Exploding Fire Extinguisher

[rusnak]

I thought I'd revisit this issue which was covered last year. The exploding oxygen tank onboard the Quantas airliner has inspired me to see if anyone has any further thoughts about employing a box or some sort of shield onboard your in-car fire extinguisher. I'd hate to have one blow up under my legs, that's for sure.










http://www.nmsu.edu/~safety/news/news-items/vehicle_fe_explosion2003.htm

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml00/00111.html

[axl911]

That's the same reason I took my extinguisher out!!!

Reading the caution label on the extinguisher, it says "Do not store above 120F". It gets above 120F inside of a car here in Texas.

In addition to blowing up, I am sure the stuff contained in the extinguisher would make a mess of your interior.

[JP911]

Originally Posted by axl911

That's the same reason I took my extinguisher out!!!

Reading the caution label on the extinguisher, it says "Do not store above 120F". It gets above 120F inside of a car here in Texas.

In addition to blowing up, I am sure the stuff contained in the extinguisher would make a mess of your interior.

So would a fire. That said, I certainly understand the dilemma.

[Porsche_monkey]

Originally Posted by rusnak

The exploding oxygen tank onboard the Quantas airliner ....

Suspected or confirmed?

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

Qantas, not Quantas. It's an acronym for Queensland and Northwest Territories Air Service, which was what the Ozzies originally named the airline in the 1920s.

And the most recent report I got (morning of 30 July) was that the O2 tank explosion was confirmed.

[Pete000]

I have to think that not all extinguishers are created equal. Mine is super heavy duty construction.

That one in the picture looks elcheapo!

[rusnak]

The O2 tank is even heavier duty than the fire extinguisher. I realize it is subjected to much higher pressure, but how do you know if you get a bum fire extinguisher?

It gets to about 115F AMBIENT AIR TEMPERATURE here in central Calif. So you know it's way above 120F inside the car.

What gets me is that I was going to put my fire extinguisher just ahead of either the driver's or passenger seat. If that thing exploded it could do some damage to me, not just the car. The US Forest Service fire extinguisher dented the side of the metal cab. That kind of force could detach a leg, foot, etc from the rest of your body.

[Trog]

Other than that, how was the flight?

[rusnak]

Here's the story on the "Qantas" airlines flight. Any safe landing is a good landing.

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/07/q.html

yeah, the Dollar Stores fire exinguisher is a El Cheapo! lol

[rnln]

On those hot days, inside my car got to around 140F. Now I wonder where is it safe to mount my little FE.

Originally Posted by rusnak

The O2 tank is even heavier duty than the fire extinguisher. I realize it is subjected to much higher pressure, but how do you know if you get a bum fire extinguisher?

It gets to about 115F AMBIENT AIR TEMPERATURE here in central Calif. So you know it's way above 120F inside the car.

What gets me is that I was going to put my fire extinguisher just ahead of either the driver's or passenger seat. If that thing exploded it could do some damage to me, not just the car. The US Forest Service fire extinguisher dented the side of the metal cab. That kind of force could detach a leg, foot, etc from the rest of your body.

[pope]

Fire eater by Sparco shouldn't have any problems like that.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?t=403204

[richde]

Originally Posted by rusnak

The O2 tank is even heavier duty than the fire extinguisher. I realize it is subjected to much higher pressure, but how do you know if you get a bum fire extinguisher?.

I'm not so sure about that.


Plus......there's plenty of people that have fire extinguishers in their cars, have had them for years, and NOW you're going to worry about it?

[rusnak]

looks heavy to me.



http://news.aol.com/article/oxygen-tank-blamed-for-jet-blast/102397

[JGalt]

I recall that Mercedes in particular (and possibly Porsche and BMW) had an optional fire extinguisher that mounted on the front of the seat back in the 1970's. Why would they do that if there were a potential explosion problem? Unless the particular extinguisher they were using made a difference. I'd like to hear some others' thoughts.

[JFairman]

I keep a small inexpensive fire extinguisher on the floor behind the passenger seat along with a rolled up large towel behind it.
I guess if it decided to blow up thats the safest place for it in relation to the driver or passenger.
The towel is nice to have if I ever need it for something here in south florida, and keeps the fire extinguisher from rolling back and forth.

[rusnak]

The whole fire extinguisher dilemma has me stuck right now.

To be useful, you need a fairly large extinguisher. Fires have a tendency, especially gasoline ones, to re-ignite. Also, you need to be able to get to it quickly before it spreads. Longer than a few minutes, and your whole car is toast. But where and how to mount it...

I guess the Sparco option is a good one, but you'd need a few of those to do the job, right? And you need a quick access location. I think for me that would be behind the door longitudinal. I have a way of cramming stuff in behind the front seat.

JGalt, I recall that in the 60s Porsche used to have a gas powered heater too. I'm sure that thing was like a bomb. And it doesn't get as hot there as it does here in the Western US.

Richde.....You have no idea how hot it gets here, trust me on that. It's roasting outside as I type this. If you put your ipod on the car seat in the morning, come back in the afternoon, you'll have a melted ipod. Now, fire extinguisher is in the SAME car, at the SAME heat. It's enough to at least give you pause. Look again at the exploded fire extinguisher. As yourself if there was no danger, then why is the US Forest Service concerned? By the way, that happened less than an hour and a half away from here, and it gets MUCH hotter here where I live.

[pope]

Originally Posted by rusnak

I guess the Sparco option is a good one, but you'd need a few of those to do the job, right?

Actually they are advertised as being better than a normal fire extinguisher in terms of how long they last. Check out the info on their site. I have never used this nor have I used a normal fire extinguisher so I cannot vouch for either.

What I can say is that I bought a new fire extinguisher from a respectable store in Germany and a few months later I noticed that the pressure on its gauge read zero. When I tried it, there was nothing in there. If it hadn't had a gauge on it I wouldn't have known that it was empty until a few months after that (I mean every when do you refill these things). This is the main reason I changed to this Fire Eater thing.

[richde]

Originally Posted by rusnak

Richde.....You have no idea how hot it gets here, trust me on that. It's roasting outside as I type this. If you put your ipod on the car seat in the morning, come back in the afternoon, you'll have a melted ipod. Now, fire extinguisher is in the SAME car, at the SAME heat. It's enough to at least give you pause. Look again at the exploded fire extinguisher. As yourself if there was no danger, then why is the US Forest Service concerned? By the way, that happened less than an hour and a half away from here, and it gets MUCH hotter here where I live.

Yeah, I do. I used to live in Merced and my parents live in Vegas now. Ever been to Saudi Arabia in August?

Has there been an incident of someone on this board that had an extinguisher explode? Quite a few people do have fire extinguishers, some of them live in hot climates.

My point is, if this was really an issue to worry about, it would have already come up.

The cargo compartment of an airplane in flight is cold, the oxygen cylinder didn't explode because of heat, probably something caused it to rupture by physically damaging the cylinder.

[rusnak]

Rich, it has come up.

Sequoia-National-Park-Ranger-pickup-damaged-by-exploding-fire-extinguisher.....

here's a link
http://www.nmsu.edu/~safety/news/news-items/vehicle_fe_explosion2003.htm

you have this negative attitude in most of your posts. I suggest if you don't have anything to contribute, then say "I don't have anything to contribute"

[JohnJL]

Sounds to me a bit like the old "I won't wear a seat belt because I don't want to be trapped in a burning wreck/I want to be thrown to safety in a crash." It comes down to what you think is more likely I guess...