I've recently been shopping around for a good fire extinguisher to have in my rig and came across a few questions and/or ideas. first off, is the general ABC type a good kind to get or should we have a special one in our rigs? what is a good size to have that will be adequate but won't take up my entire cab? i keep seeing sizes rated in pounds online but that doesn't help me visual how big it is physically. due to all the recent threads about extinguishers exploding inside vehicles, i thought maybe i'd mount it in my toolbox in the bed of my truck. who has done this? is weather/temperature an issue having it out there? on a side thought, having it there is just one more key to fumble for to unlock my toolbox after having climbed into the bed of my truck, just to get the extinguisher out. how forceful are the explosions of these things? could i put it inside one of those giant ziploc bags and then mount it, just for cleanliness if it explodes? thanks!

 

An ABC is fine, but depending on the medium, it could make a HUGE mess if you ever use it. Look for CO2 or other gaseous types - not powder.

I wouldn't put it in the box - what happens if you need to use it? Sometimes seconds are the difference between successfully fighting the fire and buying a new truck!

I haven't heard about the exploding in vehicles. Maybe the trigger just got compressed and it discharged? If it were to explode, it would be BAD. I would not count on the tool box to contain it. These things are under a significant amount of pressure. Did you see the Mythbusters where they sent a gas cylinder through a brick wall?

I would get the biggest one you can - nothing worse than to have the fire almost out and run out of extinguisher, then sit there and watch your truck burn. Check out local shops to get an idea of the size.

 

I have 2, the one under the front seat is a Halon, the one in the rear is an ABC probley from walmart, IMO. something is better than nothing.
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/show...light=fire+ric

 

[HIJACK]
Where's the best place to buy these extinguishers? [/HIJACK]

 

which ones ? regular extinguishers, can be bought anywhere, wally word, home depot, etc. the Halon, Im not sure, mine was given to me from a friend thats a pilot, so he has acces to them, Halon extinguisher are very PRICEY

 

I think drguitarum2005 might be referring to my recent thread about my mishap.

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f123/fire-extinguisher-cleanup-cargo-area-104186/

 

use a halon type.

 

Well we just had a big discussion/argument over at FJCruiser Forums about this very same subject so without having to rehash it all over check out this thread Mounted a fire extinguisher

Bottom line don't use Halon there are better/safer/less expensive/legal alternatives.

My recommendation a Halotron extinguisher. Not the cheapest but the best IMO.

 

You made excellent points in that thread btw.


Someone in there talked about having worked in a large computer room with a commercial halon system. I have too, and I've been in two situations where I got to see it dump. Once when someone hit the button by accident (15 second warning, and you're FLYING for the door) and then once about a year later in a test.

It's loud, it's nasty, you can't see your hand in front of your face, and to the guy in that thread who says it doesn't leave a residue - well, he's never had to clean up after a dump.

 

Thanks, I don't think he's actually seen a dump he was just saying they told him the real hazard was flying debris and not O2 displacement which I'm hoping is just his wishful thinking so he could justify having a halon extinguisher.

Every Halon system/extinguisher warns not to use/do not enter if discharged on an enclosed space. Most of them say "without breathing apparatus" but most of us don't lug around a trans-pac or OBA in their FJs I do have an NRB O2 bottle but I wouldn't even think of using that for supported entry.

I need to take some measurements under the driver's back seat to see how big a bottle I can get under there and then I'm ordering a Halotron extinguisher.

 

If you already have a halon one then why not? If you don't then you are probably SOL on finding one because they aren't sold anymore. While they work well they are extremely environmentally unfriendly and are now illegal for most uses. I hope you don't show it to any firefighter friends as they are legally required to confiscate it.

Carbon Dioxide is a good choice for our uses. It only works on Class B and C fires which means that it will work for a gas leak on fire but won't do anything for any Class A fires. If you don't mind using it up it also works great for cooling beer in a hurry.

ABC extinguishers are the most common. These dry chemical extinguishes work well for both the Class B (ex: gas) and Class C (energized electrical) as well as Class A. That means that it will help put out the burning gear in your truck as well or your campfire. The downside is that they make a terrible mess as anyone who has had to use one in their shop/garage can attest. The other downside is that you can pretty much count any computer/electrical stuff it touches as toast. That includes your ECU, stereo, etc. That is why they use Halon systems in areas of expensive computers and the like.

Whatever type you end up with I would suggest at least a 10-15 B/C rating. For Class B and C the number before the 'B' translates to the approximate square footage that it will put out. So think of a small fuel leak as maybe 5x2 ft. by the time it lights up. That would mean that you want at least a 10lb extinguisher to save your rig. The cute little 5 pounders that you can fit under your seat are almost entirely useless if you actually needed them.

I just finished studying these in fire academy. Now that I actually know a little more I will be picking up a CO2 to use primarily and I will also keep my old 10 lb ABC in case my cargo or interior also catches fire.

I have never heard of an extinguisher exploding. There is nothing inside that is really affected by normal changes in temp. I have seen some go off when the little key falls out and their dog or whatever hits the release though.

 

The newer Halotron units are safer environmentally but not any safer for the user. For the ridiculous cost I would put a small one in my computer room and a big old CO2 in my truck.

 

Ummm, OK. Poor A$$ unless Canada has very different laws about halon extinguishers you are talking out of your username.

I can buy a HALON extinguisher today. There is plenty of reclaimed halon to be had and sold again. The cost is not that high when you consider it is less than your insurance deductable if you even carry fire coverage.

On a side note, the topic of fire extinguishers comes up so much I am going to contact the mods and do a tech write-up on them.

Lamm

 

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is the international agreement that required the phase out of Halogens by the year 2000. Halon is only still allowed under the agreement for "essential uses where no other substitute can be found." That means that commercial uses are still allowed for certain instances but the general public isn't supposed to have any, even though you might be able to buy it. At least that is my understanding.

Since 1992 the sale and service of Halon extinguishers has been made illegal in Canada due to environmental concerns except for in a few rare cases, as per the Montreal Protocol.

In the UK and Europe Halons were made illegal at the end of 2003, except for certain specific aircraft and law enforcement uses. This appears to be at least partially in response to the Montreal Protocol and effort by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to combat release of quantities of harmful chemicals into the atmosphere.

With Bush still in power though it wouldn't surprise me at all to find out that the States are way behind in the environmental protection field in this area as well. The material I was taught is supposed to be the same internationally. I could be wrong as to what the current regulations actually are, as apposed to what they are supposed to be. The US was supposed to to have stopped producing halogens back in 1993. Maybe recycling Halon is a loophole and you are still allowed to posses it. Up here you aren't anyway, you are correct.

 

A. The Phaseout of Halons
When was the production of halons banned?
Under the Clean Air Act (CAA), the U.S. banned the production of halon and import of virgin halons 1211, 1301, and 2402 beginning January 1, 1994 in compliance with the Montreal Protocol On Substances That Deplete The Ozone Layer. Recycled halon and halon inventories produced before January 1, 1994, are now the only sources of supply.
EPA's final rule published March 5, 1998 (63 FR 11084), bans the formulation of any blend of two or more of these halons with one exception. An exemption is provided for halon blends formulated using recycled halon solely for the purpose of aviation fire protection, provided that halon blends produced under this exemption are recycled to meet the relevant purity standards for each individual halon. A fact sheet summarizing this rule is also available from the Stratospheric Ozone Protection Hotline.


Must I now dismantle my halon fire protection system?
No. It is legal to continue to use your existing halon system. It is even legal to purchase recycled halon and halon produced before the phaseout to recharge your system.
However, due to the fact that halons deplete the ozone layer, halon users are encouraged to consider replacing their halon system and making their halon stock available for users with more critical needs.


Are there any federal laws on emissions of halons?
EPA's final rule published March 5, 1998 (63 FR 11084) prohibits the intentional release of Halon 1211, Halon 1301, and Halon 2402 during the testing, repairing, maintaining, servicing or disposal of halon-containing equipment or during the use of halon equipment for technician training. The rule also requires appropriate training of technicians regarding halon emissions reduction and proper disposal of halon and halon-containing equipment (see the guidance document for more information). The rule became effective April 6, 1998.

 

Go with an ABC, as a trained fire fighter, I can tell you that you don't need to be going nutty with errant HALON systems. Do you carry turn-outs and anSCBA unit in your rig? If so then hey why the hell not, but a regular ABC is gonna put out a reasonable car fire no problem. I say reasonable cause extinguishers are not magic fairy dust, you don't just spray a fire and it dissapears. Know how to use them and know what kind of fire you're dealing with/what's burning. Charged electrical fires are just ordinaly combustible fires with juice, cut the juice and were back to regualy combustibles. Yeah ABC's can be messy, but hey your truck's on fire so yeah... Halon is cool cause it removes the O2 (just like a CO2 system) from the fire triangle (or tetrehedron if mya wanna get technical) but it's alittle over kill for a wheeling rig and it's expensive. If you get given one, go for it, but other wise, get 5 of the ABC's from home cheepo and have alot of anti-firepower for less money. And again, take one and maybe practice putting something out, it might save you when you need to actualy use it.

Cheers

Dave