Fire Extinguisher

[dartman]

What are the guidelines and USCG requirements for the location of the fire extinguisher? Can it be mounted in a closed compartment?

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Fire Extinguisher

I am not 100% sure what the guidline is, but I have mine mounted within reach of the helm. If something happens, you have to be able to act quick, and mounting a fire extinguisher in an enclosed area invites disaster. It would only be a matter of time before it gets buried or blocked by life vests and other assorted gear. You definatley want it away from the engine area, thats where the fire will be.<br /><br />

<br /><br />How is that for close?

 

[JB]

Re: Fire Extinguisher

Moving to Boat Questions.

 

[Ross J]

Re: Fire Extinguisher

Directly under the helm, because thats where you're going to be if a fire starts out and thats where you want to protect life first.<br />Ross

 

[sfels]

Re: Fire Extinguisher

According the the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Vessel Inspection Manual, "All hand held extinguishers must be readily accessible. (It is recommended that they be mounted but not necessary for a VSC.)". So, there's a lot of discretion on where you put it/them, just make sure that they're easy to get to in an emergency.

 

[arks]

Re: Fire Extinguisher

Dartman-<br />I have a 23' cuddy, and keep my "main" dry powder extinguisher on the bulkhead in front of the left seat. Just inside the cabin I have a smaller Halon unit for use within the cabin (you can breathe this stuff). An automatic Halon system handles the engine compartment. It seems like a lot of fire protection for a small boat, but you can't be TOO safe!

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Fire Extinguisher

Actually you cannot be in an environment that Halon is being used in, as Halon removes the oxygen from the air. Our armored vehicles had Halon suppression systems in them and it was a huge deal if someone was in the vehicle when it when off accidentally. I saw my share of soldiers have to be sent to the hospital. Granted, there is a LOT of Halon being used in a tank compared to a boat, but everyone needs to know that the stuff is NOT healthy to be around.

 

[arks]

Re: Fire Extinguisher

I stand corrected, Jason. I was told it was safe to breathe. I guess that shows how much the salesperson at my marine store knows!<br />At least the halon doesn't leave a huge mess like dry powder does.

 

[DJ]

Re: Fire Extinguisher

The issue with Halon is that it displaces the oxygen.. No oxygen, you pass out.<br /><br />Halon is meant for closed areas such as engine compartments. It would be completely ineffective in the open.

 

[MrBill]

Re: Fire Extinguisher

Coast Guard regs for pleasure craaft indicate that fire extinuishers "must be operable and readily accesible". <br /><br />Regarding Halon, it is a liquefied, compressed gas that stops the spread of fire by chemically disrupting combustion. In other words, oxygen molecules are bonded with other molecules that renders the oxygen (compound) non-combustible, but are still ok to breath, unlike when oxygen bonds with carbon to form (CO) carbon monoxide. Two types of Halon, Halon 1211 (a liquid streaming agent) and Halon 1301 (a gaseous flooding agent) leave no residue and are remarkably safe for human exposure. Halon is most effective for flammable liquids and electrical fires. Production of Halon stopped in 1994 because of the Clean Air Act, but it is still legal to purchase and use recycled Halon and Halon fire extinguishers. The FAA even requires commercial aircraft to use halon. The production of Halon was stopped because it is a chloro flouro carbon (CFC). There is no easy way to get rid of existing supplies so recycling and reusing what is left is the most effective way to use it up.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Fire Extinguisher

MrBill, I am not going to despute your info, but I am curious what Halon we used in the military. It most certainly did cause injury, and it left a horrid white-ish residue all over the entire inside of the vehicle. Our systems were automatic with a selection to manual. Our policy was to always have it in manual unless the vehicle was unattended. Even still, it went off sometimes. Maybe we had a different mixture, something not used in civilian practic? It had to be able to put out a fire from fuel, ammunition, and the vehicle hull itself which was an aluminum-magnesium alloy with steel outer plating. Who knows....It worked good, but when it didn't work, that vehicle burned brite and hot until nothing but a lump. This was the M2A2 Bradley Fighting vehicle, but all tracked vehicles had the same system in it.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Fire Extinguisher

hello<br /> we had halon on the ship. it is safe to breathe in concentrations less than 7%. now how do I neasure 7%? leave the space. halon is non toxic but will displace oxygen.<br /> best to leave the space<br /> good luck and keep posting

 

[salty87]

Re: Fire Extinguisher

i've been to a halon test in a computer networks ops room (lots of servers) where the engineers/administrators were allowed to stay in the room while the halon was blasted. everyone was a-ok. no idea what concentration or version was used.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Fire Extinguisher

I am guessing in that the Halon is okay, but that in the very confined and sealed interior of armored vehicles that it must be a different story. There is a LOT of Halon used in armored vehicles due to the huge amounts of flamable material. Our training was very specific and emphatic about the dangers of the system, so I must conclude that in very high amounts, Halon is rough stuff, but in lesser amounts it is fairly okay.