Water Fire Extinguishers

[Bsmith]

Got a free gift of about 15 fire extinguishers, only problem I can see with them is that their out of date. I'm going to keep a couple handy, but does anyone know of any use for the other ones? Little compressor tanks? If I had cut the top a bit longer of the one in the pic it woulda made a compressor air filter. There are little pressure gauges without much scale, valves on them. Anyone want any bits for the postage price?

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Storm kettles.
Cut one length ways, weld a few feet on them and you have a small BBQ.

If they have a tyre valve on them you can pressure them up and use them as a large coolant tank. I have a 3lt ex foam I use to hold weed killer.

I used 9lt and 6lt unites to be a electrolytic rust removal tank, they are great as the water and foam units have a plastic lining.


As to a extra air receiver I would say No, you say they are out of date? Or have they bean condemned? The big issue is due to them being water units the lining can hide some serious rust. When they burst it is nasty.

 

[MCKDAVID]

casting crucibles for aluminimum, not tried it yet, but apparently they're usable for a good while. might be a good excuse to build a furnace...

 

[Maker]

They've got about 1/16" of rubbery paint stuff inside to prevent rust, if you want to cut one open and have a fire in it you would need to burn it out (Which bloody stinks).

 

[Swift&Bold]

They usually get used as compressor tanks coupled with fridge motors.
Even though the test date is out, you can still use them at home, fill with tap water using the mark on the syphon, charge them to 10 bar with a standard pump and you're in business, you can't have too many extinguishers.

 

[Bill Edwards]

Another use could be to fill them with EP90 gear oil and pressurise them, giving a handy device for getting the thick stuff into gearboxes etc on vehicles.

I literally just thought of this, and will do so with one I have somewhere.

 

[the snooper]

I have one of the older type that you can re-pressurize with a tyre inflator, they are worth holding onto if you have one

 

[MattF]

Another use could be to fill them with EP90 gear oil and pressurise them, giving a handy device for getting the thick stuff into gearboxes etc on vehicles.

I literally just thought of this, and will do so with one I have somewhere.

I think I have something like that with a hand pump on, out in the front shed somewhere. A short, thick walled metal container with a little foot plate on which you stand on to stop it tipping as you pump away, and a hose going from it.

 

[Bill Edwards]

I think I have something like that with a hand pump on, out in the front shed somewhere. A short, thick walled metal container with a little foot plate on which you stand on to stop it tipping as you pump away, and a hose going from it.

Quite possibly. I know a few people use garden sprayers for this but I got one for it and it's hopeless. Pump until the pressure valve blows then wait half an hour to watch it dribble a mug full out...

But I reckon with 150 psi behind it it'll be rather more effective

 

[fixerupper]

I have once had to use water fire extinguishers to try to put a fire out .. hopeless we had eight of them all certified, only 6 of them worked and buy the time you got 'em working they ran out of water .. a scary experience ....jeff

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Not All fire can have a mark on the syphon tube.
If it is a 6lt add 6lt, Guess what, a 9lt takes 9lts.
If you do have a tyre type gas refill valve pressure it until the middle of the green band, there might be a white line in the middle. Aim for that. ideally you should use nitrogen.

 

[daleyd]

Another use could be to fill them with EP90 gear oil and pressurise them, giving a handy device for getting the thick stuff into gearboxes etc on vehicles.

I literally just thought of this, and will do so with one I have somewhere.

Don't grab it by mistake in the event of a fire

 

[Bsmith]

Thanks fellas, some good ideas. I was thinking along the lines of the valves being of use for someone making like for an air blower, grit blaster, sprayer etc. They do indeed have a plastic lining, the wall steel which appears much springier than mild steel is approx 2mm thick. The safety pin also holds the valves in the open position, so I recon they could easily be re-pressured via the hose. There are no tyre valves on them.
The only thing I can see wrong about them is the stickers on them that say they were due testing back in January this year.

They are already pressured up with water in them ready for use.

 

[Bill Edwards]

Don't grab it by mistake in the event of a fire

Nah, it's the one containing petrol for parts cleaning you want to be really wary of. Maybe leave it for the much loved chap at work who is, shall we say, 'special'. Problem solved next time we have a fire (Ok, in case anybody wants to go funny, this is meant as a joke... I think).

To be honest there's almost nil chance of grabbing the wrong extinguisher for a fire where I work. We don't really have them apart from one site and certainly expect to not have so it doesn't cross our minds, the only serious fire we had we dealt with without - none of us knew there was one at the far end of the building!

 

[Bill Edwards]

Thanks fellas, some good ideas. I was thinking along the lines of the valves being of use for someone making like for an air blower, grit blaster, sprayer etc. They do indeed have a plastic lining, the wall steel which appears much springier than mild steel is approx 2mm thick. The safety pin also holds the valves in the open position, so I recon they could easily be re-pressured via the hose. There are no tyre valves on them.
The only thing I can see wrong about them is the stickers on them that say they were due testing back in January this year.

Stickers?
Hot air gun, what stickers...?

 

[gaz1]

ive made a small rocket burner out of 2 of them

 

[Windy Miller]

I have made a quite effective scrap aluminium melting pot out of a couple of old extinguisher like that. I planted the larger one in a 25 litre dum filled with sand, and piped in air from a car heater blower. A smaller extinguisher acts as the crucible. Seems to work ok, but every time I use it, I think of ways it could be improved!

One day it'll be finished. Maybe!

 

[tinman123]

Another use could be to fill them with EP90 gear oil and pressurise them, giving a handy device for getting the thick stuff into gearboxes etc on vehicles.

I literally just thought of this, and will do so with one I have somewhere.

if its just came into your head it was a good thought.
i made this up about 10 years ago for doing just such.
not made out of an extinguisher but out of an air tank from a lorry i cut up one time but the same plan.
it never got a lick of paint but its an invaluable little tool here.

 

[brightspark]

I just cut the bottom off one hung It upside down and fastened it to the side of my blast cabinet as a hopper for the suction gun

 

[WorkshopChris]

Don't grab it by mistake in the event of a fire

That drives me mad, the new EU fire extinguisher colors.
Everything Red with just a colored identification sticker, must be good if you make fire extinguishers.

What was wrong with the old system,
Red / Water
Black / Co2
Blue / Powder
Cream / Foam
Green / Halon (Banned now but fantastic at putting fires out quickly)

Didn't
need to waste a valuable second making sure you had the right one.