Fire Extinguisher Lesson

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Freddy
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Post by Freddy » Fri. Jan. 02, 2009 6:41 am

Just thought I'd pass along some knowledge that I gained a few years back. Until I knew...I never knew!

Most of us have dry chemical fire extinguishers. They work & work well, but, I never knew they had to be maintained. They can not be tested. Once used, even a tiny bit, they must be refilled or replaced. The powder gets under the valve & then the pressure leaks out. There's two things that need to be done every 6 months minimum. In a commercial circumstance it's required every 30 days. One: Look at the pressure gauge. It must be in the green. Two (this is what I didn't know): They must be shaken. The powder settles inside and after about a year it makes a cake & will not come out. Take them out of the hanger, turn them upside down. It's subtle, but you can feel the powder drop. If it does not, go from right side up to upside down several times, gently shaking while upside down until you feel the powder move. Once it moves, do it a few more times to fluff it up. If you can not get the powder to move, shake, thump, rattle until you do...or replace it.

How to use one: First, keep it where the fire won't be! Don't keep it next to the stove, keep it by the front door, next to the 'fridge, or someplace easy to see, easy to remember. Teach others where it is. If you need to deploy one, dial 911 or have someone do it, then, or while, remove from rack, remove the safety clip, aim and pull the trigger. From 6 to 10 feet away aim at the base of the flame and sweep from side to side.


 
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WNY
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Post by WNY » Fri. Jan. 02, 2009 7:42 am

Interesting. I have them in the vehicles too (required for most car shows), I better check and/or replace them, haven't touched them in a while (years). Of course, they are mounted on their sides....:) THanks for the tip.

 
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Post by gaw » Fri. Jan. 02, 2009 8:14 am

Good information Freddy, we were told to take our truck extinguishers out of the bracket and tap it against a tire now and then to keep it loose. If anyone is buying an extinguisher I would recommend going to someone who specializes in that type of thing or maybe your fire department sells good ones. A few years ago I bought some from a place that sells and installs fire extinguisher equipment and recharges fire extinguishers. He showed me a cheap, the kind carried by most retail stores, extinguisher with a plastic valve. It also had a plastic tube inside that just snapped onto the valve. He said he had so much trouble trying to fill the cheap ones that he will not refill them anymore. The extinguishers with the metal valve have a metal tube and it is threaded to the valve. A good extinguisher is not that much more expensive than the cheap ones either, but at the end of the day a cheap extinguisher is probably better than no extinguisher.
:blowup:

 
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Post by choyt002 » Fri. Jan. 02, 2009 8:39 am

If you don't want the mess, and I mean a real mess when you empty a dry-chem, use a CO2. Also the dry-chem (powder) is extremely corrosive so if you save your car from burning, lets say the motor compartment and spray dry-chem the electrical system of the car will never be right again. If you want a no mess extiguisher for the house CO2 is the way to go. Use caution when using in small area with no fresh air. If you buy a good one you will be able to have it refilled and even hydro-tested when it's service life expires.
CO2 Fire Extinguishers:
Carbon Dioxide is ideal for fires involving electrical apparatus, and will also extinguish class B liquid fires

Chris H

 
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Post by bksaun » Fri. Jan. 02, 2009 9:02 am

Co2 Extinguishers are for class B (Liquid) or C ( Electrical) fires, They do not work very well on class A (solids), so they are not the best choice for the home. Hard to beat WATER!

Bk

 
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Post by Hollyfeld » Fri. Jan. 02, 2009 10:29 am

The sound you hear is all the members shaking their extinguishers after reading this post. :lol:

Thanks for the tip, Freddy. Now I know!

 
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Post by mikeandgerry » Sat. Jan. 03, 2009 3:03 am

Geez, I have been a firefighter for six years and didn't know that. Thanks Freddy.


 
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Post by kootch88 » Sat. Jan. 03, 2009 7:47 am

Mike,

Are most dry chem extinguishers refillable at the fire station or do we need to go elsewhere? :blowup: :blowup:

 
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Post by choyt002 » Sat. Jan. 03, 2009 8:41 am

Cartridge-Operated Fire Extinguishers could actually be filled at your house by you. Stored-Pressure Fire Extinguishers need to be taken to Extinguisher place to be filled. All types need to be hydro tested at the end of the current hydo date on the extiguisher. and all should be visually inspected yearly.
Chris H

 
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Freddy
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Post by Freddy » Sat. Jan. 03, 2009 11:31 am

General rule of thumb: Extinguishers $25 or less, just replace 'em after use. If they cost more than $25 then they might be worth refilling.

I keep one in my Van. It needs shaking more often than the ones in the house. Road vibration packs the powder down faster.

Everyone shook? Good job!

 
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Post by gambler » Sat. Jan. 03, 2009 11:57 am

Freddy wrote:Everyone shook?
If you shake more than 3 times you are playing with it!

 
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Post by rockwood » Sat. Jan. 03, 2009 1:25 pm

My dad told me about shaking fire extinguishers twenty years ago and until today I had never heard it anywhere else. My dad was (is) an amazing guy. I miss him, lost him to cancer in 2007.
Thanks for the info Freddy :)

 
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Post by SMITTY » Sat. Jan. 03, 2009 10:19 pm

I've been planning on moving my extinguisher for months & can never find the time -- it's about 2 feet from the stove, & the heat makes the pressure gauge swing into the "overcharged" zone! :o :shock:

Thanks Freddy for lighting the proverbial match under my ass! I'll get to it tomorrow... :funny:
gambler wrote:If you shake more than 3 times you are playing with it!
Yes. Well said. As men, we must be cautious about shaking things too much! toothy

 
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Freddy
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Post by Freddy » Sun. Jan. 04, 2009 6:39 am

SMITTY wrote:I'll get to it tomorrow...
Smitty.... tomorrow is here! **CRACK** get a wiggle on! *smile*

Rockwood, Sorry your dad is gone. Mine died several yrs ago. He sure taught me a lot about mechanical stuff. It's up to us now to keep them alive in deeds & memory.

 
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Post by e.alleg » Mon. Jan. 05, 2009 7:44 pm

Here's my fire extinguisher story. I worked as a mechanic at a large chain auto repair shop a while back, every month or so "Fire Marshall Bob" would come in and check and tag all the fire extinguishers, sometimes he would swap them out or whatever. There were 15 total in the shop. One day after about 5 years of no incidents we had a fire, a customers car had a fuel rail leak and it ignited the engine compartment and started the wiring and belts and plastic cowl on fire, after about 10 seconds we realized we had a serious problem and reached for the extinguisher. 15 fire extinguishers checked monthly and none of them worked. Half of them had the pin attached with heavy duty wire or heavy plastic tie-straps that couldn't be pulled through, the other half were dead even though the gauges showed full in the green. Do you know how long it takes to find a pair of small side cutters and extract the pin from a fire extinguisher in a panic situation? Too long, car was pushed outside to save the shop. Total loss. Never saw Fire Marshall Bob again.


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