On board fire extinguisher halon

[acdc96]

My boat is equipped with a fireboy automatic fire extinguisher model 15CG that has a halon 1301 canister. I heard at the auxiliary coast guard that halon canisters should be replaced with new modern ones. Is this true? I know halon gas is very deadly because it replaces the oxygen. The system works and everything but I want to go down to the CG and get my boat inspected before I hit the water. I want to do this on my 21' cuddy cause I'm putting it in the water for the first time in 8 years. It's free and their a sticker you put next to the reg sticker that say CG approved. Saves a inspection down the road on the water.

Should I replace my halon canister or would I have to buy a new system or will it pass?

I would ask them but it's an hour drive.

 

[r.j.dawg]

Re: On board fire extinguisher halon

I would check the regulations in your area regarding Halon. Up here in Canada, Halon has been banned since 1998 except for aircraft and military use.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: On board fire extinguisher halon

An automatic extinguisher system isn't a CG requirement for a 21 footer, so I don't think they can say yes or no to it. As long as you have the proper type and size of hand helds, you should get the sticker.

Have you tried calling the CG?

 

[Slip Away]

Re: On board fire extinguisher halon

The CG will not inspect your Halon system. Not part of their SOP during inspections. They will check your cooler though......

 

[acdc96]

Re: On board fire extinguisher halon

Their number leads to a automatic answering system that leads nowhere. It's the CG auxiliary.
It came factory installed. Plus I got a hand held one under the dash that's easy to get to and is CG approved. Paid a pretty penny for that sucker.

 

[acdc96]

Re: On board fire extinguisher halon

The CG will not inspect your Halon system. Not part of their SOP during inspections. They will check your cooler though......

Cooler?

 

[Slip Away]

Re: On board fire extinguisher halon

Beer cooler. CG will check your hand held extinguisher for expiration date, but not the engine installed system.

 

[agallant80]

Re: On board fire extinguisher halon

Halon is 50s technology. It has been fading out for years and is pretty much dead due to its environmental impact. The thing with Halon is it has a very inconsistent laws governing it. Between state, fed and local laws its next to impossible to know if you are legal to have it or discharge it (in your area it may not be illegal to have but discharge may be another thing and that would result in a fine) add in the complexity of what your insurance company may have to say about it and its more of a headache then its worth. My advice would be to remove the system and replace at your own discretion. As others have stated a fire system for a boat your size is not required. If you do take it out and don't replace it make sure you have a fire port if you don't have one already.

Here is what the EPA has to say about it. Sorry but my decoder ring is broken
Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Manufacture of Halon Blends, Intentional Release of Halon, Technician Training and Disposal of Halon and Halon-Containing Equipment | Federal Register Environmental Documents | USEPA

 

[Outsider]

Re: On board fire extinguisher halon

HALON is in use widely, and is not illegal (at least in the US). If you can find a company that does it, you can probably even have your system recharged with recycled HALON. Halon systems (and the newer stuff) are inspected by weighing the canister. If the weight is right, the charge is good. I just replaced mine with the new stuff, but the canister was empty and had probably been so for years (until I bought the boat) ... :facepalm:

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: On board fire extinguisher halon

Halon, like anything that will kill a fire, will also kill you for the lack of Oxygen.

It is no longer legal to manufacture it, so if you really need some, it it is expensive to buy.
That also makes it very valuable on the surplus/recycling market.
Do NOT discharge the fire bottle to dispose of it. It is bad for the environment and and bad for the wallet.
You have liquid Gold there!

 

[acdc96]

Re: On board fire extinguisher halon

I wasn't planning on discharging at all. I don't know how to. It probably has a part that melts when it gets to hot.
I'm just gonna leave the thing alone.
Thanks for the help!

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: On board fire extinguisher halon

Halon, like anything that will kill a fire, will also kill you for the lack of Oxygen.

Not much of a major risk when used in an enclosed engine compartment, unless you happen to be trapped in the compartment with an engine fire when the Halon system activates. When used in vaults/indoor system, then yes, it's a risky system.

 

[rallyart]

Re: On board fire extinguisher halon

Halon has been disallowed as a fire extinguisher only because of it's severe affect on the Ozone layer. It is much worse than Freon in acting as a catalyst in the breakdown of ozone in the upper atmosphere. In it's ability to quench a fire it has no equal yet.
There are a few different types of Halon that have slightly different affects on people in an enclosed space. I have been in an enclosed race car when I've had to set off a total discharge Halon system. The fire was out before the car even stopped moving and there was still Halon being discharged into both the engine compartment and passenger compartment. There were no ill affects to either of the two of us in the car. We did not die or suffer from a lack of oxygen. If you have the system then leave it in unless you are changing it out for environmental reasons. (Which is a good reason) If it still has pressure it will work very well.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: On board fire extinguisher halon

Is Halon still legal?

Because Halon is a CFC, the production of Halon ceased on January 1, 1994, under the Clean Air Act. There is no cost-effective means of safely and effectively disposing of the Halon that has already been produced, therefore recycling and reusing the existing supply intelligently and responsibly to protect lives and property is the best solution.

The EPA recognizes that that Halon remains the most effective "clean" extinguishing agent available, despite its ozone depleting potential, and there are no federal or state regulations prohibiting the buying, selling or use of Halon extinguishers. All Halon available now is recycled so it is an environmentally responsible choice.

Want the bottle refilled?


www.remtec.net

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: On board fire extinguisher halon

Not much of a major risk when used in an enclosed engine compartment, unless you happen to be trapped in the compartment with an engine fire when the Halon system activates. When used in vaults/indoor system, then yes, it's a risky system.

I made the comment, " Halon, like anything that will kill a fire, will also kill you for the lack of Oxygen. "
Because the OP originally stated, "I know halon gas is very deadly because it replaces the Oxygen. "

This gave me the impression that he felt that having Halon on-board posed a greater risk than other fire agents.
The purpose of all the gaseous fire fighting agents is to replace the ambient air which includes the fire's source of Oxygen.
Halon vapor density is 5 time that of air, so it tends to drop to, and hug the floor. Ideal in a boat!
You would be better running, than crawling out of the discharge zone.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: On board fire extinguisher halon

I made the comment, " Halon, like anything that will kill a fire, will also kill you for the lack of Oxygen. "
Because the OP originally stated, "I know halon gas is very deadly because it replaces the Oxygen. "

This gave me the impression that he felt that having Halon on-board posed a greater risk than other fire agents.
The purpose of all the gaseous fire fighting agents is to replace the ambient air which includes the fire's source of Oxygen.
Halon vapor density is 5 time that of air, so it tends to drop to, and hug the floor. Ideal in a boat!
You would be better running, than crawling out of the discharge zone.

I agree, I was simply stating that it is extremely unlikely to kill anyone in a 21' runabout. You couldn't fit anyone into the engine compartment where the Halon would be released, much less have them there with a fire present. If this were a vessel large enough to have an "engine room", then we'd have more discussion. It's not as if Halon absorbs all Oxygen within a 10' radius of the system, and all within will perish from asphyxiation. No reason to change anything about the system aside from making sure it's operational prior to relying on it.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: On board fire extinguisher halon

If I'm on a 21footer that is on fire, the ABSOLUTE last thing I'm going to worry about is how deadly or non deadly halon is to me. So the truth is, it isn't required, and as long as it has pressure, it will work if you ever need it. It is NOT illegal to discharge it in an emergency situation either.

 

[Dave0549jv]

Re: On board fire extinguisher halon

C02 systems, which have largely replaced halon in commercial ships, will also displace oxygen to kill a fire/you. Halon wont do anything to you that a modern fixed firefighting system wouldn't. It's also important to remember that if your halon system does activate automatically, leave your engine compartment closed until the heat dissipates. If you open your compartment too soon, the heat and fuel are still present, and when you reintroduce oxygen, it will reflash.

 

[ssobol]

Re: On board fire extinguisher halon

Existing Halon extinguishing systems can remain in place and active (its not like it is going off all the time). Once the halon you have is discharged, you'll probably have to replace the system with something else.

If the halon system is designed and sized correctly, when discharged into the intended area it will reduce the available O2 so the combustion cannot be maintained but enough oxygen will still remain to support human life for the duration of the discharge and latent period before the halon dissipates. When I worked with new Halon installations (years ago, but not on boats) we actually had to demonstrate a extinguishing event by discharging the system and recording the available O2 in the discharge area. If the O2 level was too high OR too low, the system had to be modified or the amount of halon discharged increased or decreased.

As part of the extinguishing system there should be some way of removing fuel sources (i.e. remote fuel cutoffs) and ignition sources (i.e electrical power shutoffs), before the halon is discharged.

 

[HopCar]

Re: On board fire extinguisher halon

ssobol is correct. The big selling point of Halon when it first came out was that it was much safer than the CO2 systems it replaced. If the system was sized correctly, it would put out a fire in an enclosed space without hurting anybody inside the space.

If you put enough CO2 into a space to put out a fire, it will put out any human in the space as well.

I have a handheld Halon extinguisher on my boat. As long as it's got pressure, I see no need to replace it.