recommendation on a good, small, extinguisher that I can mount in my 1932 and older cars

[32Pontiac6]

Does anybody have a recommendation on a good, small, extinguisher that I can mount in my 1932 and older cars?  I have had several over the years and wonder what others are using.  I would like to mount something accessible but as inconspicuous as possible.

 

Looking online they have 1 lb and 2.5 lb.  The 1 lb seems to be pretty compact but wonder if that is enough extinguishing power.

 

Thanks!

Rob

 

[Mike "Hubbie" Stearns]

I’d go with a 2.5 lb. just make sure it has a metal head instead of plastic. Mike 

[Gary_Ash]

Look at the H3R extinguishers in 2.5 lb size.  They use clean HalGuard as the fluid, not dry powder that makes a mess and can corrode your car.  Not cheap, but very good.

[TAKerry]

Gary is on to something. The halguard is what is recommended for cars ( I think), as it doesnt do as much damage as a typical dry powder abc. Having said that, if you dont want to spend the $100+ get the biggest one you can fit in your car that is easily accessible. One that may do a little damage when needed is better than none at all. Also try to mount it some place that you can get to easily, just in case. 

[Gary_Ash]

I bought the red H3R halotron extinguisher, 2.5 lb capacity, mounted it under the dash with the pull-to-release tag clearly visible.  I used to carry a 5 lb CO₂ extinguisher in the trunk of another car, but it's pretty big.  CO₂ doesn't make a mess like dry powder, works on electrical and fuel fires, maybe not as effective on burning paper and wood, should be cheaper than halotron.  But, as TAKerry says, some kind of extinguisher is better than none.  The dry powder is baking soda, so a good wash with warm water should get rid of it. With an engine fire, the trick will be to get the hood open fast enough.

 

Some years ago, a restaurant owned by some friends of mine had a grease fire on a stove.  Everything worked as designed, and the array of dry chemical extinguishers went off in the kitchen with a big whoosh.  Fire out, but baking soda all over the kitchen, a mess to clean and all the food ruined - but the restaurant was otherwise undamaged. 

 

[46 woodie]

Wise choice Gary, The HalGuard extinguisher is a bit pricy, but how much is your car worth? They come in red, black and chrome and in several sizes. Dry powder extinguishers will make a mess of not only your car but also those parked anywhere near you. One thing I might add, as a retired firefighter, many people will try to extinguish a fire before calling us. If you are using an extinguisher call us immediately, we don't mind responding, minute's count. Nice car by the way.

[TAKerry]

I do have a question about fire extinguishers. I have several around the barn and garage (as well as in all my vehicles). I have them tagged but most are probably 3 years old now. I do check periodically at the gauge and they show 'good'. Can I trust that? How long should one of these things last? 

[Bloo]

It depends. If these are dry chemical fire extinguishers, they can theoretically last forever, but, the chemical can get compacted. You should shake them up about once a year or turn them upside down and bang on them with a rubber hammer. After about 7 years I think they are supposed to go in for service no matter what(?). Shook up now and then though they should be fine forever as long as the gauge is up.

 

Extinguishers with a "refrigerant" of some sort for the chemical like Halon, Halotron, CO2 etc. should behave like refrigerant. If the gauge is up, there is some of the chemical still there but you have no idea how much! The gauge will read pressure, and the pressure is related only to temperature. To find out how much is still in there, I believe you would have to put the extinguisher on a scale and weigh it.

 

 

 

[Scooter Guy]

I have recently gone to carrying Element fire extinguishers in my old car.

 

They are a "stick" type extinguisher that expels a gas that is non-toxic and non-corrosive. They contain no moving parts or compressed gas so they do not require any servicing and do not expire. This helps reduce or eliminate the risk of having a fancy fire extinguisher that has been untouched for years and fails when you go to discharge it in an emergency. Storage temperature for an element is a non-issue as well...they can withstand up to something like 300 degrees. Their standard model is less than a foot long and less than 2" in diameter and weighs less than a pound. Their "run time" is comparable, if not longer, than traditional fire extinguishers. It's a bit like a road flare and is single use only, and they run about $80. There are other options in the same price range, but there are some definite advantage to the element, in my view. 

 

In addition I have Co2 fire extinguishers in the house and "man cave" and multiple halon (yes, the old ones) extinguishers and dry chemical extinguishers in the garage/shop. As someone that has experienced fire (I did not lose a car or building, fortunately), I take it very seriously. My advice is to mount extinguishers on the wall in your garage/shop by the exit...don't bury them under the workbench or put them in a cabinet or use them as a coat rack. 

 

As has already been said, any extinguisher is better than no extinguisher. 

[31 LaSalle]

4 minutes ago, Scooter Guy said:

I have recently gone to carrying Element fire extinguishers in my old car.

 

They are a "stick" type extinguisher that expels a gas that is non-toxic and non-corrosive. They contain no moving parts or compressed gas so they do not require any servicing and do not expire. This helps reduce or eliminate the risk of having a fancy fire extinguisher that has been untouched for years and fails when you go to discharge it in an emergency. Storage temperature for an element is a non-issue as well...they can withstand up to something like 300 degrees. Their standard model is less than a foot long and less than 2" in diameter and weighs less than a pound. Their "run time" is comparable, if not longer, than traditional fire extinguishers. It's a bit like a road flare and is single use only, and they run about $80. There are other options in the same price range, but there are some definite advantage to the element, in my view. 

 

In addition I have Co2 fire extinguishers in the house and "man cave" and multiple halon (yes, the old ones) extinguishers and dry chemical extinguishers in the garage/shop. As someone that has experienced fire (I did not lose a car or building, fortunately), I take it very seriously. My advice is to mount extinguishers on the wall in your garage/shop by the exit...don't bury them under the workbench or put them in a cabinet or use them as a coat rack. 

 

As has already been said, any extinguisher is better than no extinguisher. 

good advice mine are under the workbench  will mount them on the wall as per your sensible advice

[Bloo]

I got a couple of those element ones after hearing of them from edinmass. I have a Halon one too. Dry chem does not just make a mess, it does damage. Less damage than a fire, no doubt about that, but you won't like what happens afterward. Dry chem is cheap, and it is what most people will use because it's cheap and it probably qualifies as a fire extinguisher at a car show. Definitely throw it in the car if it is all you have. It's better to think about getting something better while the car still isn't on fire.

 

Edited August 7, 2022 by Bloo (see edit history)

[hidden_hunter]

On 8/6/2022 at 6:16 AM, Scooter Guy said:

I have recently gone to carrying Element fire extinguishers in my old car.

 

anyone actually had to put out a fire with one of those? It looks like a very good option

[Gary56]

If you want a fire extinguisher to have in your car it is best to have an co2.  They do not make a mess, they are non corrosive and in the long run cheaper.  

[32Pontiac6]

On 8/5/2022 at 1:16 PM, Scooter Guy said:

I have recently gone to carrying Element fire extinguishers in my old car.

 

They are a "stick" type extinguisher that expels a gas that is non-toxic and non-corrosive. They contain no moving parts or compressed gas so they do not require any servicing and do not expire. This helps reduce or eliminate the risk of having a fancy fire extinguisher that has been untouched for years and fails when you go to discharge it in an emergency. Storage temperature for an element is a non-issue as well...they can withstand up to something like 300 degrees. Their standard model is less than a foot long and less than 2" in diameter and weighs less than a pound. Their "run time" is comparable, if not longer, than traditional fire extinguishers. It's a bit like a road flare and is single use only, and they run about $80. There are other options in the same price range, but there are some definite advantage to the element, in my view. 

 

In addition I have Co2 fire extinguishers in the house and "man cave" and multiple halon (yes, the old ones) extinguishers and dry chemical extinguishers in the garage/shop. As someone that has experienced fire (I did not lose a car or building, fortunately), I take it very seriously. My advice is to mount extinguishers on the wall in your garage/shop by the exit...don't bury them under the workbench or put them in a cabinet or use them as a coat rack. 

 

As has already been said, any extinguisher is better than no extinguisher. 

Thanks.  Those sound great and are new to me.  I think I will try one.

 

[32Pontiac6]

Thanks to everybody who responded.  Some good, and for me, new ideas.  Thanks!

Rob

 

[TAKerry]

I like the idea of the elements as well. I think I am going to pick up a couple. At the RISK of turning well you know what, Does anyone know if they are DOT certified. I think there was a discussion on here before about just that. Not looking to debate just curious and also are they accepted by the AACA?

[edinmass]

I carry a fairly small Halon extinguisher in all of our cars. I also carry two of the element large units as backups. 99% of the time you can put the fire out with a short blast from the extinguisher. And in the rare cases do you need more fire fighting ability the element units are great. They store very easy. Usually put them underneath my dash with some tape so they are easy to reach. 

Edited August 7, 2022 by edinmass (see edit history)

[edinmass]

I also keep one to toss in my trailer in the event of a fire while going down the road. Been there, done that.

[Bloo]

4 hours ago, TAKerry said:

I like the idea of the elements as well. I think I am going to pick up a couple. At the RISK of turning well you know what, Does anyone know if they are DOT certified. I think there was a discussion on here before about just that. Not looking to debate just curious and also are they accepted by the AACA?

 

59 minutes ago, Bills Auto Works said:

  Last I hear @TAKerry, since they were not UL Listed yet, they are not accepted in judged shows by the AACA. This might have changed as I cannot spend a lot of time on the forums. I personally love them & have watched several demonstrations of them! 

I have what I have to protect my car in the event of the fire. I'm pretty vigilant about things I think could start the car on fire, so it probably won't happen. but if it does I don't want to shoot any dry chem. The reality is it will probably be someone else's car. When the AACA (or any other club) wants me to throw a fire extinguisher under the tire, The nice guy in me wants to throw the Halon bottle or an Element under there. They cynic in me wants to throw a cheap dry chem extinguisher under there because I expect that when it gets used on someone else's car, they will slither off without getting the Halon recharged (it's expensive) or the Element replaced.

 

At shows or cruise-ins that Halon bottle is usually under my tire. I'll probably be throwing an Element under there in the future, because I would probably reach for one of those first if there was a fire. If the AACA (or any other club) would rather have a cheap dry chem extinguisher under the tire they are about $22 on Amazon. Yes I know that probably isn't at all what the club intended, but it is an easy problem to solve until the rules catch up.

 

[EmTee]

It seems that a disadvantage of the CO2 and Halon (and probably Element, too) would be outdoor use on a windy day.  Maybe that's why AACA isn't anxious to endorse Element extinguishers.  At least the dry chemical can be observed as it is deployed, allowing the operator to deliver the powder to the base of the fire.  That said, I have a medium-sized dry chemical that I carry for shows, but am seriously thinking of getting a couple of Elements to carry as a first response, as Bloo suggested.

[Bloo]

Halon was considered a miracle back when it appeared because allegedly you could shoot it into a burning engine compartment without even getting the hood clear open and it would collect in there and put the fire out.

 

CO2 I have personally used. Those things are a force of nature. The nozzle is a megaphone, and you might not be able to see exactly where the aiming point is, if there is one, but it doesn't matter. It just freezes everything in the general direction you are pointing it. The fire is out before you have time to think about aiming it better. I imagine you might have to be in a hurricane to make one of these ineffective. The downside is they are huge ponderous things, and heavy! It is like carrying a welding bottle around.

 

 

 

Edited August 8, 2022 by Bloo (see edit history)

[Jim Bollman]

Besides two large dry chemical extinguisher in my shop I have a large CO2 extinguisher that my Dad had in his shop when I worked in it 60 years ago. When I cleaned out his shop I couldn't believe it was still around. I didn't expect it to still be any good and cracked the valve and it is still charged. I keep it close by as a first one to grab since it will not make a mess.

 

I looked at the Element when it first came out, may be time to look again for both shop and cars.

Edited August 8, 2022 by Jim Bollman (see edit history)

[Larry Schramm]

On 8/5/2022 at 4:16 PM, Scooter Guy said:

In addition I have Co2 fire extinguishers in the house and "man cave" and multiple halon (yes, the old ones) extinguishers and dry chemical extinguishers in the garage/shop. As someone that has experienced fire (I did not lose a car or building, fortunately), I take it very seriously. My advice is to mount extinguishers on the wall in your garage/shop by the exit...don't bury them under the workbench or put them in a cabinet or use them as a coat rack. 

 

As has already been said, any extinguisher is better than no extinguisher. 

 

And a note for the extinguisher in the kitchen.  DO NOT mount it near the stove.  Put it on the wall or cabinet opposite of the stove so you go away from the fire to get the fire extinguisher.  I have seen many people put the extinguisher next to the stove, in the cabinet over the stove or under the sink.  All of those are not good.  I have ours mounted externally on the cabinet opposite of the stove.  

 

I too have multiple extinguishers in all of my garages. Both dry chem & CO2.

Edited August 9, 2022 by Larry Schramm (see edit history)

[Scooter Guy]

The issue of UL listing for the element fire extinguisher seems to be (at least according to element on their website) completely related to the form factor - i.e. it is not a normal bottle type fire extinguisher. They are upfront about that on their website's FAQ section if you click on "is element certified?"

 

Not to take anything away from UL (and UL listed extinguishers are required in 'regulated' environments - meaning most commercial applications), but I promise you that if I'm faced with a fire, I'm not going to stop and think about if the extinguisher is UL listed or not. 

[edinmass]

The exact reason in element fire extinguisher is not UL listed is because it does not use a pressure container. By definition any UL approved fire extinguisher requires it to use pressure. Since NASA has been using the same type of technology in an element unit since the 60s I would say is adequate. 

[edinmass]

PS - every car in our collection has an element fire extinguisher in it. The V-16 Cadillacs have two of them. There is one in my truck, and two in my trailer. I have tested them myself. Every car that I value has one in it. 

Edited August 9, 2022 by edinmass (see edit history)

[edinmass]

PS-a cheap dry chemical extinguisher is the BEST way to ruin your car and cost thousands of dollars in damage. Your probably better off letting insurance buy it back toasty or as a cinder. It’s almost incomprehensible What a dry extinguisher will do to a decent car

Edited August 9, 2022 by edinmass (see edit history)

[Bloo]

8 hours ago, Scooter Guy said:

Not to take anything away from UL (and UL listed extinguishers are required in 'regulated' environments - meaning most commercial applications), but I promise you that if I'm faced with a fire, I'm not going to stop and think about if the extinguisher is UL listed or not. 

In 2 of the shops I worked in there were CO2 fire extinguishers in addition to the Dry-Chem ones. A third shop had Halon. The Dry-Chem extinguishers are required by the building inspector and by insurance. The number of them is regulated as well as their locations in the building. They must be inspected regularly and have their little tags updated and all that. You can be damn sure none of us reached for the Dry-Chem first when some car caught fire. In my service bay in the last shop I worked in, the CO2 extinguisher was mounted on the wall about 2 feet from the Dry-Chem one.

 

6 hours ago, edinmass said:

PA- a cheap dry chemical extinguisher is the BEST way to ruin your car and cost thousands of dollars in damage. Your probably better off letting insurance buy it back toasty or as a cinder. It’s almost incomprehensible What a dry extinguisher will do to a decent car

Most people have no idea. And with CO2 or Halon the damage might be minimal or insignificant if you are really quick. Probably Element too, though I have not personally discharged one.

 

Edited August 9, 2022 by Bloo (see edit history)

[wyankee]

I've been on the Volkswagen site the samba, and read a question about Blaze cut, actually an interesting extinguisher system.

[Scooter Guy]

1 hour ago, wyankee said:

I've been on the Volkswagen site the samba, and read a question about Blaze cut, actually an interesting extinguisher system.

I see the problem with that system being that it has to be setup in advance where you think the fire will be. Sure, it’s an unmanned “automatic” system, but if it’s not put where the fire is, it does nothing. I think I would much rather carry a portable extinguisher to deploy exactly where needed. No, a portable unit that requires a human to deploy won’t do anything automatically but I like my overall chances better with an element unit for dealing with a real world fire.