Fire Extinguisher Recommendations

Glenn F.

Member
What fire extiinguisher (size & type) would you recommend for a 22x34 wood lined shop? Welding, mechanical, auto body, etc.

Thank you,
Glenn F.
 
2 ten pound ABC rate dry chemical, one by the door the other toward the back of the shop. that should cover any fire in the early stages.
 
(quoted from post at 03:21:56 12/17/14) They all work fine but I've found nobody refills the brands with plastic valves.

That may be true, but by the time a steel one needs refilling it usually needs to be hydroed. The complete service costs as much as two new plastic ones
 
Any job I was on that required a hot work permit for welding or using a Raychem torch to shrink high voltage shrinks you were required to lug a 20 lb fire extinguisher to be at the work area. They figure 20 lbs and a guy on firewatch should be enough to stop any disaster. { Although when I was working a NABISCO they had three fires in one day that all brought trucks but thats a story about ironworkers taking plant extinguishers they should not have used and new mulch for the shrubs being lit up by smokers.]
 
Get ABC extinguishers but also pickup an old water filled pressurized one to keep handy. ABC units are rated fairly low on wood/paper etc and dry powder doesn't cool metal at all.

Good to have both.
 
I've got a couple of 20# ABC dry chem's around... but for most things... honestly... a 5 gal bucket of water is all I use. If you're serious about having extinguishers around I'd probably look at having a 3 gal pump can and add a good slug of dawn dish soap into it to help break the surface tension of the water... then keep at least one 20# dry chem. An equivalent size Co2 would also be handy to have around for electrical fires and emergency engine shut downs...

Rod
 
by far the most used extinguisher in my Engine company is the water can--just holds water and pressurized with air--used when ever we don't need a hose line.
 
(quoted from post at 15:03:25 12/17/14) by far the most used extinguisher in my Engine company is the water can--just holds water and pressurized with air--used when ever we don't need a hose line.

I posted the same two weeks ago. I have one of my own with dish detergent added that I keep by the door of my shop along with 20lb dry powder.
 
all good suggestions.
Always helpful when the firemen chime in.
I have quite a few different styles scattered everywhere.
(if it's on the other side of the fire from you, it don't do no good.)

Torch or welder work, extinguisher, and/or a hose or bucket of water is right by my feet. no exceptions.
Like the other posters, I'm a big fan of a couple 5 gallon buckets of water at the ready.
40 pounds of water slamming into something trying to get started usually takes care of it...
 
(quoted from post at 22:15:31 12/16/14) What fire extiinguisher (size & type) would you recommend for a 22x34 wood lined shop? Welding, mechanical, auto body, etc.

Thank you,
Glenn F.

AKE Stop Fyre claim to be the world's best fire extinguishers. I have seen them demonstrated and they appear to be a good unit, but I have never personally used them.


www.ake.com
 
AKE Stop Fyre claim to be the world's best fire extinguishers. I have seen them demonstrated and they appear to be a good unit, but I have never personally used them.


www.ake.com[/quote]

I wonder if they are Halon?
We wired a computer room for a Halon system once.

Dusty
 

The class B or C extinguisher is not particular effective in class A fires.
The class A extinguisher loaded with water mixed with AFFF or super sudsy dish soap is the hands down winner on a burning tractor, vehicle or combine.
I just shake my head when I see a $500,000 combine and a 5lb class ABC entiguisher. May as well just take a wizz on a burning bearing or material wrapped around a shaft instead of using powder or CO2. The 2-1/2 gallon pressurized water with AFFF is a knock down extinguisher tool.
 
That's great as long as the temperature is above freezing... Otherwise I'll gladly take the 5# ABC.

Rod
 
Using a water based extinguisher on a liquid petroleum fire can cause it to spread as it will float on top of water.
 
(quoted from post at 02:54:41 12/19/14) Using a water based extinguisher on a liquid petroleum fire can cause it to spread as it will float on top of water.

Actually the fire service is aware of that, and trains with loaded stream and foam for suppression of liquid petroleum fires. Water based foam has been the choice for flammable liquid firefighting for probably fifty years. B&D and I were both referring to loaded stream.
 
(quoted from post at 05:54:41 12/19/14) Using a water based extinguisher on a liquid petroleum fire can cause it to spread as it will float on top of water.

Do you know what AFFF is ? I was a fireman for 10 years and a Captain over four of those years.
 
(quoted from post at 07:11:59 12/18/14) Halon is no longer in use... at least not in new fire suppression systems.

Rod

Then what is in the AKE Stop Fyre extinguishers?


Dusty
 
I have no idea... but last I heard, Halon had been removed from the market some years ago. IIRC, there was a replacement for Halon to be used in electrical equipment room fires, but I do not remember the product name.

Rod
 
That's what Class B foams such as AFFF are used for... petroleum fires. That said... AFFF is another product that I believe is no longer on the market...

Rod
 
(quoted from post at 07:08:27 12/19/14) That's what Class B foams such as AFFF are used for... petroleum fires. That said... AFFF is another product that I believe is no longer on the market...

Rod

Aqueous Film Forming Foam is, I believe, a generic grouping with numerous brands and variations. we used to use commercial dish detergent for training but I think that it worked just as well as much more expensive stuff. I believe that Halon fell into disfavor due to its corrosive nature. An accidental discharge could do a lot more damage to electronics than a fire. We used to use both AFFF and a product called Fire Out in our cans.
 

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