mrtone
Well-known member
What type of fire protection do you have in your shop?
What size and type and number of fire extinghuisher(s)?
What size and type and number of fire extinghuisher(s)?
Fire Protection
- Thread starter mrtone
- Start date
Luckydevil
Well-known member
I saw these beautiful old fire extinguishers at the flea market last weekend. They looked like they were just for show though. If i'm paying $75 for a fire extinguisher, it better damn work.
If I can find another one like those that work I'll be all over it.
If I can find another one like those that work I'll be all over it.
850 sq. ft. 3 car garage. 2- 15lb dry chem extinquishers. Your going to get a lot of different opinions with dry chem vs. CO2 extinquishers but to be truthful dry chem is a extinguish agent where CO2 is a cooling agent so in my opinion dry chem is much better all around. Yes you will have the yellow powder to deal with but hey, you just had a fire (hopefully not!) a little powder residue should be the least of your worries.........
jwh
Well-known member
Whatever you get don't forget to mount them near the exit - so you can go back and get it to use AFTER you call for the Fire Dept.!!!!
One reason I asked was that I'm in the junk removal business - cleaning out attics, basements, commercial building and we do tear-downs also. A guy called the other day to have me quote on tearing down his half-burned garage. I got there and it was a sad sight, an XKE burned-out was sitting in the driveway and half of the 25X40 shop was burned out. Said it happened while he was welding.
The other reason is I dont want to have that happen so I'm looking for what you guys are most comfortable with - and insurance!
The other reason is I dont want to have that happen so I'm looking for what you guys are most comfortable with - and insurance!
Coach James
Well-known member
I have two 10lb fire extinguishers at the exits to my garage and of course insurance. I also do not allow open flames in the garage. Any soldering, welding etc is done outside. My bench grinder is on a rolling cart so I can roll it outside to use it and I use my angle grinder outside also. The cart that holds my bench grinder also has a vice mounted on it to hold things for the angle grinder. I'm rather paranoid about fires.
Coach
Coach
trainer
Well-known member
I'm in the planning process for my garage right now. One option that i'm considering is a sprinkler system. Residential systems are available, and its only a matter of time till they will be required by code for new buildings.
ultgar
Well-known member
trainer said:
Here are some pics of a system being installed in a home garage......
KeukaDan
Well-known member
One thing I would suggest is if you are going to the expense of putting it in, dont do a dry system that the fire department has to pump water into to get it to work because likely the damage will be done already. Make sure that you have an system hooked to a water supply already. Also make sure you have an alarm system on it if you are going to have a sprinkler system so someone knows when the alarm goes off and when the sprinklers are going. On the same token dont put smoke detectors in the garage if they are linked because the fire department will get really tired of going to your garage everytime you create any smoke working on something. Do put in heat detectors and water flow detectors though.
As for a more basic system get at least one good fire extinguisher of 10 pounds at a minimum and learn how to use it. I know this sounds stupid, "how hard can it be to use?" I cant tell you how many fires I have fought or investigated that had the person actually known how to use their extinguisher, they would have saved most of their property. Remember spray the base of the fire not the flames. As to types of extinguisher, I would say go ABC dry chemical because it is the most versitile extinguisher availible. For car fires and fuel fires I prefer Purple K dry chem extinguishers but they arent as good on normal combustibles so go with a good ABC extinguisher.
Also as was stated earlier, get out, close the doors as much as possible, call 911, then see if you will be able to do anything once there is someone coming that can do something.
As for a more basic system get at least one good fire extinguisher of 10 pounds at a minimum and learn how to use it. I know this sounds stupid, "how hard can it be to use?" I cant tell you how many fires I have fought or investigated that had the person actually known how to use their extinguisher, they would have saved most of their property. Remember spray the base of the fire not the flames. As to types of extinguisher, I would say go ABC dry chemical because it is the most versitile extinguisher availible. For car fires and fuel fires I prefer Purple K dry chem extinguishers but they arent as good on normal combustibles so go with a good ABC extinguisher.
Also as was stated earlier, get out, close the doors as much as possible, call 911, then see if you will be able to do anything once there is someone coming that can do something.
ultgar
Well-known member
KeukaDan said:
I don't know if your comment is directed at the pictures above but this is a pressurized system. You can see the domestic water tap off the main system. The outside connection is simply a hydrant in case the fire department needs supply to deal with any fires on the property. SD
KeukaDan
Well-known member
ultgar said:
It wasn't directed at the pictures, it just happens that the pictures reminded me that some systems are installed without being a wet system to save money and in my eye that is nearly useless.
Unless this system is plumbed differently than any other sprinkler system is, I would check on the outside connection being a hydrant for the fire department to use for water. What that actually is, is a connection where the fire company can hook a pumper into it and feed more water to the sprinkler system. It is designed to assist in the use of the sprinkler and not aid in the fighting of any other fires. I can guarantee that the piping in the garage is not large enough to support any real firefighting. Fire Hydrants have at a minimum a 6" water main supplying them and I would be amazed if a garage has anything remotely near that.
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ultgar
Well-known member
KeukaDan said:
I suspect you're right. I was at the jobsite last week taking pictures of the progress and saw the outside connection for the fire department.
I had suggested a clean agent (inert gas) system to the homeowner cost estimates came in around $80k. The sprinkler system for the garage was much cheaper at around $20k. SD
The 2 large valves and 2 check valves are for back flow prevention, that is required by city water supply. That confirms that it is a water system.
The outside fire connection is for when the fire department shows up they can connect to their pumper trucks to boost the flow and pressure to the existing city water supply.
The outside fire connection is for when the fire department shows up they can connect to their pumper trucks to boost the flow and pressure to the existing city water supply.
trainer
Well-known member
KeukaDan said:
Great advice;
I've been a volunteer firefighter for 17 years. I think a dry system would be worthwile in an unheated area that may see freezing temps. The ones i've dealt with have been plumbed directly to a water main with an outside, freeze proof valve on them. They had to be turned on manually, but these were in mills that had someone on site 24/7
We train on fire extinguishers using a shallow pan approx 3' by 7' filled with a mix of gas and fuel oil. It's amazing how tough it is to extinguish this with a 10lb ABC extinguisher.