Fire extinguishers -

[peterljohnson55]

What have been the circumstances in which you have used your fire extinguisher?

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

A fire.

[LG17]

To cool the beer down quickly!

[new2ford]

Underarm deodorant

(is this a "100 innovative uses for a fire extinguisher" thread?)

[Jason[98.EL]]

me I used mine only a week ago when my bbq caught fire

was handy as it could have set the house alight

[wookie836]

Dry powder chemical extinguishers are great for breaking up fights at parties

[uniacidz]

Havent had to

But i plan to use it if there is a fire

[xisled]

My mate was driving his tow truck, the pin came lose from the fire extinguisher in the cab, and the handle jammed and unloaded the whole extinguisher into his cab.

[TC200six]

What would be the most affective extinguisher on an oil fire? A large CO2 or a dry chemical?

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by TC200six

What would be the most affective extinguisher on an oil fire? A large CO2 or a dry chemical?

http://www.wormald.com.au/fire-produ...classification

The C02 is the one for chilling beer, but strangely enough this use is not listed by Wormald.

Fire extinguishers - totally useless until you need them, as my wife says about me.

[Geez Louise]

There are different types of fire extingishers:

Here is what they are and what they are used for:
Water: for wood, paper, plastics etc
Dry Chemical Powder A B(E): Wood, paper, plastics, Flammable liquids and gases, Energised equipment, cooking oils and fats
Dry Chemical Powder B(E): Flammable liquids and gasses, energised equipment, cooking oils and fats
Carbon Dioxide: Flammable liquids and gasses, energised electrical equipment
Foam: Wood, Paper, plastics, flammable liquids
Wet chemical: Wood paper, plastics, cooking oils and fats.

I just did a course of Safety Awareness in the workplace and they covered this topic for over 2hrs! I haven't had to use a fire extingisher myself, but I have used a fire blanket a couple of times when I worked as a chef in a kitchen (Yes, they were my hot oil flare ups too!)

Cheers
Col

[XR6TCraig]

Good for cracking macadamias!

[Trevor 57]

The best goddam extinguisher has been banned, the BCF (yellow) was the best, but it buggered the ozone layer.

I have used mine to put out a Harley once, my wife still hasn't forgiven me.

[usernametaken]

Trev, you are refering to Halon. A few places have exceptions to carry those extinguishers - airlines for their planes etc...

You're right, best extinguisher ever.

[Trevor 57]

Yeah, one and the same

BCF = Bromochlorodifluoromethane, also known by the trade name Halon 1211, or BCF, or Halon 1211 BCF, or Freon 12B1

[2011G6E]

The trick with the whole "destroying the ozone layer" rubbish was that while it's sitting in your car unused, it's not destroying anything in the atmosphere. It was indeed the best one for the job, but greenies got it banned.

When it comes to saving a human life, especially someone important to me, I'd smother a fire with baby seals I'd strangled with my bare hands and beat out the smouldering embers with panda cubs before worrying about whether my extinguisher might harm the ozone layer...

I've got one of those red dry powder ones in the car...better to have one and not need it, than need it and not have it...

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

When it comes to saving a human life, especially someone important to me, I'd smother a fire with baby seals I'd strangled with my bare hands and beat out the smouldering embers with panda cubs before worrying about whether my extinguisher might harm the ozone layer...

I've got one of those red dry powder ones in the car...better to have one and not need it, than need it and not have it...

they have actually done tests and did you know that freshly strangled baby seals, and panda cubs don’t prove effective in the extinguishing of most A, B & E class fires. C Class fires is fine though and you can use them on F class but you should batter not strangle if this is their intended use

Like most I have a dry chem in the car (all 3 actualy) in the shed I have a bigger dry chem and also a CO2 I dont plan on having to use them but at least I have them if I need them

[Trevor 57]

I have a dry chem in the:
* shed
* Kitchen
* XP
* XE
* Ranger

[2011G6E]

I remember being told when buying an extinguisher at an RACQ shop that "It's the cheapest insurance you can have".

Especially the large pressure pack can ones...they don't cost much, and even if you never need it yourself, what if you come across someone who does need one?

[Feathers]

Originally Posted by xisled

My mate was driving his tow truck, the pin came lose from the fire extinguisher in the cab, and the handle jammed and unloaded the whole extinguisher into his cab.

I had some stupid little brat on my bus play with the powder extinguisher mounted next to the drivers seat, and set it off while I was doing 70kph on King Georges Road one day.
Couldn't see a thing, so I had to open the door and try to stop the bus safely.

The teacher then had the audacity to have a go at ME, while I'm out on the median strip coughing my lungs up. (I'm asthmatic)

Wasn't at all the kid's fault for playing with something he shouldn't have. Or hers for not noticing what he was up to, though she was seated across the aisle from him at the time.
It was my fault for it having been mounted where someone could get at it...

I do our invoicing as well as drive, so I sent them a bill for the dry cleaning of my jacket, the half hour spent cleaning blue/green powder out of EVERYTHING in the bus, and the cost of a new fire extinguisher.
Then they tried to complain about that too...

[redxm]

A few years back we moved into a new shop. We organised the local radio station to bung on a bbq etc. Next thing we know there are flames coming from the BBQ van.
Grab nearest extinguisher, put it out with a lot of effort. Then they tell me the hose on the gas bottle was busted and still leaking gas. At least that explained why it was so hard to put out.
had to put out a 'simulated' fire for a mine induction refresher a while back. Its like a big TV screen with fake flames and a pretend extinguisher. Worth a squillion bucks too they said. Suppose its better than lighting a real fire.
Theres an extinguisher in all the cars, each shed, the house and a blanket in the kitchen.
Hope I never have to use them

[burnz]

dry chem for everything, CO2 for runaway diesels.

[The Yeti]

Co2 and shopping trollys

Just sayen

[Keepleft]

For what its worth; ALDI have a 1kg fire extinguisher for sale this Wednesday (20 March 13) for $14.99. (NSW Central Coast - I presume elsewhere too). A 5 year warranty applies.

Blurb from Aldi app reads:
Suitable for auto/recreational use/marine use
Quality brass valve and metal handle
Easy to read pressure indicator
Steel safety pin with nylon lock to prevent accidental discharge
Shock absorbing base
Includes metal mounting bracket

Colour is red, white stripe near top. Retail shops et al usually sell this spec for about $19-$29. A couple of countries mandate one of these per car, not many though.

(That day they also have a 1x1meter fire blanket for $6.99, you can hang its stowage pouch).

NB - I have no relationship with Aldi whatsoever.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by Keepleft

For what its worth; ALDI have a 1kg fire extinguisher for sale this Wednesday (20 March 13) for $14.99. (NSW Central Coast - I presume elsewhere too). A 5 year warranty applies.

Blurb from Aldi app reads:
Suitable for auto/recreational use/marine use
Quality brass valve and metal handle
Easy to read pressure indicator
Steel safety pin with nylon lock to prevent accidental discharge
Shock absorbing base
Includes metal mounting bracket

Colour is red, white stripe near top. Retail shops et al usually sell this spec for about $19-$29. A couple of countries mandate one of these per car, not many though.

(That day they also have a 1x1meter fire blanket for $6.99, you can hang its stowage pouch).

NB - I have no relationship with Aldi whatsoever.

Yeh but it is ALDI so it will probably only put out backfires or fireworks or firewire sockets or whatever........

[motorcycles4eva]

since a mate lost his Lh torry years back due to an electrical fault , and it burnt to a crisp, i made it a rule to carry one in each of my cars..
only time i ever used one is when a customers car started smoking and melting his dash.. it was so quick.. the extinguisher did what it was designed to do well.. if i didn't have it it would have also caused alot of damage.. his dash was full on melting and it didn't take long... there were no flames either..it was an aldi extinguisher...
aldi or whoever...
small insurance cost well worth it definitely..

[TC200six]

Originally Posted by TC200six

What would be the most affective extinguisher on an oil fire? A large CO2 or a dry chemical?

GOD DAMN IT! Spell checker got the wrong "effective".

I hear CO2 extinguishers can give you a cold burn if the hose leaks. I suppose dry chemical (red with white stripe) is good enough.. But hope you never need to use it.

[redxm]

Originally Posted by The Yeti

Co2 and shopping trollys

Just sayen

office chairs are just as much fun

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by TC200six

I hear CO2 extinguishers can give you a cold burn if the hose leaks. I suppose dry chemical (red with white stripe) is good enough.. But hope you never need to use it.

Read the Wormald page I linked in my last post.

Originally Posted by redxm

Hope I never have to use them

What the average non-commercial owner (without regular compulsory maintenance) overlooks is that after a few years they can lose their pressure and may not work when you need them (don't rely on the gauge).

They're also so cheap that it's not worth getting them serviced and recharged, so better to replace altogether. So it's worth a check with your local firies how long your extinguisher is useful for and when you should replace it.

[XP6]

Used many... from burning forklifts to cranes gas lines etc etc, oxy kit yes I did just say oxy kit on fire!
Even put out a couple metal fires(calcium magnesium and aluminum)dont use no little extinguisher though used a 200T pan of molten lead and a mixer!

Such is life in a metal refinery