Where can I get a good car Fire Extinguisher?
Discussion
Safety Devices ones are great. have a nice polished alloy one in my car. www.safetydevices.co.uk/
Whichever one you get, make sure it's secured well - you don't want it flying around the car in an accident!
Some of the hand-held ones are just held in place by a springy clip around the neck - what you need are the metal clips that go around the whole bottle, and take a bit of force to unclip.
Some of the hand-held ones are just held in place by a springy clip around the neck - what you need are the metal clips that go around the whole bottle, and take a bit of force to unclip.
Went around all the suppliers at AI, looking for one for big bro.
Lifeline were the most impressive and also cheapest (we got a 1.75litre AFFF for under £50). Ask for advice and get the booklet, which has detailed drawings for sizing up installation. I suspect you want the most basic handheld format.
You could also try SPA Design and Safety Devices.
Lifeline were the most impressive and also cheapest (we got a 1.75litre AFFF for under £50). Ask for advice and get the booklet, which has detailed drawings for sizing up installation. I suspect you want the most basic handheld format.
You could also try SPA Design and Safety Devices.
pies said: whatever you get make sure nobody tries to sell you a "green" one
Although they are very effective at putting out fires they are extreamly hazardous and are now illegal
I understand halon removes all the oxygen from the area which stops us humans breathing.However,having used quite a few extingushers bcf green are still the best by miles,although illegal for motorsport.The afff are pretty crap,after all,they are basically no more than full of washing up liquid.
I saw a chap trying to put out a rally car with a few hand held afff's....it did totally and utterly no good at all.Had it not been such a potentially serious situation we would have all laughed they were that bad.It would have been better if he'd pissed on it.I must admit,since seeing that happen i have more of an open mind as to how to deal with an engine fire.Get the sausages and steaks out while dialing your insurers.
All Terrain said: whats bad about green uns?
The green ones (or what used to be green before this new european thing about all fire extinguishers now have to be red) are Halon, and they are now illegal because the gas they use damages the enviroment (yeah because thats the first thing on your mind as your car goes up in flames with you inside "better not damge the inviroment")
pawsmcgraw said:I understand halon removes all the oxygen from the area which stops us humans breathing.
CO2 (what used to be colour coded black) also removes the oxygen from an area and should not be used in a confined space (ie, inside a car with you in thier)
Child0fthecorn said:
pawsmcgraw said:I understand halon removes all the oxygen from the area which stops us humans breathing.
CO2 (what used to be colour coded black) also removes the oxygen from an area and should not be used in a confined space (ie, inside a car with you in thier)
... but outside the car CO2 surely wont be effective, due to all the oxygen in the air...
Podie said:
Child0fthecorn said:
pawsmcgraw said:I understand halon removes all the oxygen from the area which stops us humans breathing.
CO2 (what used to be colour coded black) also removes the oxygen from an area and should not be used in a confined space (ie, inside a car with you in thier)
apparently.......so i'm told,it hangs in a cloud,in pockets and does not dispurse quickly hence why its dangerous to breathing....errr you might fall over after a few minutes of breathing it in....or something like that.However,if your in a burning wreck i would say the burning plastics and carsonagenics would probably kill you in a matter of minutes even if the flames and extreme heat did'nt so i guess its a case of what ever is best at the time.Anything.
oops
>> Edited by pawsmcgraw on Wednesday 22 January 08:53
Podie said: ... but outside the car CO2 surely wont be effective, due to all the oxygen in the air...
C02 should work outside, but not very well (especially if its windy) so its not suited as an extinguisher for in/around a car
"CO2 is expelled as a gas and dissipates very quickly requiring very aggressive fire fighting especially since the range is limited to three-eight feet. CO2 works by cooling and displacement of oxygen. Discharge time is from 8 to 30 seconds and the range 3-8 feet."
You can see from that descrption that CO2 extinguishers displaces the oxygen (this is how it puts out a fire, it basically cuts off the oygen to it) and if used in a very confined space (like in a cabin of a car) you could suffer from lack of oxygen, this is why most in car extinguishers use dry powder.
more info about extinguishers at... www.fire.org.uk/x.htm
The problem with Halon isn't that it removes the oxygen - that doesn't do it justice. It consumes the oxygen and continues to do so for quite a while. Unless you are on the top of a very windy hill it will basically lie on the car like a blanket eating up all the oxygen around it - which is remarkably good if you want to put a fire out.
CO2 will disperse and needs to be applied continuously if you want to put the fire out - and keep it that way.
AFFF is supposed to coat the burning material creating a barrier that prevents the oxygen getting to it AND cooling it at the same time. In terms of real usefulness this comes a close second to Halon, but you have to apply it in the right place. Just spraying it on the fire and hoping will not put it out! The downside of AFFF is that it takes forever to get rid of it again after the fire goes out and you have rescued the car - then again that has to be cheaper than replacing the whole car.
My advice is to get yourself a 2.5l or 3l minimum plumbed in system that covers the engine bay (and fuel tank perhaps). Getting the bonnet open while it is on fire is no easy task - being able to pull a cord and let the extinguisher do the work is much safer and much more effective (if it was plumbed in properly). Just remember that these systems come with a safety pin and won't work if the pin is still in place.
Make sure you have a small handheld extinguisher as well for putting out fires on people (like the annoying git who lights up a fag in your car contrary to your requests
)
CO2 will disperse and needs to be applied continuously if you want to put the fire out - and keep it that way.
AFFF is supposed to coat the burning material creating a barrier that prevents the oxygen getting to it AND cooling it at the same time. In terms of real usefulness this comes a close second to Halon, but you have to apply it in the right place. Just spraying it on the fire and hoping will not put it out! The downside of AFFF is that it takes forever to get rid of it again after the fire goes out and you have rescued the car - then again that has to be cheaper than replacing the whole car.
My advice is to get yourself a 2.5l or 3l minimum plumbed in system that covers the engine bay (and fuel tank perhaps). Getting the bonnet open while it is on fire is no easy task - being able to pull a cord and let the extinguisher do the work is much safer and much more effective (if it was plumbed in properly). Just remember that these systems come with a safety pin and won't work if the pin is still in place.
Make sure you have a small handheld extinguisher as well for putting out fires on people (like the annoying git who lights up a fag in your car contrary to your requests
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