Best car extinguisher type?

[rcx132]

So my friends BMW motorbike set alight (bad wiring) and there was nothing he could do except sit by the roadside and watch it burn. Now that I'm seeing an end to my restoration project I'd like to keep a decent extinguisher in the cabin just in case.

What's currently the best affordable extinguisher? I remember using one of those cheap £15 dry powder extinguishers and it only gave a short puff, not sure if it was faulty. My house, when renovated, got a "mist" extinguisher which is supposed to be decent and can be used on electrical, oil etc.

But looking at the Demon Tweeks website all the extinguishers still seem to be dry powder except for a couple of very high end ones that use gas: https://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/motorsport/fire-extinguishers-hand-held

 

[angellonewolf]

@The_Yellow_Ardvark poss can answer this ?

 

[rory1]

7 out of the 10 that on the link that you posted are foam based?

For motorsport I believe the regs used to state that you used AFFF extinguishers. But it's five years since I've looked through the MSA rule book

 

[addjunkie]

AFFF, is an unaspirated foam that leaves a film a bit like washing up liquid on everything, that is how it extinguishes the fire, works really well on oil spills etc, can be used on electrics too.

Dry powder works well assuming the powder hasnt compacted in the bottom of the bottle. Makes a right mess and you will be finding it in crevices for years to come ( the old man used on in anger on his boat) works on all types of fires, but needs a back up on spill fires as it has no fire fighting ability once it settles.

The extreme gas one is a bcf replacment, not sure how good the halon replacments are but bcf was really impressive on all sorts of fires espescially electrical. Also is used for explosion suppression.

If it were me and I was worried in a car id have an afff and the green one.

 

[Robotstar5]

I suspect you only got a puff of dry powder due to it compacting caused by vibration where it's mounted, when I used them on rallying I would always slowly invert them a couple of times 'til I could hear the powder moving.

 

[Country Joe]

Years back, when I was in the fire brigade, the green (BCF) ones were brilliant, but they were due to be banned, due to their affect on the environment.

The only ones I've found that work in anything like the same way are the FireTool ones.
I've not had to use either of the ones I've got so far - but even if it doesn't behave quite like BCF, it'll be better than blowing - or having nothing to hand!

I still have an old "FPS Swordsman" BCF type handy, but nobody gets to see it, for fear of the ensuing lectures!

The powder ones can settle, and just like addjunkie says, they also make the most horrendous mess!

All the Best,
CJ

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

@rcx132
drop me a PM.

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Foam all the way. Empty a powder anywhere near a running engine intake and it will have been pointless saving it in the first place, ruins then

 

[Robotstar5]

I've still got a couple of BCF extinguishers

 

[optima21]

I once used a dry powder extinguisher on a car when the cavity wax caught fire while welding a car. The fire extinguisher made more mess than the small fire did, also the residue from the extinguisher is very corrosive, so you need to remove it all after use.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Dry powder works well assuming the powder hasnt compacted in the bottom of the bottle.

A timely reminder, I must check mine hasn't settled while being trundled around with me.

I've always believed that, seeing how fuel-fed [or indeed, electrical] fires can suddenly go "Woooomph" in your face, a small hand held job is only of use at the very start of a fire, once things really get going the best thing to do is either a) stand well back and leave it to the professionals [if available], or b) stand well back and let her go, despite all the work & effort which you may have lavished on her.

That's what insurance is for, and a form is more easily filled in than the weeks/months and [possibly] years it takes to carry out skin grafts.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

No fire extinguisher will stop an engine bay fire when it has a hold.
The extinguisher is there to aide escape.

That's all.

If a small fire can be contained, all well and good.

If you feel you must tackle an engine bay fire.

Prep fire extinguisher.
Pop the bonnet to safety catch, no more. Do Not open fully. The resulting fire ball will want to be your friend.

Discharge the extinguisher into engine bay , from the top and as much as possible from below.

If 1kg of 2kg does not put it out. Retreat to a safe place and wait the emergency fire services.


The smallest extinguisher I would advice for an average car is a 2kg Dry powder fire extinguisher.
Of a decent manufacture, none from the big outlets.


Any one whow ants some advice please PM me. I will advise you.

 

[Robotstar5]

We did a rally rescue training day at RAF Marham and had an old car full of railway sleepers soaked in Avgas (made it easy to re-light) after we had all finished "playing" the last extinguisher didn't work so we had no way of putting out the now blazing car so one of the organisers made a phone call and one of these beasts turned up...

A few seconds of water from the monitor on the roof and the fire was no more

 

[Ashley Burton]

Aren't powder fire extinguishers mainly for electrical fires?

I have a foam one to hand if I ever need it! (Fingers crossed not)

 

[DaveB]

The extinguisher is there to aide escape.

That's all.

They are better for breaking windows or door locks than your fists.

 

[Robotstar5]

Aren't powder fire extinguishers mainly for electrical fires?

I have a foam one to hand if I ever need it! (Fingers crossed not)

CO2 are best for electrical fires

 

[rcx132]

@The_Yellow_Ardvark what about foam extinguishers? As people are saying powder is very messy and foam seems to be what the MSA require?

 

[addjunkie]

We did a rally rescue training day at RAF Marham and had an old car full of railway sleepers soaked in Avgas (made it easy to re-light) after we had all finished "playing" the last extinguisher didn't work so we had no way of putting out the now blazing car so one of the organisers made a phone call and one of these beasts turned up...

View attachment 127551

A few seconds of water from the monitor on the roof and the fire was no more

I fullfilled a boyhood ambition and had a drive of one of those with sirens at moerton in the marsh...

If you run a gas gussler on lpg Id suggest a dry powder too, as powder will knock down a gas fire quite effectivly, though unignited gas leaks are not your best friend, sometimes better to let them burn and isolate the gas source.

Powder will knock down any type of fire due to the way the powder interacts with the fire. However it has no cooling, blanketing or smothering effec so requires to be backed up by something else. For example for helicopter landing sites twin agent skids are popular, powder for quick knock down, with foam to blanket once out.

I have powder and foam in the house, and foam and co2 in the garage.

 

[brightspark]

CO2 are best for electrical fires

yea don't use powder. some pillock used one in the electric cupboard on an overheated cable in a pub and ruined nearly all the apparatus powder everywhere

 

[Ashley Burton]

yea don't use powder. some pillock used one in the electric cupboard on an overheated cable in a pub and ruined nearly all the apparatus powder everywhere

You can use them for electrical according to what I just looked at, But not ideal as you mentioned due to the mess they make!