Seeing what happened to (Randy) Deuce Roadsters 32 recently got me to thinking when was the last time I check the fire extinguisher in my cars and was amazed it had been so long. The one in my 32 sedan was deader than a hammer! And the one in my truck is fairly new and in good working order. Now I'm wondering if I still can buy a Halon fire extinguisher anymore?or is this the best type to use? I really need to get one for the wagon. HRP
besides checking if they are still in operating condition, it seems like alot of guys car's that I've heard on here and other forums that have caught fire lately, that had the smaller ones you buy at the autoparts store didnt do any far as putting out the fire, I have one in two of the three cars i own but thinking of upgrading to a reg. size canisters or having both.....the only thing i see is it might be harder to have a reg. size one in a quick accessible area.
I am looking also. Took my two Halon in for service, both beyond service at 10 years old. Hopefully an education will come along on this thread.
Danny, I throw em out after a couple of years and buy new ones. I also use the dry powder type ones. Yeah they make a mess and it's nasty stuff but I'd rather clean a mess up vs my car burning up.
What the Hell happened to Randy? Hope he and his Beautiful rides are O.K.... I also hope what ever it was does not happen to anyone else....
Good info in this thread http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=639764&highlight=which+fire+extinguishers And a couple usefull links all found on the Hamb https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/group.asp?GroupID=FIRESYSSPA http://www.rvcoolingunit.net/servlet/the-Halon-Fire-Fight1-Extinguishers*****/Categories
I buy the Kidde ones, the one in my stash of parts I'm sure is no good any more. I agree with buying one every couple of years and chucking the old one. Bob
Something else to think of is if you use dry powder types is to rotate the mounting position every so often the powder can compress into a cake at the bottom of the container. I hear this is a common problem in boats mount you extinguisher in a location that you can change it around. Mount it to a side wall in the trunk so it can be moved in a 180 arc let it sit on one side for awhile then turn the mount so it sits upright and then so the other side is down. It means extra holes for the second screw in the 3 positions but come time you need that extinguisher you won't just get a blast of air with no chemical!This holds true for an extinguisher in any moving vehicle. I had an extinguisher fail on me for this and the local Fire service company that supplies our fire department told me about this when servicing all my extinguishers after it happened the failed unit was used in my stock car and the powder was packed along one side that was down in my mount.Back then our track only checked the guage now extinguishers are randomly blown off and they give you a replacement they are also date checked.
A little over a month ago I had a FIRE !! The ethanol gasoline ate the needle and seat in my CARB and the float over flowed ... causing a engine fire. Here is a thread about the fire ... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=684390 Back to HRP"s question, educated fire folks say that the BEST fire extishguisher for automobiles is a DRY type. Get as large a one as you can put in your car. I NOW have this one from Home Depot. $70.00 . I had a small one but it was about worthless.
I have had to use one only once but boy was I glad to have it. My ranchero had a sticking needle and seat and burbled fuel all over the motor. I stopped at a light and the motor died when I went to start it she caught fire. Took me about 3 seconds to pop the fire Extinguisher and save the car. I have one in all my old cars and my Motorhome and yes I check them all the time.
The proper method for servicing them, is once a year, turn them upside down and pound on the bottom with a compothane hammer for about 10 or 15 mins. I know the guys that service them have a certain touch, and can "feel" when the powder is all loosened up, but it would probably take some practice to attain that feel. The important part is to replace them when the air gets out. I also would recommend more frequent servicing on ones in a car... the vibration of the car will aid in the sediment production. Halon is still available on a very limited basis, and is toxic. If you want to run something that doesn't make quite the mess, try CO2, but in windy conditions it could be pretty much useless unless you can get right on top of the fire.
I would go full out high tech on this and not worry about looking cool in anyway, You can always hide it under something, I had a 66' galaxy and wish it wasnt in the truck when i had a dash fire because the ignition key sure did burn the hell out of me by the time i realized i needed it to open the trunk...
Does anybody know anything about these halon extinguishers?? Effectiveness, serviceing? http://www.summitracing.com/search/...Guard-Fire-Extinguishers/?autoview=SKU&page=1
I believe Halon has been outlawed, except possibly in industrial applications. It removes the oxygen from the air and can kill you if inhaled. At least that's the word I got.
I've been looking at ones called STOP FYRE and they have a fire suppression gas and is pressurized with nitrogen. Google search gets you to their website. I can get a big one for about $400 at a farm show. Not supposed to leave any mess at all and not toxic they say. I wonder if they are similar to the ones at summit.
The very first Model A rod I rode in had a #5 CO2 bottle under the seat and plumbed into the engine bay. My initial reaction was overkill, but now, genious. When I build another, it will have some sort of system installed. Probably some sort of cold-fire foam. I think it is more important to have a system that can be serviced by a local person to your area than any particular type. This will probably get more regular service and be ready in case of an incident.
I can't see them being outlawed as they are for sale. Summit for one place. I didn't know about the oxygen thing. Anyone else with experience?
That's how they work. As soon as the O2 returns, if the heat remains, off she goes again. The dry powder type interupts the chemical chain reaction in fire. And it hangs around to prevent re-ignition.
Halon extinguishers are still available. (I just bought a new one made by Amerex). The manufacture of Halon is banned in the US, but it's OK to import.
The Halon type have been banned here for about 10 years. The CO2 type is friendlier for cars, there is no mess to clean up.
CO2 doesn't work great in the open air, it also remove 02, powder is the best, messy but the best, halon is over priced but trendy! lol Way i figure it, fire extinguishers are like seatbelts, helmets or guns"if they save your life once they're worth it" JimV
Naw, all you need is one of these! LOL. I can't help but think of how many cars were lost to fire in the 40s/50s if this is all that was available. Ouch
The Halon displaces oxygen and smothers the fire. Wind will blow the Halon [freon] away. Thy are good indoors
Halon and CO2 both function the same way. They both displace oxygen in the chain. They will both kill you if you fill the car with them, while your still in it. The added bonus of CO2 is that it also cools the burning area, but may crack the block, intake or other hot surfaces...it will also warp sheet metal. Dry Chemical extinguishers are better for putting the fire out in a windy situation, but leave a heck of a mess, and can damage the carb and engine, if the air cleaner is removed or burnt away. Either one is cheaper than burning the whole car to the ground. The benefit of CO2 or Halon, there is little chance for malfunction, because they are both simply compressed gas, albeit, at a much higher pressure than the dry chem. The best way to handle an engine fire is to put in the plumbed in systems like race cars use, but they only work well if you have a hood and fenders (or engine side skirts as with an A or a T). You need to pick what fits your vehicle best. If you actually get a large fuel leak, and there is a huge puddle of gas on fire, the only cure for that is a dry chem, as the others will just cause the puddle and the fire to spread.
I say any Fire Extinguisher is better than NOTHING! if it wasn't for a cheap *** $10 walmart fire extinguisher i would lost my chopper & maybe the shop! i have one of those! i don't know how it would work?? but it cool to hang it around-chuck
Any recommendation for online extinguisher sellers and what do you do with old extinguishers that have lost their gas but are unused? In addition to my cars, I want to replace some in the house. ~ Carl
I've got this one listed on eBay right now, but if it doesn't sell (and I actually hope it DOESN'T) I'm going to hang on to it and mount it on the transmission tunnel in my '53. Functional or not, this thing just looks cool. I have A LOT of parts like that, meaning, cool stuff I would rather keep for myself. If I list it for sale just once, and it doesn't sell, then I can keep it for myself and my wife can't call me a hoarder. LOL.
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