Fire extinguishers.

[Deano]

I don't mean to be critical, but, there is no such thing as a fire extinguisher being to big when it's your rig on fire.
As a former firefighter and LEO I have seen many failures of extinguishers where just a little more could have made the difference.
I carry a 20lb Halon and a 2 1/2 gallon "Cold Fire" in mine.
You should be able to find a dealer who can purge your old Halon unit and repair or credit you on another one.

[hbn7hj]

Originally Posted by Deano

I don't mean to be critical, but, there is no such thing as a fire extinguisher being too big when it's your rig on fire.
As a former firefighter and LEO I have seen many failures of extinguishers where just a little more could have made the difference.
I carry a 20lb Halon and a 2 1/2 gallon "Cold Fire" in mine.
You should be able to find a dealer who can purge your old Halon unit and repair or credit you on another one.

I was able to get the little one refilled with Halon, no problem. I agree, bigger is better but there isn’t much room. Behind the side door is a place to put a third larger one.

Halon is so good the little one worked. I carry two larger ones in a class C and a little one by the drivers seat. Can’t imagine where you carry a 20lb Halon along with a 2 1/2 gallon unit. Instant access is the most important, I think.

As I understand it they would destroy all Halon if they could but they can’t. You certainly can’t burn it nor change it chemically. They have two choices, keep it contained or release it to the air, so keeping it contained in fire extinguishers isn’t all that bad. Might as well keep it in my fire extiguisher!

[Lennie]

Make sure your partner knows where the fire extinguisher(s) is and how to use it.

I don't know if I shared this before so forgive me if I have. While on vacation earlier this year someone started banging on the side my RV while I was in the bathroom with the water running. My so opened the door but I didn't hear the conversation and the person left, when I opened the bathroom door he asked if I have a fire extinguisher and if so where is it.

Our neighbor had a fire in their trailer and was looking for someone with a fire extinguisher. Fortunately I was able to open the door and give it to them and tell them how to use it. After putting out the fire they offered to give it back because it wasn't depleted but I told them to keep it and where they can buy them. I had just replaced the original extinguisher a few months earlier because it was barely charged and it seemed like a good thing to do.

I bought a replacement the next morning. The neighbor may have had a little less damage if I had told so where the fire extinguisher was and how to use it.

I told a friend about it and she said when she used to sell fire extinguishers she put out a car fire in a parking lot but one extinguisher wasn't enough so she had to go back to her car and get another one to put out the fire. Saved the person's car. So having more than one, is probably a good idea.

[Deano]

To clarify, my comments were primarily directed at GeorgeRa's OP.

[hbn7hj]

Probably George couldn’t get the Halon 1211 refilled, not because you can’t get Halon, you can, but they cannot be filled after so many years without a pressure test. One of mine had timed out. A pressure test was too expensive to consider.

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by hbn7hj

Probably George couldn’t get the Halon 1211 refilled, not because you can’t get Halon, you can, but they cannot be filled after so many years without a pressure test. One of mine had timed out. A pressure test was too expensive to consider.

Correct, mu old Halon unit is in bad state.

[Deano]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

Correct, mu old Halon unit is in bad state.

The Halon in your old one can be recovered. Maybe pay you for it or credit you towards another extinguisher.

[hbn7hj]

Originally Posted by Deano

The Halon in your old one can be recovered. Maybe pay you for it or credit you towards another extinguisher.

Correct. My Halon service person would salvage it. At the very least save it to replenish one that has been used but not timed out.

[cherubtravel]

i am worried abt fire extinguisher being expired if i forget to maintain it, so i also keep 2 big thick fire blanket.
at least for small fires, I can use them.

[hbn7hj]

Halon, Halotron or similar types will always work as long as the gauge shows pressure. You just cannot get them refilled past a certain date without a pressure test.

For a pressure test it has to be emptied, put in a cage and pressurized with water (second hand info.) Cheaper to buy new.

Someone else will have to talk about powder type expiration dates and the possibility of not working.

[Deano]

A problem with the ABC dry powder type of extinguisher, other than they are relatively ineffective, is, over time the powder can clump. This is aggravated in vehicle mounted applications from the vibration. Being vertical mounted makes it worse. Periodically shaking it or striking it with a rubber mallet until you can hear or feel the powder moving is a good idea. If you need to use it, bump the bottom straight down on the ground.