Fire Extinguishers

[TomoHawk]

I can relate to what George says, because the few things I keep under my seat (an umbrella with the strap hooked on the adjust lever) stays there, but some stuff on the passenger side has slipped out, on a certain bumpy road. Maybe you could add additional safety with a small velcro strap.

Edited April 25, 2013 by TomoHawk

[Bonzi Lon]

I've always kept one behind the driver's seat, too big to go under & I know it is always there if needed. It uses Halon as the extinguishing agent.

Bonzi Lon

[TomoHawk]

That's right. Any fire extinguisher that's bigger than a 1 LB. unit ( a 5AB) will probably not fit under the seat, and you should have a minimum of a 2LB (or 10 AB) unit.

If anyone can post a picture of how they store or mount the fire extinguisher in the vehicle, such as mounted to the shock tower, that would be appreciated and meaningful.

[TomoHawk]

I think I will make a mount that attaches to the studs of the right rear seatbelt retractor. It might be a bit floppy, but the fire extinguisher will at least be out from underfoot or crowded behind the seat (where I keep the 2Gal water jug.)

[Captain_Zeros]

my solution

[Wade Nelson]

A gallon (milk jug) of water combined with a rug or blanket of some sort you can soak and throw on a fire provides a very inexpensive backup to a pint-sized fire estinguisher. I carry water in all my vehicles... call me a Boy Scout....

[TomoHawk]

If it's hot weather, I'll freeze my gallon overnight. That way I have an 'ice cold drink' available all day long.

[TomoHawk]

Oh- I just got my "Flameout" fire extinguishers (a sale on two bottles.) It's the "one liter" size, but looks like a two LB. bottle. I 'll have to find a good cage for it.

Flameout - A Revolutionary New Foam Fire Extinguisher

Don't you just love the new URL parser? ^^

[TomoHawk]

I will also mount my fire extinguisher behind the passenger seat. I'm going to make a retainer with a long bar of aluminum that has notches in the back for some velcro straps. I ould also mount it to the deck along the luggage bar?

Edited June 11, 2013 by TomoHawk

[TomoHawk]

On 6/6/2013 at 7:39 PM, Wade Nelson said:

water combined with a rug or blanket of some sort you can soak and throw on a fire provides a very inexpensive backup to a pint-sized fire extinguisher.

That might work for a backyard fire ring, but in an automobile, you only have a few seconds, to grab your fire extinguisher and get out, open the bonnet and start spraying the  fire. 

[TomoHawk]

I have been following the development of the foam fire extinguishers and there has been some improvements.  The AFFF (Aqueous Film-Forming Foam) is getting approval from Underwriter's Laboratory, the U.S. Forestry Service, and many electronics groups, (as an alternative for Halon.)  More of the foam formulations are biodegradable, less toxic to the environment, and just better overall, when compared to dry-power fire extinguishers.  Only the Coast Guard has refused to accept it.

The only drawback I was able to find was that when compared to certain specific types of fire extinguisher media, in specific circumstances, you needed a larger volume of AFFF to do the same job as the dry powder fire extinguishers.

So, in general, the AFFF fire extinguishers are excellent for protection in a passenger vehicle.

I think it is rime to get the racing organizations to recognize the AAFFF fire extinguishers and change the rules regarding them.

Having said all this, has anyone bought one recently?  They seem to be available only from overseas.

[EuroDat]

On 5/5/2018 at 5:00 AM, TomoHawk said:

That might work for a backyard fire ring, but in an automobile, you only have a few seconds, to grab your fire extinguisher and get out, open the bonnet and start spraying the  fire. 

Be very very careful opening the bonnet with an engine fire. Heat rises and the bonnet traps most of it. If you suddenly pull it open, the heat will excape and draw in a huge amount of fresh air from underneath. You will be engulfed in flames. No fire extinguisher is going to help you in that situation, you can forget the car too.

I have a fire extinguisher, but it's there to save my life not the car.