Looking To Buy An Automatic Engine Compartment Fire Extinguisher

[tazrig]

I have a 1976 23' Formula with twin 350 MPI's being installed. In the next week or so I will be buying an Automatic Fire Extinguisher For my engine compartment, roughly 160 cubic feet. (4' deep X 5' long X 8' wide) I know how to size it properly and will be adding extra capacity to that just for added safety. The two brands I'm looking at are Fireboy and Sea-Fire. (FD Series as it is rechargeable like the Fireboy) Both discharge at 175 degrees and last about 9-10 seconds give or take. The Sea-Fire has the type of gas discharge that is non harmful to humans the Fireboy does not. (at least until it dissipates) Both have 3 year warranties and come with a light for the dash to tell you if the system has discharged. I'm more concerned with quality and reliability of the extinguisher than I am with price. Does anyone have experience with either brand? Does one stand out as substantially or notably better than the other? If so why? Is there another brand that is better that I should be considering? All help and opinions greatly appreciated, Thanks.

 

[04fxdwgi]

Re: Looking To Buy An Automatic Engine Compartment Fire Extinguisher

I have a 1976 23' Formula with twin 350 MPI's being installed. In the next week or so I will be buying an Automatic Fire Extinguisher For my engine compartment, roughly 160 cubic feet. (4' deep X 5' long X 8' wide) I know how to size it properly and will be adding extra capacity to that just for added safety. The two brands I'm looking at are Fireboy and Sea-Fire. (FD Series as it is rechargeable like the Fireboy) Both discharge at 175 degrees and last about 9-10 seconds give or take. The Sea-Fire has the type of gas discharge that is non harmful to humans the Fireboy does not. (at least until it dissipates) Both have 3 year warranties and come with a light for the dash to tell you if the system has discharged. I'm more concerned with quality and reliability of the extinguisher than I am with price. Does anyone have experience with either brand? Does one stand out as substantially or notably better than the other? If so why? Is there another brand that is better that I should be considering? All help and opinions greatly appreciated, Thanks.

I have a FireBoy in my 2550 Chaparral SX Sport. I "think" it's origional, as it's a halon system (Don't think Halon is available any longer) and the dash indicator looks like it was origional equipment. Had it tested and re-certified last year for the insurance and it was in perfect condition.

The Halon is NOT of the non-harmful family, but does a better job of extinguishing a fire, which is it's primary role, afterall. If it discharges for a fire and I am in the engine hole, I'll be glad it did (or family will be since 175 deg will turn me into a cinder) and I'll bet a zillion bucks the hatch is open, as I won't fit in there any other way. The extinguisher company said to keep it as long as possible because it will do a better job, but once expended, I would need to move to a newer extinguisher agent, since the Halon is unavailable.

21 years is a pretty good track record, I think. Your milage may vary.....

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Looking To Buy An Automatic Engine Compartment Fire Extinguisher

Actually, if you do survive the heat, the Halon depletes all off the oxygen in the immediate area, so you'll probably suffocate. Either way, best of luck. :faint2:

 

[tazrig]

Re: Looking To Buy An Automatic Engine Compartment Fire Extinguisher

I have a FireBoy in my 2550 Chaparral SX Sport. I "think" it's origional, as it's a halon system (Don't think Halon is available any longer) and the dash indicator looks like it was origional equipment. Had it tested and re-certified last year for the insurance and it was in perfect condition.

The Halon is NOT of the non-harmful family, but does a better job of extinguishing a fire, which is it's primary role, afterall. If it discharges for a fire and I am in the engine hole, I'll be glad it did (or family will be since 175 deg will turn me into a cinder) and I'll bet a zillion bucks the hatch is open, as I won't fit in there any other way. The extinguisher company said to keep it as long as possible because it will do a better job, but once expended, I would need to move to a newer extinguisher agent, since the Halon is unavailable.

21 years is a pretty good track record, I think. Your milage may vary.....

Wow! 21 years, I would say so. Thanks for the info.

 

[tazrig]

Re: Looking To Buy An Automatic Engine Compartment Fire Extinguisher

Actually, if you do survive the heat, the Halon depletes all off the oxygen in the immediate area, so you'll probably suffocate. Either way, best of luck. :faint2:

NICE! :laugh: We're just talking about a sealed engine compartment here though so I think he'll be O.K. Be safe out there if you're still on the job.

 

[cayman drew]

Re: Looking To Buy An Automatic Engine Compartment Fire Extinguisher

I too have been looking at adding one of these to my engine compartment. I'm curious about this subject as well. Has anyone been on the water when one of these systems deployed? I ask because it seems like if I'm on the water when the fire alarm goes off and the engine shuts down, my light comes on the dash saying the system discharged, and smoke is bellowing out of the air intakes?? It's going to take one serious set of brass nuts not to open the hatch with a handheld extinguisher in hand, and visually confirm the fire is out? Isn't that what they recommend? Not to open the compartment because you'd reintroduce oxygen and the fire could flare back up?

 

[tazrig]

Re: Looking To Buy An Automatic Engine Compartment Fire Extinguisher

I too have been looking at adding one of these to my engine compartment. I'm curious about this subject as well. Has anyone been on the water when one of these systems deployed? I ask because it seems like if I'm on the water when the fire alarm goes off and the engine shuts down, my light comes on the dash saying the system discharged, and smoke is bellowing out of the air intakes?? It's going to take one serious set of brass nuts not to open the hatch with a handheld extinguisher in hand, and visually confirm the fire is out? Isn't that what they recommend? Not to open the compartment because you'd reintroduce oxygen and the fire could flare back up?

Thank god I've never had one deploy on me. The whole reason I'm getting one another one is to prevent a potentially small fire (fuel hose leak etc.) from becoming a big one. You don't have to worry about having to open the hatch to reintroduce oxygen into the engine compartment. The vents on the outside of the boat do that 24/7. These systems are designed to completely overwhelm the fire by removing all the oxygen from the environment hence putting out the fire instantly. See below video:

Fireboy Clean Agent Fire Extinguishing System - YouTube

It takes about 10 seconds for these things to fully deploy and I would do the same thing you would after that. Open the compartment with the spare extinguisher in hand to see if it was all out. One thing I've gotten from most everybody I've talked to about it is that bigger is better. For instance my engine compartment is 160 cubic feet. I'm looking at units for 250 to 275 cubic feet just for that added margin of safety.

 

[04fxdwgi]

Re: Looking To Buy An Automatic Engine Compartment Fire Extinguisher

They do make an "extinguiser port", deisgned to allow to introduce the hand held discharge directly into the engine compartment without opening the hatch. They sell them at West Marine and everywhere else. Biggest problem is finding a decent place to mount it without messing up the vinyl on most boats.

 

[04fxdwgi]

Re: Looking To Buy An Automatic Engine Compartment Fire Extinguisher

Actually, if you do survive the heat, the Halon depletes all off the oxygen in the immediate area, so you'll probably suffocate. Either way, best of luck. :faint2:

That's why I stated the hatch will be open if I am in there (I won't fit in there, otherwise) and the extinguisher discharges.

 

[etracer68]

Re: Looking To Buy An Automatic Engine Compartment Fire Extinguisher

I have a halon system on the race car, and we use halon systems, on our wire, and sinker, EDMS at work. I had a small fire two years ago under the hood of the race car, and the halon worked great, and was able to get the bottle refilled. Also had a coolet drop in one of our EDMS at work last year, and had a flash (130 deg therm), that set off the system. We also were able to get the system refilled. Halon is pricey though. About ten years ago, I set one off on our EDM, and got a mouth full, It put me on my knees, and gasping for air, but I recovered. Not fun, but something like getting the wind knocked out of you. So it is still around.

 

[tazrig]

Re: Looking To Buy An Automatic Engine Compartment Fire Extinguisher

Are you sure it was actual halon that you were able to get it refilled with and not one of the new substitutes? I may be wrong, (I was once back in my youth:lol but didn't they grandfather existing canisters with Halon but ban refills and new production of it?

 

[tazrig]

Re: Looking To Buy An Automatic Engine Compartment Fire Extinguisher

They do make an "extinguiser port", deisgned to allow to introduce the hand held discharge directly into the engine compartment without opening the hatch. They sell them at West Marine and everywhere else. Biggest problem is finding a decent place to mount it without messing up the vinyl on most boats.

The fire ports are a great idea to keep a solid barrier between you and the fire but if I installed and used one, I think I would still want to inspect to make sure the fire was completely out :target: after all was said and done. Especially sitting on 80 gallons of gas. :boom:

 

[04fxdwgi]

Re: Looking To Buy An Automatic Engine Compartment Fire Extinguisher

Are you sure it was actual halon that you were able to get it refilled with and not one of the new substitutes? I may be wrong, (I was once back in my youth:lol but didn't they grandfather existing canisters with Halon but ban refills and new production of it?

That's exactly what I informed of, also.

 

[etracer68]

Re: Looking To Buy An Automatic Engine Compartment Fire Extinguisher

I was never told they were refilled with a sub, and the bottles, still read HALON. We have our systems at work checked every 6 months, I can call them and ask.

 

[etracer68]

Re: Looking To Buy An Automatic Engine Compartment Fire Extinguisher

Ok, the guy came in today at work, to check our systems. He told me as of 2007, all production of halon has stopped. The military is trying to stock pile it. And you can still get a bottle refilled with halon, only if the bottle was manufactured by one of two companies, ours is one of them. Also after 2013 the EPA is trying to stop refills of any manufacture. If you send a bottle in for refill after 2013, they will refill with a sub, that does the same thing, just doesnt play with the ozone. Also, they will try and talk you into refilling with sub, on your full bottles, and recover the halon, and sell it to the military. So thats what I was told.

 

[tazrig]

Re: Looking To Buy An Automatic Engine Compartment Fire Extinguisher

Thanks for the follow through. That makes sense. I won't go into my rant about the EPA but needless to say I think with few exceptions we'd be a lot better without them!!! I ended up getting a Sea-Fire 275 cubic foot auto extinguisher for the boat. It seems a lot bigger and heavier than the Halon system I once had. But so long as it works. Hopefully I'll never need to find out if it does!