Fire Extinguisher for Track Days

[Eeyore]

Hi All,

Any advice on fire extinguishers? Looking to get the one below and mount it infront/beneath the passenger seat. 1kg and powder so looks okay.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1kg-Class-ABC-...xyzi9ShJpZ

Sam

[Piggy]

Thats guna fall out

Needs a quick release strap

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https://youtu.be/x28_c9QZMFM

[cully]

Dont get powder
Get 2.5ltr AFFF/foam

[Eeyore]

2.5L is really a bit bigger than what I want. Piggy i watched hte MCM video about 3 times but cant seem to find one with a strap that doesnt look like its going to break in 5 seconds.

[Dum-Dum]

Looks very similar to what I had in the bianca GTi6

I only had it in the clip and it never came loose no matter how hard I crashed, cornered or braked (and I had brembos) but I will admit I should have strapped it down.

Given the choice and financial free rein I would go for foam or CO2, preferably both but whatever get the biggest you can, I've tried putting out fires with small powder extinguishers at work and they do f*ck all but when I've used big CO2 or foam ones they have been highly effective even on a large volume of flamable liquid.

   
   
   

[cully]

Ever sprayed a powder extinguisher in a confined space?
You wont want to be in there

[Ruan]

^^ This.

AFFF only far as I'm concerned, you'll absolutely destroy whatever you spray powder on essentially.

[Eeyore]

ill see what else i can find. Chris i reckon yours only didnt come out because it was mounted with the base forward so it was only ever going to come out when cornering one way. I want to mount mine forward facing so it would probably escape under hard braking and definitely in a crash.

It may not have come out... but did it float away?

[cully]

Mine is mounted on the passenger sill 2.5 foam/AFFF

[insomaniac45]

Ever sprayed a powder extinguisher in a confined space?
You wont want to be in there

I have seen the results of a powder extinguisher in a confined space.......... 

my mate looked like frosty the snowman, and the kitchen looked like a snow storm had been through it....... he aimed it at the bin, IT WENT EVERYWHERE........... rofl

[cully]

Ever sprayed a powder extinguisher in a confined space?
You wont want to be in there

I have seen the results of a powder extinguisher in a confined space.......... 

my mate looked like frosty the snowman, and the kitchen looked like a snow storm had been through it....... he aimed it at the bin, IT WENT EVERYWHERE........... rofl

I was in a van that cought fire in a service station grabbed the nearest extinggusur and let rip
My m8s wife was in the van the dust neer stopped her breathing
Horrible stuff

[Niall]

Powder extinguishers are only really for specific locations now days due to the reasons described above. They are nasty nasty things and will probably be phased out in a couple of years.
My advice with having an extinguisher in the car is don't bother unless you are sure you know how to use it. Far too often they give people a sense of over confidence and before you know it you're putting yourself in danger. You need to know when to give up and just walk away.
I would go for AFFF. Don't bother with water or powder. Co2 in reality whilst affective won't be as good as a foam can.
Also something that most people don't do. Get it serviced!

[Toms306]

Also something that most people don't do. Get it serviced!

Had ours done at the flats today... It was literally a guy sticking new stickers on and a different colour tag around the handle... Surely as long as the dial stays in the green there's nothing serviceable on them?

[Dum-Dum]

Ever sprayed a powder extinguisher in a confined space?
You wont want to be in there

Yep, Inside the lounge of a not very large flat. I couldn't see shit cos of the smoke, I was just aiming it at the glowing orange pile on the floor (both the first and the second one). I didn't see inside his flat after the smoke had cleared so I have no idea what a mess I made and I have a feeling the fact I was hanging a lung out the next day was more to do with the smoke.

Powder extinguishers are only really for specific locations now days due to the reasons described above. They are nasty nasty things and will probably be phased out in a couple of years.
My advice with having an extinguisher in the car is don't bother unless you are sure you know how to use it. Far too often they give people a sense of over confidence and before you know it you're putting yourself in danger. You need to know when to give up and just walk away.
I would go for AFFF. Don't bother with water or powder. Co2 in reality whilst affective won't be as good as a foam can.
Also something that most people don't do. Get it serviced!

Although not necessarily a reason not to get one you really do need to know the point to give up.
Essentially by the time you have stopped the car, got out, unclipped the fire extinguisher, pulled the tag and pointed it in the right direction the car is a write off anyway. Different matter if someone is trapped in a burning car but that's the reasons race cars have plumbed in systems with nozels pointing both in the bay and at the driver.


Also having had an oil fire reignite just at the point I had it beaten with a CO2 extinguisher that ran out at the vital second I can tell you that's a scary experience.

[adam b]

I have a plumbed in lifeline 2.5 and a handheld 1.7
JJC often have them on offer

[Niall]

Also something that most people don't do. Get it serviced!

Had ours done at the flats today...  It was literally a guy sticking new stickers on and a different colour tag around the handle...    Surely as long as the dial stays in the green there's nothing serviceable on them?

He wasn't doing his job properly then. Standard rag and tag man who thinks extinguisher servicing is easy money. 
Depending on the type of extinguisher there is things to do to service them and of course you have a safety inspection of it.

[insomaniac45]

Normally the only reason to not go foam, is because they are not electrically safe. But for 12v, I think it would be pretty safe.

As Niall said, they tend to give people the power to fight any fire...... Because the OP was for a track car, I would recommend a small foam one, with an engine bay install if you must. But that's what marshals are for so really I would only go small foam.

[toseland]

IKEA sell 2kg Foam/AAAF ones very very reasonably,

if you are in any way competent you can bodge together a quick release strap or 2 from standard fixings.

the only real benefit to foam ones is that they have the ability to indirectly extinguish a fire in say, an engine bay by firing it through the gap as the powder suitably restricts oxygen supply..

[Eeyore]

so sounds like foam is the way forwards.