Fire Extinguisher

[bucs012]

I bought a $50 one at lunch at Home Depot for the Garage. We looked inside the box and on the bottle and it says nothing about having to worry if it get's too hot or too cold.

Temps in my garage may reach 20 or 30 degrees at times during the winter when it's not heated. Do I have to worry about it freezing?

This is the one I bought
http://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hard...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

 

[Torque1st]

No, but you may want to invest in a CO2 fire extinguisher if what you have is dry powder. The dry powder type make a hell of a mess and is very corrosive.

 

[Mike662]

As Torque1st said, no concerns about those temps with that kind of extinguisher. You might want to tap it on the ground and turn it upside down every once in a while, which may help keep the powder inside from caking up.

CO2 extinguishers are less messy than the dry-chemical type you have, but don't work very well on class A (ordinary combustibles - wood, paper, etc) fires. It's not a bad idea to have one of each, but you already have your bases covered with the "ABC" unit you bought.

 

[Torque1st]

A water hose works well on those Class A fires.

The CO2 extinguishers are unfortunately, -very pricey.

It is a good idea to take some training on how to use a fire extinguisher. Contact your local fire department and see if they offer any training.

 

[sammerdog]

Good move, Sir.

Hopefully you never have to use it.

fwiw - you may want to check with your insurance agent. Some companies will reduce your Homeowner's Premium by $5 or $10 a year for an extinguisher in the garage. Could pay for itself over a few years.

 

[russlaferrera]

Granted a Dry Chem (powder) fire extinguisher does make a mess. However if you have a fire that would be the least of your problems.

 

[6768rogues]

If you get a CO2 extinguisher, keep the dry powder along with it in case you have a pool of gas or other flammable liquid that ignites. A CO2 extinguisher is a high pressure vessel and if you shoot it at a pool of burning gas you can blast the gas all over an adjacent wall and really have a problem on your hands.

 

[Teken]

Four of these bad boys are being installed in my garage this summer in the ceiling, once all the air, CAT6, and electrical lines are all plumbed.

Regards

EVIL Teken . . .

 

[sdb3023]

Just make sure your garage doesnt get really hot, I have seen fire suppression systems go off at gas islands in the summer before on really hot days. Made one hell of a mess for no reason.

 

[BioHazard]

Just one? I have at least 8 in my shop and it's not THAT big. I like to have one on each wall, another by the doors, even one in the bathroom. They are all the powder type but I figure if I need to use it making a mess is the least of my problems.

Let's just say there was an incident with some starting fluid and everybody ran around like a chicken with their heads cut off wondering where the damn fire extinguisher was and then how to use it. Lesson learned - get a bunch, figure out how to use it effectively.

I think everybody should at least buy a small $20 disposeable fire extinguisher and actually test it under controled, unstressed conditions so they know what to expect when the fire is actually burning...

 

[nutjob]

If you are working on your car and it has a backfire and the motor is on fire and running and you put it out with a dry chem, you are looking tearing down the top end, at least...

This is still better than tearing down the garage.

Nothing wrong with having one, just keep in mind if you have a fire that you can putout yourself SAFELY, you will have a big mess to clean up.

I purchased a halon model when they were still sold. They now sell Halotron, which is the replacment.

From halotron.com:

Unlike traditional dry chemical agents such as monoammonium phosphate (ABC Dry Chemical) or potassium bicarbonate (Purple K), which can be corrosive, Halotron I is a clean agent that leaves no residue after application, and consequently inflicts little to no collateral damage on equipment in the vicinity of the fire.

11lb unit is around $400

 

[mishkaya]

Just one? I have at least 8 in my shop and it's not THAT big. I like to have one on each wall, another by the doors, even one in the bathroom. They are all the powder type but I figure if I need to use it making a mess is the least of my problems.

I also have eight fire extinguishers in the garage. If there is a fire, time is of the essence; and I have them all placed so that I never have to go more than six feet to reach one. Not to mention the fact that some fires can take more than one extinguisher to put out. I look at it as cheap insurance...

 

[Junkman]

Put a fire truck in the garage and you don't need an extinguisher...

 

[lawfarm]

For all the naysayers on dry chemical...

CO2 certainly does have its place. But volume for volume (comparing equivalent size extinguishers), a dry chemical will be more effective on more disparate types of fire, and will have the capacity to extinguish a larger fire.

Don't get me wrong--in theory, CO2 should extinguish just about any true 'fire'. But in practice, they are not as effective.

I wouldn't go all CO2. If you're going to have the presence of mind to evaluate a fire in your garage and decide between a range of fire extinguishers, then by all means have different kinds and use the appropriate one for the fire you have. (Certainly, the effects of dry chem on electronics are nasty). But that said, if you're only going to have one extinguisher, or if you aren't absolutely positive that you will have the presence of mind to evaluate what kind to use, get an ABC dry chem (or even better, get two or three).

As noted above, the damage left by fire is far worse than the damage left by dry chem...and dry chem is not that hard to clean up. I wouldn't want someone to be reluctant to use a dry chem because they feared collateral damage.

 

[Mattlt]

A couple of water extinguishers are handy to have around as well. Not for B or C fires obviously. They are fairly cheap on ebay; usually cost more to ship.

I take one along on camping trips... you just never know when you might need something more than that 5# extinguisher in the camper.

Nice for keeping those stray dogs off the yard too! ;-)

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Yep, three of them in my 60x60 metal building. One in the rear center, one midway up one sidewall, the third in the opposite sidewall front corner, all placed for access and identified with a sign up high enough to see over all the ****, vehicles, etc that might be in there.

Charles

 

[thdewey]

Here is a link to BASIC fire extinguisher info/training. Please, only attempt to put out a small fire (maybe trash can size) and never get under or infront of a fire. You've got to be able to get out!

http://www.ehs.uci.edu/programs/fire/fireext.pdf

PLEASE REMEMBER P.A.S.S..

If you decide totry, remember the word PASS, which
stands for:
P – Pull the pin that unlocks the operating handle
A – aim the extinguisher low at the base of the fire.
S – Squeeze the lever on the extinguisherto discharge the agent.
S – Sweep the nozzle or extinguisher hose from side to side. Move slowly and carefully toward the fire, continuing to sweep the extinguisher back and forth at the base of the
flames.

 

[Teken]

Here is a link to BASIC fire extinguisher info/training. Please, only attempt to put out a small fire (maybe trash can size) and never get under or infront of a fire. You've got to be able to get out!

http://www.ehs.uci.edu/programs/fire/fireext.pdf

PLEASE REMEMBER P.A.S.S..

If you decide totry, remember the word PASS, which
stands for:
P – Pull the pin that unlocks the operating handle
A – aim the extinguisher low at the base of the fire.
S – Squeeze the lever on the extinguisherto discharge the agent.
S – Sweep the nozzle or extinguisher hose from side to side. Move slowly and carefully toward the fire, continuing to sweep the extinguisher back and forth at the base of the
flames.

Wow, I havent heard that phrase forever!

 

[Plump]

And just a reminder, many Fire Departments have both reduced price extinguishers and inspections. Our FD even has free smoke detectors.

 

[BioHazard]

Put a fire truck in the garage and you don't need an extinguisher...

I would if I had the space.

 

[pcmeiners]

In computer server rooms, I mount Halons at the normal height near the door, and dry chems (required by the FD) off to the side, hopefully the dry chemicals are the second choice or I am replacing all the servers in the room.

"As noted above, the damage left by fire is far worse than the damage left by dry chem...and dry chem is not that hard to clean up."
Not that hard ? I had to cleanup a couple incidences, one in a commercial building, one in a private home, in both situations the powder traveled to the far reaches of the buildings. In nearby rooms, all computers/motors/TVs etc internal parts had a powder coating.

 

[Firehawk15]

Long time lurker, first time poster... ABC extinguishers are filled with nitrogen, so you shouldn't have to worry about temperature changes. Also, for those interested, they have a water mist extinguisher that can be used on class A fires and class C (electrical fires)

 

[trainer]

Just one? I have at least 8 in my shop and it's not THAT big. I like to have one on each wall, another by the doors, even one in the bathroom. They are all the powder type but I figure if I need to use it making a mess is the least of my problems.

...

Lots of extinguishers is good, but the ONLY place they should be stored is next to an exit.

 

[Teken]

Lots of extinguishers is good, but the ONLY place they should be stored is next to an exit.

Please explain that line of thought?

 

[trainer]

Please explain that line of thought?

When you have a fire, you have to go to the exit to get the extinguisher.
Then when you return to fight the fire, you are between the fire and the exit.

If your extinguisher is on the back wall of your shop opposite the exit, then you stand a greater chance of being trapped with a fire between you and your escape route.

The single most important thing in this type of incident is to be able to get out safely.

 

[Teken]

When you have a fire, you have to go to the exit to get the extinguisher.
Then when you return to fight the fire, you are between the fire and the exit.

If your extinguisher is on the back wall of your shop opposite the exit, then you stand a greater chance of being trapped with a fire between you and your escape route.

The single most important thing in this type of incident is to be able to get out safely.

I agree with your points and clarification, if only one extinguisher is on hand that it should be located by the exits.

I believe in the case where there are multiple extinguishers that the extra units need to be placed by the area's / zone's which are potential fire hazards.

ie. There should be one by a welding / plasma cutter station.

Having them at hands reach is not only practical, but when seconds count you don't want to be running 10-30 feet to an exit for a extinguisher in my opinion.

 

[devilphrog]

If you think powder is a mess, imagine having an AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foam) system go off. We had a mishap with ours in our hangar once. Luckily no aircraft were inside.

 

[Skyline]

A couple of water extinguishers are handy to have around as well. Not for B or C fires obviously. They are fairly cheap on ebay; usually cost more to ship.

I take one along on camping trips... you just never know when you might need something more than that 5# extinguisher in the camper.

Nice for keeping those stray dogs off the yard too! ;-)

X2 on this. Obviously not possible for an unheated garage though. But take a look at the rating of the extinguisher the OP just bought: 3A40BC That rating means it's not very good at putting out a fire of wood, paper, etc. While we tend to have a lot of combustable chemicals in our garages, it's probably just as likely to set something wood or paper on fire.

With all the chemicals, fuel, oils, paints, etc that are in my garage, I'd want to be as far away as possible for anything more than a tiny fire....and I've been in lots of burning buildings. If it really got going, this would be one building I'd want to fight the fire with a deck gun from at least 50' away. I'd probably want to call county Hazmat while I was at it.

 

[Teken]

If you think powder is a mess, imagine having an AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foam) system go off. We had a mishap with ours in our hangar once. Luckily no aircraft were inside.

Wow . . .

 

[devilphrog]

The above picture is not of my old unit, but a file photo from the air force. I just put it up as an example of how much space a couple AFFF cannons will cover in a short period of time. Apparently they work really well at suppressing fires in hangars full of aircraft, but the downside is the stuff is extremely corrosive.

 

[Stewie 03]

But take a look at the rating of the extinguisher the OP just bought: 3A40BC That rating means it's not very good at putting out a fire of wood, paper, etc.

I disagree with your comment regarding an ABC dry chemical extinguisher being "not very good" at putting out Class A fires. If they weren't effective at doing so UL and ANSI wouldn't classify them for use on ordinary combustibles. Read on...

"The Underwriters Laboratories rate fire extinguishing capacity in accordance with UL/ANSI 711: Rating and Fire Testing of Fire Extinguishers. The ratings are described using numbers preceding the class letter, such as 1-A:10-B:C. The number preceding the A multiplied by 1.25 gives the equivalent extinguishing capability in gallons of water."

Theoretically, minus the mess, the OP's extinguisher will put out more fire than a standard 2 1/2 gallon water extinguisher. 1.25 gal x 3 = 3.75 gal equivalent.

 

[BioHazard]

Lots of extinguishers is good, but the ONLY place they should be stored is next to an exit.

So, since my shop only has one door, I should get rid of all the other extinguishers?

 

[Torque1st]

So, since my shop only has one door, I should get rid of all the other extinguishers?

No, just move them over towards the door. It gives one the chance to look back at how big the fire is before they leave the vicinity of the exit. You will also be that much closer to a restroom in case you sh-- yourself...

 

[toxicz28]

A CO2 extinguisher is a high pressure vessel and if you shoot it at a pool of burning gas you can blast the gas all over an adjacent wall and really have a problem on your hands.

Umm, not if you use it properly.
I just had to do fire extinguisher training at work, and had to put out a fire in an 8'x8' pit full of diesel fuel with both CO2 and dry chem extinguishers. Water/foam extinguishers are best for liquid fires, but make a hell of a mess(who cares compared to what a fire can do), and wouldn't be effective training a group, so we didn't use those.
CO2, made no splash, and with the exception of when the pan got really hot, put and kept the fire out every time. The same with dry chem.

 

[Shadowdog500]

When you have a fire, you have to go to the exit to get the extinguisher.
Then when you return to fight the fire, you are between the fire and the exit.

If your extinguisher is on the back wall of your shop opposite the exit, then you stand a greater chance of being trapped with a fire between you and your escape route.

The single most important thing in this type of incident is to be able to get out safely.

What if you are trapped from your escape route when the fire starts?

Wouldn't it be good to have a additional extinguisher in the back to help you get out?

Chris

 

[kaffine]

What if you are trapped from your escape route when the fire starts?

Wouldn't it be good to have a additional extinguisher in the back to help you get out?

Chris

That is why you should always have 2 exits.

Has anyone looked at what it costs to put in a clean agent or CO2 system?

I have only had to clean up the mess of 1 dry chemical extinguisher. If I ever have to do it again I will wear a good dust mask.