Fire Extinguisher ... What to buy & What not to buy ...

bonedaddy

bonedaddy

Member
hey WAL'ers...

Just was trying to search through and see what everyone was using for extinguishers (really didn't come across much, perhaps I just suck at searching) just to see what you have had experience with, sizes, mounts, etc... Picts would be awesome, everyone loves looking at picts... ;)

It's something I have been meaning to pick-up since I bought it ... I know you get what you pay for, but I didn't to spend alot on something that has a cheaper comparision or buy some disposable that isn;t going to cut it in am emergency... I roll with the wifey and two baby girls...

So any insight would be great... Thanks in advance...

- Donnie
 
Amerex makes good ones in every size you could want. Safari straps has a great roll bar mount for a 14" this is what I have. get an ABC extinguisher so it can deal with all kinds of fire.
 
I carry 2 fire extinguishers - 1 BC which I keep on the driver side just behind the rear door and 1 ABC which I keep in the same place on the passenger side. The BC is for engine fires as it will NOT ruin your engine the way ABC will. The ABC is good for general fires. I keep them separated so that I don't accidentally grab the wrong one when I really need it.
 
I was just thinking about this last night. Great thread...there is a lot of differing ideas out there.

From what I understand, ABC extinguishers can ultimately cause some issues with corrosion but they are certainly better than a burned up Jeep or person.

Edit- Eddie beat me to it.
 
wayoflife said:
I carry 2 fire extinguishers - 1 BC which I keep on the driver side just behind the rear door and 1 ABC which I keep in the same place on the passenger side. The BC is for engine fires as it will NOT ruin your engine the way ABC will. The ABC is good for general fires. I keep them separated so that I don't accidentally grab the wrong one when I really need it.
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Thank you Eddie I didn't know about the ABC ruining engines! :thumb:
 
My job gave me one (one of our divisions tests and tags them). This is just a standard ABC dry chem with a universal vehicle mount. I used two radiator clamps to attach the mount to the roll bar because I didn't want to put holes in my roll bar. The only cost on my end was the radiator clamps. I believe it is a 5 pounder. I'll verify once the wife gets home with the jeep.ImageUploadedByWAYALIFE1437492446.217865.jpg
 
wayoflife said:
I carry 2 fire extinguishers - 1 BC which I keep on the driver side just behind the rear door and 1 ABC which I keep in the same place on the passenger side. The BC is for engine fires as it will NOT ruin your engine the way ABC will. The ABC is good for general fires. I keep them separated so that I don't accidentally grab the wrong one when I really need it.
Click to expand...

you know I was wondering if there was any negatives on the ABC when it came to automotive needs... but do agree with it's better than not having anything at all... I planned on having two in the jeep and it's a great idea to have one of each!

Is it worth buying a rechargeable or better just using a one shot deal - not like you can recharge on the trail anyways? plus for space, i didn't know which would be smaller...

How often do the rechargeable ones need to be serviced? how long to the one-shots last unused?

thanks...
 
I'm not very knowledgeable in the testing and servicing of extinguishers, but I could definitely ask some guys in that division at work and get some info. If I remember correctly they have to be tested every few years. There is also a life cycle on them where they are no longer allowed to be re serviced or tagged. I'll try to get some more info and post back unless someone chimes in before I get back to the office later in the week.
 
wayoflife said:
I carry 2 fire extinguishers - 1 BC which I keep on the driver side just behind the rear door and 1 ABC which I keep in the same place on the passenger side. The BC is for engine fires as it will NOT ruin your engine the way ABC will. The ABC is good for general fires. I keep them separated so that I don't accidentally grab the wrong one when I really need it.
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting this :thumb: It made me go check - I carry 2 as well and thought I had one of each but as it turns out I have 2 BC's (could have sworn I bought a ABC for the second) probably just add a ABC in the cargo area. Both my BC's are White so maybe add a Red to tell them apart.
 
bonedaddy said:
you know I was wondering if there was any negatives on the ABC when it came to automotive needs... but do agree with it's better than not having anything at all... I planned on having two in the jeep and it's a great idea to have one of each!

Is it worth buying a rechargeable or better just using a one shot deal - not like you can recharge on the trail anyways? plus for space, i didn't know which would be smaller...

How often do the rechargeable ones need to be serviced? how long to the one-shots last unused?

thanks...
Click to expand...

I don't know how important it is to buy a rechargeable one but it is important to know that the compound inside can and will get packed down. At the very least, you'll want to agitate the extinguisher from time to time. So long as they're maintained in this manner, it'll last quite a long time. Or, so I've been told. The last time I've had to use one of my extinguishers, it was easily 7 years old and it still did it's job.

Sharkey said:
Eddie- will a 2.5lb fit on the side of the seat?
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I don't know for sure being that some are skinny and long and others short and fat. The newer JK's have a lot more door cladding and it might be difficult to mount one in this location.
 
(2) 5 LB. Halotron Amerex B386T is what I'm probably going to go with looking at other options as well........last thing I want to happen is watching my Jeep or a friends Jeep burn to the ground......fire safety is paramount and not something you should dismiss

~Woodrow~
 
bonedaddy said:
you know I was wondering if there was any negatives on the ABC when it came to automotive needs... but do agree with it's better than not having anything at all... I planned on having two in the jeep and it's a great idea to have one of each!

Is it worth buying a rechargeable or better just using a one shot deal - not like you can recharge on the trail anyways? plus for space, i didn't know which would be smaller...

How often do the rechargeable ones need to be serviced? how long to the one-shots last unused?

thanks...
Click to expand...

Hydrostatic testing (12 years) and 6 year-maintenance on extinguishers is the fire code standard for most codes. Maintenance just involves emptying of the chemical, interior inspection, lubricating the O ring on the neck, cleaning (with a brush) the control head then refilling with chemical and nitrogen. Then in 6 years, it gets discharged again except it is filled with water and hydrostatically tested to make sure it maintains whatever pressure is on the extinguisher. Then the maintenance steps are taken. Rechargeable ones are the way to go for a couple reasons. 1. If the fire is tiny and it only takes a second or two to put it out the extinguisher can be recharged as opposed to tossing it. 2. if the extinguisher leaks nitrogen for whatever reason it can be refilled as opposed to tossing it. One-time extinguishers will have a plastic control head (handle, nozzle, etc). Metal ones will be rechargeable. I have 2 Halotron and 1 dry chem in my Jeep. The 2.5lb Halotron is under the recline lever on my seat. The other two are in the back. The Halotrons work for ABC fires but they are a clean agent so there is no residue ie: from dry chemical. And they are pricey. The dry chemical can erode metal and electronics if not properly cleaned. Nothing wrong with using on the Jeep...just be prepared to spend a lot of time with an air compressor, vacuum and dusting materials if it is around any electronics. A couple 5 pound ABCs should do fine and normally cost 20-40 bucks depending on brand and brackets included.
 
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Jackal01 said:
Hydrostatic testing (12 years) and 6 year-maintenance on extinguishers is the fire code standard for most codes. Maintenance just involves emptying of the chemical, interior inspection, lubricating the O ring on the neck, cleaning (with a brush) the control head then refilling with chemical and nitrogen. Then in 6 years, it gets discharged again except it is filled with water and hydrostatically tested to make sure it maintains whatever pressure is on the extinguisher. Then the maintenance steps are taken. Rechargeable ones are the way to go for a couple reasons. 1. If the fire is tiny and it only takes a second or two to put it out the extinguisher can be recharged as opposed to tossing it. 2. if the extinguisher leaks nitrogen for whatever reason it can be refilled as opposed to tossing it. One-time extinguishers will have a plastic control head (handle, nozzle, etc). Metal ones will be rechargeable. I have 2 Halotron and 1 dry chem in my Jeep. The 2.5lb Halotron is under the recline lever on my seat. The other two are in the back. The Halotrons work for ABC fires but they are a clean agent so there is no residue ie: from dry chemical. And they are pricey. The dry chemical can erode metal and electronics if not properly cleaned. Nothing wrong with using on the Jeep...just be prepared to spend a lot of time with an air compressor, vacuum and dusting materials if it is around any electronics. A couple 5 pound ABCs should do fine and normally cost 20-40 bucks depending on brand and brackets included.
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yeah they are a bit pricey... i think $99 is the cheapest I can find the Halotron's...
 
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