt you can't fly with a compressed gas bottle. CBP stole my O2 bottle a few years ago saying to fly the valve has to be removed.

[Pete7]

I am doubtful that cylinder can be filled up Europe unless you lie and say its for an aircraft

Ken, since your yacht is over 13m in length, does SOLAS requirements state anything about minimum fire fighting equipment? you wouldn't want to be caught by a grumpy French or Spanish Civil Servant looking to make an example out of someone would you.

Pete

[Kenomac]

The bottle feels light, maybe only 3-4 pounds. And when I turn it upside down, feels only 1/3 full. But I don't know how heavy halon is? I suppose I could just leave it and add a second extinguisher as backup.

No chance of a refill here in the EU, or getting something like this on a plane.

We have at least 15 extinguishers onboard; they're everywhere. Except the dinghy... time for a relocation of at least one.

These threads help me brainstorm, I hope they help others too.

[Pete7]

Bin it, well dispose of it properly and buy a new one. They are sized on the volume of your engine space.

https://www.marinesuperstore.com/fir...e-extinguisher

[a64pilot]

Depending on how the regulation is, and I have no idea about SOLAS, even if you have three times the required fire protection you can still be cited for having a bad extinguisher or any other safety device.
I know this isn't FAA, but the usual way around it there is to placard it as Inop. I guess idea being you won't try to use an item that is labeled as inoperative.
Disposal may be an issue to, basically it's the same as refrigerant.

[a64pilot]

I just bought a 5 lb Halotron. Paid $125. Going price for my 1.5 lb aircraft Halons is I think $385 ea.
Is Halotron nearly as effective as Halon?

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

you can still be cited for having a bad extinguisher or any other safety device.

I think he plans on replacing it. Don't want to see Ken cited and locked up in a foreign jail like the one in the film Midnight Express

Pete

[a64pilot]

I can't cut and paste on this IPad, but look at the next to last paragraph, it discusses gauged and non gauged Halon fire extinguishers.
If it were me, I'd try shipping it to these guys or others that inspect and recharge, apparently nothing is as good as Halon, and it takes twice as much Halotron to be as effective as Halon 1211.
What you have would be difficult to replace, why not try to keep it?
http://www.h3raviation.com/news_EAA_...isor_Feb08.htm

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I just bought a 5 lb Halotron. Paid $125. Going price for my 1.5 lb aircraft Halons is I think $385 ea.
Is Halotron nearly as effective as Halon?

That looks a good price, how many sq ft is your saloon? (assuming its going on the yacht).

Amerex B386T 5 lb. Halotron 1 Clean Agent Extinguisher

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Pete7

That looks a good price, how many sq ft is your saloon? (assuming its going on the yacht).

Amerex B386T 5 lb. Halotron 1 Clean Agent Extinguisher

The only thing is it works by cooling, but so does an AFFF foam extinguisher. The difference is AFFF leavs a layer on top which reduces the chance of a fire re-igniting.

On course we practised putting out a 12'x12' drip tray filled with Av gas, diesel, petrol, some oil, in fact anything the POL point wanted shut of.

Staff lit the tray by pouring burning diesel on to it with a cup on a long pole for obvious reasons. Needless to say the drip tray quickly became a roaring inferno.

Next student armed wit a 9 litre AFFF extinguisher put the fire out. Providing they didn't panic, kept upwind and low down, working the fire from the back it would be quickly out with one single extinguisher. More impressive however, was the fact the fire couldn't be re-lit because the foam created a layer on top of the fuel for some days.

Impressed me, so we now carry AFFF.

Pete

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

What you have would be difficult to replace, why not try to keep it?
EAA Sport Aviation . Halon Fire Extinguisher Comparison

Halon is illegal: http://www.fisg.org.uk/MCA/upload/mgn258.pdf

[a64pilot]

Apparently in the EU it is, US it is not, we are allowed to use, but not manufacture I think. Like R12 etc. So it's being recycled, getting more and more expensive, eventually except for critical systems it's price will regulate it.
I wonder what section 7 that allows Halon is?

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Pete7

That looks a good price, how many sq ft is your saloon? (assuming its going on the yacht).



Amerex B386T 5 lb. Halotron 1 Clean Agent Extinguisher

No idea of size, it's for the engine room, that has an automatic 1.5 Halon now, but I assume it would go out the exhaust and kill the engine, but I'd still have a fire to fight, that is what the two 1.5 Halons and now the 5 lb Halotron are for. Plus most of the time Wx permitting the Salon is opened up for ventilation, so I guess then it's infinite size? Flooding isn't going to work?
Salon wise I have the Halons and Halotron for there too, and another automatic Halon in the electrical compt., and in the Lazarette with the generator. Fire blanket hanging on the companionway a little away from the stove. Of course several of the cheap dry chemical ones too.
I will likely adopt Ken's wife's idea for the hose on a sink too, there are a few times where water is a good agent

[model 10]

I have 2 18lb Halon fire extinguisher's. One of them I used to put out a going engine fire on a Cessna 185. That discharge left the needle still in the green and that was 10 years ago. It still has not lost any more weight to this day.