How many people buy this for their classic car??

[nick8086]

Fire Extinguisher..

I need to get one this year..

[keiser31]

Required at most car shows and I carry one since my under the dash fire in my '31 DB.

[Guest siouxindian]

i was born in 1961. on 12 21 69 the house burnt up total loss . only cloths on body. even my bike. scared of fire. 1976 house burnt . total loss but not my bike. i was only one home i was washing my bike with the hose at the time i looked up and i saw smoke coming out the top of house . we had a very shallow well it was out of water. there was no way to put out the fire. it was so big it pulled the door out of my hand and then slammed it shut! i ran and called the fire dept. we lost everything again. ....... i have fire extinguishers every where.. every car 4 in the rv . 5 in the house .2 in the kitchen. my motor cycles have fire extinguishers. they are not in the way! you would think they would be in the way but no! there is a real big one right behind me now in the dining room. FIRE BAD . FRANKINSTEIN!!!! . .

[Bleach]

I, for one, should really have an extinguisher. They don't call the carburetors in 56 Fords towering infernos for nothing. It's not a myth.

[nick8086]

I need to get a slow trickle battery charger and extinguisher.

It has been on my list for 6 month now...

Cost 40.00

[Guest siouxindian]

Required at most car shows and I carry one since my under the dash fire in my '31 DB.

the firewall padding is very flammable i set one on fire one time put it out with water . it was a real fast scared me bad bad bad. that padding is like cotton with gas on it puFFFFFF !!!!

[ChazA]

Fire Extinguisher..

I need to get one this year..

Always. Upgraded to a Halotron version last year. This one:

http://www.amazon.com/Kidde-466727-Halotron-Extinguisher-2-Pound/dp/B001ECQ5NE/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1400822705&sr=8-4&keywords=halon

For trickle charger, just switched brands to http://batteryminders.com/ Have for my RV and all classic cars after reading the poor reviews on Battery Tender support (previous brand used).

Edited May 23, 2014 by ChazA (see edit history)

[Guest my3buicks]

Have one in each of my cars, there is No excuse for not having one in a car. In fact I neatly mount them.

Edited May 23, 2014 by my3buicks (see edit history)

[keiser31]

I keep mine on the package tray and check the pressure gauge often. What good will it do you if it is in the trunk and the rear of the car is on fire? Keeping them within reach of the driver is essential.

[28 Chrysler]

The chemical fire extinguishers should be tapped an a hard surface about once a year to make sure the powder is loose.

I try to mount them just inside the drivers door, away from the fuel tank and carburetor.

[DAVE A]

Dave and 28 Chrysler make great points. First of all you should have your extinguisher checked AT LEAST once a year to be sure it is still holding pressure and is ready for use. It should also be mounted and not left to roll around. I unfortunately did not mount mine and last fall on my way home from Des Moines the pin worked loose and it rolled over the release and discharged inside the car. It was a mess, but fortunately, no permanant damage.

[Bleach]

They do come in very handy. Luckily there was no damage.

79% of original size (was 640x480) - Click to enlarge

[AndyC]

Just an FYI: Check the ingredients of your fire extinguisher first, however. Some dry chemical fire extinguishers use mono ammonium phosphate, which can be mildly corrosive to metal. These are usually used in hospitals and labs. If this is the case, you will need to thoroughly scrub down any surfaces that had the powder on them in order to avoid corrosion.

[Guest AlCapone]

I own my own business and I am asked to donate to many car shows each summer. For the last five years I gave been donating fire extinguishers and road safety kits. This might be an Idea for others who wonder what to donate.

Wayne

[bhambulldog]

Amerex have what you need;

http://amerex-fire.com/products/hand-portables/

[Marty Roth]

A Fire Extinguisher is a requirement for every vehicle displayed at an AACA Meet...

but more than that, it is just good common sense to carry the biggest and best you reasonably can.

....advice from the son of a Linden, NJ Fire Captain (thanks Dad, and R.I.P)

[Guest]

I have one in all my cars, two in the garages, and one in the kitchen pantry.

[Dandy Dave]

There is at least 3 around the house here. Others in autos. Had one pop off of its hanger and discharge at the base of the cellar stairs. I have had several gasoline fires in the past. One when I was working on an old one lung stationary engine when I was around 12 years old in the garage. Lucky we and an extinguisher handy and I knew how to use it. I learned pretty young not to fool around with fuel leaks. Fix them, and fix them right. Dandy Dave!

[Luv2Wrench]

I have them everywhere. When the space allows I have the big ones with a separate hose. About 10 years ago lightning hit our (old) house and started a fire. I was not home at the time and my wife and kids were in the basement. My neighbor was outside checking his house for damage and saw smoke pouring from our roof. He ran inside our house, looked under the sink in the kitchen, found the big fire extinguisher, grabbed that and went upstairs in our attic and put the fire out from the inside!! Obviously a great neighbor and very smart on his part to 1) look under the sink and 2) put out the fire from the inside in the attic. One corner of the roof was replaced but nothing else was damaged. The fire truck got held up on the way due to a downed tree. If I hadn't had the big extinguisher and a great neighbor, I would have lost that house and all that was in it.

[Dandy Dave]

Ouch! Man, That hurts! Dandy Dave!

[bhambulldog]

wow

A fire extinguisher in the Roadmaster saved Mom's '73 Lincoln once.

About 1978, Mom let my Brother take her '73 Lincoln to the coast. The starter went out during the trip. My brother had a garage change the starter out. The 'mechanic' left the positive lead from the battery dangerously close to the exhaust. A few days later , the Lincoln burst into flames, parked behind the Roadmaster. Dad pulled the extinguisher from the Roadmaster and put out the fire.

Edited May 25, 2014 by bhambulldog (see edit history)

[GLong]

Every car, even new should have a fire extinguisher.. Unless it's just 'another set of wheels' and it's insured and you don't really care if it becomes a pile of ashes and molten metal and plastic.

While a dry chemical fire extinguisher is better than nothing, it is not much better than nothing. They are a dry-powder blanket. Meant to smother a fire. But if you have a bunch of plastic wiring insulation on fire under your instrument panel, or a fire on top of your old car's gas tank, you CAN NOT get the dry chemical where it will be effective. Only a very large CO2 extinguisher or a Halon/Halotron extinguisher will do the job.

There IS A REASON that the FAA only certifies HALON fire extinguishers for airplanes. Because they WORK.

I've had this discussion many times with owners of nice old cars, and often hear the complaint that 'The Halon extingushers are TOO expensive'.. My response is: HOW much is your car worth?? will you be able to restore it, or replace it for what it's insured for? Just how much would you spend to NOT have to even TALK to your insurance agent?? A few hundred dollars for the best fire extinguisher available is CHEAP !!

A Halon extinguisher is very effective because it attaches to the Oxygen in the air, rendering it unable to support combustion. The chemical does not have to touch the fire to be effective, it only has to be sprayed around or near the fire, the 'treated air' is pulled to the fire and will cause the fire to go out due to lack of oxygen. A wood fire, or burning cloth will have red-hot embers and will be able to reignite if the embers are not put out by liquids, or crushing under foot or isolation from the heat and fuel for the fire.

What I mean is don't assume the fire will not reignite once the flames are gone.. NEVER turn your back on a fire, keep watching it for new flames, this is with ANY fire extingusher, with the exception of a fire hose/garden hose.

All my doors to my shop, my house, my kitchen, and bedrooms have a halon extinguisher nearby. Why the doors? Because if you run from a fire, you will exit via a door, or if approaching a fire, you will go through a door. For me, it's the Logical place to put an extinguisher. In the kitchen: NEVER over or under or next to the stove.. always away from the stove, so you can get away from the flames and get the extinguisher without getting burnt.

For your car, a small spray-paint can size Halon in your glove box is 1000 times better than nothing.. a 2.5# in a bracket on the floor under your seat, in the trunk or ? will do the job.

Ok, sorry for the long 'rant'. But I've felt the helpless/hopeless terror of seeing a fire take a car, a house, trailer etc..

GLong

[Bleach]

^^^ LIKE!!!!!

[MarrsCars]

Every car, even new should have a fire extinguisher.. Unless it's just 'another set of wheels' and it's insured and you don't really care if it becomes a pile of ashes and molten metal and plastic.

While a dry chemical fire extinguisher is better than nothing, it is not much better than nothing. They are a dry-powder blanket. Meant to smother a fire. But if you have a bunch of plastic wiring insulation on fire under your instrument panel, or a fire on top of your old car's gas tank, you CAN NOT get the dry chemical where it will be effective. Only a very large CO2 extinguisher or a Halon/Halotron extinguisher will do the job.

There IS A REASON that the FAA only certifies HALON fire extinguishers for airplanes. Because they WORK.

I've had this discussion many times with owners of nice old cars, and often hear the complaint that 'The Halon extingushers are TOO expensive'.. My response is: HOW much is your car worth?? will you be able to restore it, or replace it for what it's insured for? Just how much would you spend to NOT have to even TALK to your insurance agent?? A few hundred dollars for the best fire extinguisher available is CHEAP !!

A Halon extinguisher is very effective because it attaches to the Oxygen in the air, rendering it unable to support combustion. The chemical does not have to touch the fire to be effective, it only has to be sprayed around or near the fire, the 'treated air' is pulled to the fire and will cause the fire to go out due to lack of oxygen. A wood fire, or burning cloth will have red-hot embers and will be able to reignite if the embers are not put out by liquids, or crushing under foot or isolation from the heat and fuel for the fire.

What I mean is don't assume the fire will not reignite once the flames are gone.. NEVER turn your back on a fire, keep watching it for new flames, this is with ANY fire extingusher, with the exception of a fire hose/garden hose.

All my doors to my shop, my house, my kitchen, and bedrooms have a halon extinguisher nearby. Why the doors? Because if you run from a fire, you will exit via a door, or if approaching a fire, you will go through a door. For me, it's the Logical place to put an extinguisher. In the kitchen: NEVER over or under or next to the stove.. always away from the stove, so you can get away from the flames and get the extinguisher without getting burnt.

For your car, a small spray-paint can size Halon in your glove box is 1000 times better than nothing.. a 2.5# in a bracket on the floor under your seat, in the trunk or ? will do the job.

Ok, sorry for the long 'rant'. But I've felt the helpless/hopeless terror of seeing a fire take a car, a house, trailer etc..

GLong

No rant at all, but rather incredibly valuable information. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

[rons49]

How does that residue from the chemical extinguishers come off? Fortunately, I have never had to use one. I have two at my work bench and two in each car ( one is a halon). The chemical leaves a mess that looks like ceiling "popcorn". Must you scrape it off or hose it with water?

[1935Packard]

I wouldn't leave the garage in a classic car without a fire extinguisher. I've had cars catch fire twice in the last 10 years -- once while driving on a highway, and another time while starting it parked -- and I would have been in deep trouble without an extinguisher there at the ready both times.

Also, I only use Halon/Halotron extinguishers. The first time, when a car caught on fire on the highway, I only had a dry chemical one and it made a mess of my engine bay. The dry chemical stuff messes with your paint; my engine bay hasn't been the same. The second time I had a Halotron extinguisher and it was amazing; it extinguished the fire quickly and left no residue. Invaluable.

[GLong]

Halon will not [generally] harm paint or plastic. I'm not 100% sure about every surface, but it's just a clear liquid turning to invisible gas, and leaves not residue.

Some additional information: Halon has a few 'urban rumors' floating around. One of which is that it's poisonous and will kill a person if inhaled.. this is totally false.. Halon could cause breathing problems, but only if in concentrations several times that needed to put out a fire.

In fact, halon is effective at concentrations about 20% of what is effective in fighting a fire. CO2 however IS deadly to us at levels that are NOT effective at fighting a fire. The reason is that CO2 has to displace air with Oxygen to starve the fire of oxygen. But Halon attaches to Oxygen to make is not support a fire, and leaves most air around the person with the extinguisher un altered.

I'm from the airline industry, and our yearly fire-fighting training is to stand 8' away from the fire, sweep the ground a few feet in front of us, and walk a few feet forward, by the time we take a pace, the fire is out.. you don't have to actually spray the fire itself, the halon-attached air will be drawn to the fire, and it's out.

OK, back to my projects..

GLong