Thread: Fire extinguishers

Originally Posted by Wolfs

I was looking in Bunnies for a fire extinguisher but am a bit confused by the various categories and descriptions which seem to overlap. My shed, like all sheds, has wood dust, wood, flamable liquids like varnish and solvents, and electrical motors. Which category is best for this combination? Thanks.

G'Day Wolfs, I would think a dry powder chemical type would cover just about all types of fires, but be warned they do make a real mess and they need a bit of a shake every 6 months as the powder can settle and it may not do it's job properly. CO2 is good but care must be taken in confined spaces, as it purges the area of oxygen very quickly and can cause frostbite to hands if gripped to close to the nozzle, also they can give a static shock, only small but can surprise the unwary. The down side of CO2 is the re-charge cost opposed to the disposable dry powder. Water and foam are not recomended for electrical fires as both are water based, foam is for liquid fires and water type is mainly for paper/wood. So you see, with all of the stuff in your shed the dry powder is the best way to go. That's what I have in my house, shed and boat and I was a NSW Firefighter for 71/2 yrs, all are rated in "still air conditions".

I think cat A/B/E extinguisher is the best for workshop. Covers wood, paper electrical and liquid type fires. Just going off memory. Someone else might be able to confirm.

I've got a throwaway dry powder unit that comes with a wall mounting kit.
Just like an oversize aerosol spray, red can, cost about $20 and toss out once used.
Got mine from a local hardware.

Go with dry powder or CO2. In the navy there hasn't been a electrical class of fire for a fair few years now. Once power has been isolated then the fire becomes an "A" class fire. As no fires are fought without power isolations being made there was no need for the electrical classification. Dont know how things work in civvie street though.

Corbs

Definately the $20 dry powder , at least one at each axcess, ie right by the door and as savage said turn them upside down and shake them once a month , and at $ 20 when they go out of date have a little practise run with the family let them set it off so they get first hand how it works and how long it lasts but they do make a mess so do it somewear in the open.
If you do have a fire don't aim straight at the fire as you may blow burning debris every wear but use sweeping motions and start at the bottom of the fire.

Rgds

I'd be going the powder. Messy but oh so effective and you dont have to think about which one to grab...it will do them all. When seconds count, you dont have time to do a workplace assessment!
At our last training day they demo'd the best use of a co2 I've seen since a car caught fire...(not mine)...kiddies please do not read on. This is naughty!
If the beer fridge isnt working (horror) or only hot slabs (cartons for the mexicans and others))a carefully inserted co2 nozzle will certainly drop the temp to a very acceptable level. Apparantly firies are quite used to finding co2 extinguishers empty at workplaces!?

That was a common practice in the RAAF, but not with Cliff Rogers, Groggy, Benny Laird or myself, we were too responsib;le

Hi Wolfs,

like everyone above (I think!). Powder is the way to go. Right hell of a mess (from past experience) but better than flombe workshop.
Foam and water will stuff any motors etc, but the powder can often be vaccuumed/blown out and all is good again.

The BIG thing is electrickery;- Powder doesn't conduct. At my house I'd have to run around to the other side of the house to turn the power off. Mind you the firebrigade is 400m away - so I could wait!

My 2cents anyway.

Originally Posted by Iain

That was a common practice in the RAAF, but not with Cliff Rogers, Groggy, Benny Laird or myself, we were too responsib;le

I thought it was spelt reprehensible.

You are better of buying fire extinguishes from one of the smaller independant extinguisher companies..... run dont walk from the big names.

They will generaly sell you a good quialty item that is appropriate for the job and at a decent price.

The stuff sold in the chain stores is just very nasty over priced rubish. What they sell you is generlay too small and just crappy.

Almost without exception dry powder is the appropriate item.
Foam and stored preasure water should not be used anywhere near electrical supply.
So unless you are a traditional wood worker working in a shed without electric light, forget water or foam.

CO2 is completely useless for any fire that may reignite from a coal or ember or where solvents might re flash off a hot surface.
So CO2 is inappropriate arround wood or solvents.
CO2 is good for knocking down carburetter fires without wrecking the motor though.

BCF is now banned. But it had the same problems as CO2.

For the average small workshop you realy need at least 1 x 2KG dry powder.

A 1kg would be enough to put down a fry pan fire on the kitchen stove or a small engine fire in a car..... as long as it hadn't got too far.

A fire blanket is a good thing.

One thing we should all have in our workshop is a metal bucket full of sand.
It is very handy for dumping on little Whoopses before they become O S#$ts.
Good for solvent and paint spills and will stop little fires quite well.

One thing that every body should have th oportunity to do is play with a variety of fire extinguishers some time.

They did this with us when I was an apprentice... it gives you an appreciation for the recomendations.

cheers

I have dry powder in the shed and next to the fire place but CO2 in the kitchen

I have a 1Kg DCP and a water tap with a hose fitted.

Only started one fire, in some shavings, below the grinder so far.

Just a whiff of smoke and I tipped a jar of water, that I keep next to the grinder, onto it. No problem.

Thanks for the prompt. Have fought fires on warships, on land, and have trained many others in how to do the same, but never actually got around to having an extinguisher in the shed - went straight down to Bunnies and rectified the situation, and got a fire blanket for the kitchen. Had a fat fire last week, no problem - just threw flour on it, but it would have been easier (and less messy) if I had the blanket. Oh well - yet another case of do what I say, not as I do, but no longer.

The fire blanket was only $14, and the BCF extinguisher $19, so it has gotten a lot cheaper in the last couple of years. No excuses now.

So, as I said - thanks for the prompt!

Originally Posted by Stuart.

BCF extinguisher $19

I thought BCF was banned some years ago!