Topic: Fire extinguisher recommendations

[69RavenConv]

For those of you who show your cars regularly, which fire extinguisher do you carry or would recommend?

[Bob Gaines]

For those of you who show your cars regularly, which fire extinguisher do you carry or would recommend?

A Halon type bottle  is my choice. The invisible gas displaces the oxygen and kills the fire . It is what the professionals use in the onboard race car fire suppression systems. If you ever have to use one of the white dry chemical powder ( monoammonium phosphate powder ) based ones the sticky clean up is sometimes worse then the fire you put out.

[ruppstang]

+1 on the Halon , I  am a private pilot and we use to own some Cessna aircraft. We always carried a Halon extinguisher in the cock pit. A cloud of white power in the cock pit would not be a good situation.

[Laurie S.]

Halon is what I have.

[KevinK]

+1 on the Halon

I invested in several Halon type. I have seen the regular type extinguisher explode in a car at the 95 Grand National. Mounting it is a whole different story. The fox body cars have some holes in the seat frame which a supplier has made a bracket to fit. 

[J_Speegle]

Halon is an interesting product since it works unlike most extinguishers. The making of the product has been banded since the 90's for systems except in aviation. What remains today legally is Halon that was produced before 1994 and or has been recycled from systems removed under the band.  Kills the ozone they say. For now you can get them - for how long is any any ones guess. Production is suppose to stop this year which conflicts with some earlier information - go figure. It is toxic and in portable extinguishers does not have a few far range for application.

Wouldn't want to pull the pin and use on in an enclosed area - not that I would with many of the different types

http://www.epa.gov/ozone/snap/fire/qa.html#qA1

Believe this only relates to Halotron I and Halon 1211. FE-36 was one of the products designed to replace Halon 1211 and right now is not being fazed out of production so check those labels. Will not kill you as quickly and is safe for Mr Ozone too. Well right now


Have seen a few extinguishers triggered by mistakes at shows  - what a mess.  There are a number of choices but any extinguisher is better than watching the car burn to the ground - though it will almost guarantee that you will get in a magazine or two.

Most of the extinguishers I see at shows are not large enough to fight anything but the smallest of possible fires - plus most have no idea of how to apply the product they have.

[mikelj5S230]

Halon is the only choice if you actually have to use one and not just display it at the show.

[J_Speegle]

My choice would be a 30-40 lb CO2 but don't want to pack one around in the trunk of a fastback when driving. Will be my choice in my next trailer - in fact will be carrying two of them. Just me  and 30 years of using those sorts of things

[Toploader]

Had to use a 4.5 lbs (2 kg) extinguisher recently (not on a car though). To me they are worth nothing - maybe putting out candles and such. The thing gave a shot lasting 6 or 7 seconds. You gotta spot a fire darn fast if you want to take it out with one of those things.

[69RavenConv]

Thanks for all the great feedback. I didn't realize Halon extinguishers were still widely available.

[gimpystoy]

Very timely for me. Just bought hr3 extinguisher

[zray]

My choice would be a 30-40 lb CO2 but don't want to pack one around in the trunk of a fastback when driving. Will be my choice in my next trailer - in fact will be carrying two of them. Just me  and 30 years of using those sorts of things

That type is my choice as well, I just like the biggest one I can carry, for me that's two  20 pounders. The clean up is easy, no residue to speak of,
 And they are not going to damage your car like the dry chemical ones do.  But they don't have any residual action like the dry chemical type,  so it pays to have 2 of them. A back-up might be needed if the fire reignites.  Compared to the old halons and the newer halon type, the CO2's are not extremely pricey.

Z