Fire Extinguishers

[jaudette3]

We've been doing a major expansion of our Safety Department for a while which has entailed a lot of research. I discovered a lot about fire extinguishers that I wish that I had known last year.

Last summer I went on a "camping" trip to the Oregon Coast pulling my vintage Airstream trailer. It was a great week there and I was packed up and ready to roll when I noticed smoke coming out of the back of the tow vehicle. I popped the rear hatch and there were flames in the rear corner where the taillight was housed (ironic huh?). There was a fire extinguisher mounted in the trailer just inside the door and I was able to grab it and put out the fire quickly. But what a mess, everything was covered in a fine, white powder. I had never given the extinguisher any thought as it had come with the trailer but it was an old fashioned one that sprayed a harmful and corrosive element. The car ended up being totaled.

What I discovered in my research is that there are "clean" fire extinguishers available that spray a clean agent gas that is non-conductive, non-corrosive, and leaves no residue. An example is the Halguard H3R which we decided to carry and we became an authorized dealer.

There's more....

There's another fire extinguisher that is revolutionary. Made in Italy, it's called the Element E-50 and it's very small. basically a 13" long stick. The Elements use safe and clean potassium nitrate which leaves no residue. It contains 4X more fire suppressant than a typical 5lb extinguisher. We use these in our AC14 Smugglers Box Road kits and everyone should have one in every one of their vehicles, whether cars, boats, airplanes, etc.

Whether you buy clean extinguishers from me or somewhere else, please buy them. Every vehicle should have one.

[digitaldgp]

[Marc Bixen]

+1 For www.ELEMENTFIRE.COM

[wildthing]

It's one of those things... "better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it".

Does the Element Fire have a shelf life? (I'm too lazy to look it up. I think mine's been in the car for 3 years.)

[jaudette3]

Here's the answer from their FAQ:

Element's solid construction, no moving parts, and lack of compressed gas (unlike a traditional fire extinguisher) means it will never need any service or upkeep. In addition the solid chemical that makes up the Element extinguisher has no effective expiration.

[Schulisco]

Recent discussion exactly about the Element extinguishers. But you have to keep in mind because they're tiny...they're intended on beginning and small fires only!
https://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/1123314-irrational-fear-car-catching-fire.html

The powder extinguisher perform best on cost, size and efficiency for car fires because they're powerful enough also for bigger fires especially on fuel and oil.
CO2 extinguishers didn't leave any residues but they're not as effective in all applications as the powder one. Every type of extinguisher has it's own application: https://surreyfire.co.uk/types-of-fire-extinguisher/

Thomas

[Mr. Merk]

Had a dream last night that I had to use my Element. I keep one in both door pockets.

A lot of people mount fire extinguishers behind the seat on the roll bar etc. You really need them accessible from your seating position in case you're trapped, but also for speed when in need.

[GH85Carrera]

If you want the best extinguisher, go to Aircraft Spruce web site. The extinguishers for private airplanes are halon. Expensive, but the leave no residue or extinguisher mess at all.

[jac1976]

Originally Posted by Mr. Merk

Had a dream last night that I had to use my Element. I keep one in both door pockets.

A lot of people mount fire extinguishers behind the seat on the roll bar etc. You really need them accessible from your seating position in case you're trapped, but also for speed when in need.

In the unfortunate event you are trapped, the roll bar had better be the last component to be compromised; doors, floor pans, seats, etc not so much. At least this is my rationale for keeping it on a roll bar or harness bar.

[chrisbalich]

My Element is mounted to the tunnel where the center console used to reside.
I did this intentionally so my passenger can reach it in case I'm taking a little post-incident nap.

[jaudette3]

Here is the status of Halon fire extinguishers:

Because Halon is a CFC, the production of new Halon ceased in 1994. There is no cost effective means of safely and effectively disposing of the Halon that has already been produced, therefore recycling and reusing the existing supply intelligently and responsibly to protect lives and property is the best solution.

[NickP]

I keep one Element unit in each door pocket and in all my cars. Also gave one to both my kids and their spouses for their cars. Good stocking stuffers at Christmas

[Discseven]

Had engine bay fire---fuel. Used Element 50. Fire was out in 3 seconds. Suggest having second unit in hand and ready is smart thinking. Once turned "on," these extinguishers cannot be turned "off" so they continue to discharge till empty. Having 2nd in hand is if first is spent and there's reignition of fuel. Speed to fire is critical to keep soft parts from ruin.

.

[sean m]

Originally Posted by NickP

I keep one Element unit in each door pocket and in all my cars. Also gave one to both my kids and their spouses for their cars. Good stocking stuffers at Christmas

Ordering several today......Thanks

[jaudette3]

Please think of our humble operation when you buy them.

Thanks,
John

[sean m]

From Jay Leno's Garage on the Element unit......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBjXecsF860

[Cairo94507]

Definitely going to buy 2 of the longer lasting ones. Great product.

[jaudette3]

Good Element video.