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Halon fire extinguishers are used extensively in aviation because they don`t leave a residue. Might be what you`re looking for, but I think if your car is on fire, fire extinguisher residue is probably not your biggest concern.
Looking for recommendations for a fire extinguisher.
Get the old tried and true dry chem ABC rated or is there something new that works better?
Just get the old tried and true ABC. It's unlikely you'll ever need it and like was already mentioned. IF your car (or your buddies) happens to catch fire the last thing you are going to be worried about is some extinguisher residue
I have two. The black one is the replacement for Halon. Clean, no residue. The red one is Purple K for those desperate times that need desperate measures.
Here are the classes of fires gleaned off the internet:
Class A:This category of fire involves ordinary combustible materials, such as cloth, wood, paper, rubber, and a lot of plastics. Extinguishers with an A rating are considered to extinguish fires involving these combustible materials.
Class B:This type of fire involves flammable and combustible liquids such as gasoline, alcohol, oil-based paints, and lacquers. Extinguishers with a B rating are intended to extinguish fires involving flammable and combustible liquids.
Class C:Class C type fire comprises energized electrical equipment such as computers, TV, AC, refrigerator, and many more. Extinguishers with a C rating are aimed for use with fires involving energized electrical apparatus.
Note: I deleted my follow-up comments and recommendations. It is best you research and understand the differences between ABC and Halon 1211 extinguishers. My experience is dated and involved training to handle inflight fires as a flight crew. Perhaps a professional would like to chime in with the particulars.
I got this 2 lb one in black for my back rollbar. I wanted it to blend in with the black interior. You can pick the color and diameter tube the mount works with.
I have an Element E50 in my 82. Have never had to use it though. I just keep it on the deck behind the seats. Easy to access and can be activated in just a few seconds. Extinguishing contents are non-corrosive and will not leave a residue. I'm happy with my Element purchase but hope I never need it.
back in the day we had Halon in the engine room/ compartments of the boats, we were told if they ever went off run like hell! they displace the oxygen and will kill you in minutes. I use the old standby ABC.
I was safety officer for a bio-safety lab that had enclosed work spaces. All of the technicians who worked there had annual hands-on training from the local fire department. We used dry chemical, since it did not pose a risk to displacing the breathable air in the work area like halon and CO2 extinguishers do and risk making the fire fighter pass out.. Also, the dry chemical "sticks" to the hot burning material and is more effective for lightly trained personnel. There is a cleanup issue with dry chemical, but I would rather get the fire out and worry about cleanup later.
The only place I would be concerned about halon is inside the car with the widows closed. Most fires are going to be fought outside the car, but be aware that halon extinguishes fires by displacing the oxygen in the air which inhibits combustion. Halon can suffocate the occupant(s) when used in an enclosed space, which is why aviation has moved away from it. A flight crew that puts out an inflight fire with a halon extinguisher can’t land the plane if they’re unconscious or dead because of the extinguishing agent. Same goes for using it inside the passenger compartment of a Corvette. Don’t do it. Dry chem is a pain to clean up if you have to use it, but at least you’ll be alive to clean it up.
As a police officer, I have rolled up on fully involved engine compartment fires. After making sure the car is evacuated 1st, takes a second to glace inside, I extinguished the fire with the old ABC extinguishers we all carried. Took all the fun away from the fire dept who likes to roll up and smash glass and drowned everything in water.
Trust me they work and as stated after the pucker factor subsides its a call to the insurance company. You do have proper coverage replacement right? Maybe a more important point than the extinguisher type.
Just sayin from a been there perspective.
Marshal
Some of those extinguishers videos look like a flare, blowing in the wind. Some were over $200, ridiculous.
I carry a little red aerosol type can. No pin to pull, no handle to squeeze. They are intended for kitchen use: electrical, oil, grease. Or, same as a car. Rated ABCK.
$20 at Walmart. Fits in my battery compartment.
Does it work? Yes. Saved a motorists car engulfed in flames as they were bailing out.
I was safety officer for a bio-safety lab that had enclosed work spaces. All of the technicians who worked there had annual hands-on training from the local fire department. We used dry chemical, since it did not pose a risk to displacing the breathable air in the work area like halon and CO2 extinguishers do and risk making the fire fighter pass out.. Also, the dry chemical "sticks" to the hot burning material and is more effective for lightly trained personnel. There is a cleanup issue with dry chemical, but I would rather get the fire out and worry about cleanup later.
It never ceases to amaze me the stuff I learn on this forum. Thanks!
The most important issue is HAVING an extinguisher. In 1964 I worked at a supermarket in PA before starting college. I was the guy who collected the carts and pushed them back to the store, so I was outside a lot and watched the traffic on the street in front of the store. One day I watched a nice C2 Vette start out from the car wash across the street and was amazed to see he was leaving a trail of fire behind the car as he drove off. He got about a block, noticed he was on fire and pulled off the road, jumped out of the car and ran into one of the stores to call the fire department. No cell phones back then! The fire department was about five blocks away and I heard their siren go off quickly, but by the time they got there the car was completely engulfed in a massive gas fire. If the driver had a fire extinguisher in his car he probably could have saved it. It was amazing how fast the fire spread.
Ron,
There is nothing like hearing an officer screaming over his portable for help when a person is trapped inside a fully involved burning vehicle and you can not get them out. Ask me how I know.....
The blessing with our old rides is egress is fairly easy.
I have put engine fires out along the state hiways in my 26 yr career. It's always a pucker factor.
Marshal
Seems easy to use, it's the size of a flare, costs $80, and it discharges for 50 seconds.
I spoke to a representative at Element and he acknowledged that while it might not knock down a fire as fast as a traditional extinguisher, it could be a better option, since a traditional extinguisher runs out much faster and in the hands of inexperienced users may be depleted before a fire is put out due to inefficient use.
