Fire extinguisher selection and care for the average guy

[KybraBoss Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close KybraBoss]

Almost everyone carries a fire extinguisher in their truck or camper trailer and checks the gauge to make sure it's charged so it should work right?
Well... um.. yes maybe...
if it's in good order and you can get to it in time to have an effect.
The number of times as a Fire tech I would see the customer dig their extinguisher out of the bottom of a pile of gear and still in it's bracket in the sealed box from the back of the vehicle, if you’ve seen a vehicle fire times up and your extinguisher is still in the box, you might as well try beating the flames out with it.
Most have a 1kg dry chemical powder good for about 6 to 8 seconds, this is the time where bigger is better if you can find an easy access point a 4.5kg is going to give you a much better chance of saving your rig, if you can’t get any bigger than a 1kg look for a brand that has a metal head not plastic and a well protected gauge aside from these things they are much of a muchness.
The biggest problem with Dry Powder extinguishers especially in 4x4s is compaction of the powder inside especially driving down corrugated roads, if you go to use it you will get a small puff of powder and a charcoaled Prado... again try beating the flames out with the extinguisher...
The advise we give to customers for their off-road trips is as they crack the first can, pop the cork whatever, grab the extinguisher, turn it upside down and listen to it, you should hear a sound like falling sand, if not still holding it upside down give it a couple of couple of welts with a rubber mallet to loosen the powder. Making this a habit every night makes sure;
A) Your extinguisher is ready to use if the worst happens.
B) You’ve got it close enough at hand to be used effectively.

[Schaffer Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Schaffer]

Re: Fire extinguisher selection and care for the average guy

The advise we give to customers for their off-road trips is as they crack the first can, pop the cork whatever, grab the extinguisher, turn it upside down and listen to it, you should hear a sound like falling sand, if not still holding it upside down give it a couple of couple of welts with a rubber mallet to loosen the powder. Making this a habit every night makes sure;
A) Your extinguisher is ready to use if the worst happens.
B) You’ve got it close enough at hand to be used effectively.

Been told the same. Apparently the dry powder compacts down over the continual thumping over corugations so a good whack or two will loosen these up and make it usable again.

[two+four Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close two+four]

Re: Fire extinguisher selection and care for the average guy

Thanks for the Tip KybraBoss,

how much difference does horizontal stowage verses vertical stowage make?

Cheers Neil

[KybraBoss Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close KybraBoss]

Re: Fire extinguisher selection and care for the average guy

how much difference does horizontal stowage verses vertical stowage make?

Cheers Neil[/quote]

Storing them either way has about the same results in the compaction stakes, so where ever is easiest to get to for you... just keep the habit of checking them.
I used to carry a 9kg DCP and 9ltr foam on a custom rear bar/spare tyre set up on my old 60 series with 2x 1.5kg DCP on brackets on the bonnet along with the shovel and highlift jack. I must admit I'm still working on where to carry them on the new prado, it's not the bush pig the 60 series was...

[mav Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close mav]

Re: Fire extinguisher selection and care for the average guy

I have actually been in a situation where this has occured ( compacted powder) and it had nearly fatal results.

I was first on the scene of a head on collision between to Toyota Camry's back in the mid 90's. One of the Camry's had flipped onto its rof and there was a fire starting in the engine bay. People were trapped in the upside down Camry so my first priority was to get the fire out. Luckily a passing Toyota Coaster stopped and I grabbed its extinguisher to put out the fire. I had a small access hole in which to feed my hand holding the nozzle of the extinguisher through, all the while fearing that the damn car would blow if the fire hit any fuel line etc, I pulled the pin and hit the trigger and nothing! I pulled my hand out to check the nozzle and squeezed the trigger again and it just burbled out of the hose. Very fortunately a friend of mine came along who I knew had a country pack installed on his work car so I quickly tossed the Coasters extinguisher and grabbed my mates one instead. This worked a treat and quickly got the fire out in the engine bay so we could then turn our attention to attending to the criticaly injured passengers, the driver was deceased and pinned by the steering wheel. After that experience I always carry an extinguisher and always check that it is serviceable and not compacted.

[Daz Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Daz]

Re: Fire extinguisher selection and care for the average guy

Been told the same. Apparently the dry powder compacts down over the continual thumping over corugations so a good whack or two will loosen these up and make it usable again.

The same applied to boaties, where the fire ext compacts over time from the pounding over waves.

A good Maintenance Schedule on earthmoving machinary, farm machinary without suppression systems includes either exchanging the Fire Ext or giving it a good shake on a weekly basis.

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

Re: Fire extinguisher selection and care for the average guy

To help avoid powder compaction, would a simple rotation of the cylinder suffice? So for horizontally mounted cylinders, just point the nozzle down some days and up on others? For vertically mounted cylinders, this might not be practical.

LFaR.

[Daz Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Daz]

Re: Fire extinguisher selection and care for the average guy

To help avoid powder compaction, would a simple rotation of the cylinder suffice? So for horizontally mounted cylinders, just point the nozzle down some days and up on others? For vertically mounted cylinders, this might not be practical.

LFaR.

LFaR
I would suggest if you are unclipping it to rotate, give it a shake while you are at it.

Our fire extinguisher courses we attend show an old extinguisher opens, with the powder gone nearly rock solid.
It would take a while for this to happen, but can easily be avoided with a quick shake on a regular basis

As mentioned in this thread earler, diesel vehicles, tractors, earthmoving machinary and boats would be some of the higher risk of compaction