What fire extinguisher
 

As my title states, what fire extinguisher would be best for me to have when i'm out bashing?

may seem like a stupig question, but if something does go spectacularly wrong i would like to be able to bring it back under control quickly... so fire extinguisher it is :P

would a foam or CO2 one be better than a water one? as if i loose one of my components i would still like to be able to use the rest...

does anyone carry a fire extinguisher with them on bash days/have one in the car just in case?

I use an ABC at home chemical one for the kitchen, but at work I use the C02 because it doesn't leave a mess.

Jeff

You definitely DO NOT want to use water. If it happens to be a LiPo fire, water will only make it worse!

ABC foam/powder would work, but they leave a mess. I would vote CO2. The fire goes out instantly. You just have to watch and make sure it doesn't reignite while it's still hot.

Abc extinguishers are good for all purpose. There are special electrical ext. (E) also. Id just get an abc for the car for amy emergency.

Understand that a 2lb ext is going to give you about 8s of spray. Its enough for little jobs, but much shorter than you'd think.

Great planes recommend an ABC type fire extinguisher

http://manuals.hobbico.com/gpm/gpmp0...anual-v1_2.pdf

As I work servicing, recharging Fire Extinguishers + Fire Suppression systems for work I thought I'd chime in here. The ABC ext. are a powder which is messy and can also corrode certain metals and finishes if left on for an extended period of time. Key word, extended. But they can be used on anything (A=paper, wood, ordinary combustibles B=gas, oil, flammable liquids C= electrical) CO2 is great with no mess and works great too, but it does not have an A rating. C02 Fire Ext are also bigger, heavier, and don't work well when there is any wind since they basically make a cloud of gas to suffocate the fire. Also some foam fire ext do not have an C rating, so lookout for that as well.

As far as store bought Fire Extinguishers go, stay away from anything without a gauge. Fire Extinguisher gauges aren't the most accurate in the world, but the little button you push and hope pops back up is even worse. First Alert fire ext are pretty much total junk as far as reliability is concerned, Kidde isn't too far behind. These are the brands you'll find at home depot + lowes. If you must purchase there, at least buy the Kidde with the metal handles + valve body, they call these the "commercial Grade". They have one thats a good size to keep in the car. The plastic heads versions (Home grade) are prone to leaking, especially in an environment like a car trunk. Also, any Fire Ext. thats about the size of a 20oz soda is really only good for a rc car, as it'll last all of 5-8 seconds, assuming the plastic head didn't leak. If you want a real commercial grade Fire Ext, find a local service company and buy a Badger, Amerex, or buckey (in that order) and it will last you a lifetime.

Doesn't need to be an extended time. We had an electrical fire in a light next to one of our planes a couple months ago. The maroon that grabbed the fire extinguisher (ABC type) also shot it into the A/P. We ended up having to replace an entire skin panel due to the corrosion (cost the company about 500K in parts and labor).

I've seen stuff on this new type K general purpose extinguisher. Dont know much about it yet.....

I'd have to assume the panel is aluminum, which is particularly susseptible to corrosion. Also ABC works by actually melting a little bit to smother the fire, making corrosion even worsein most cases. But generally, if the surrounding parts didn't get too hot and aren't prone to normal corrosion, it isn't too much of an issue if cleanup if performed in a timely manner. At least that's my experience.

The class K fire ext are a liquid chemical fire ext with a chemical similar to that used in kitchen fire suppression systems. It is a potassium base I believe, and is a base (on the acidity scale) so I don't recommend for aluminum. It was developed for cooking equipment (particularly deep vat fryers) to supplement the suppression systems and to be used for flareups after the system is discharged. It works by soponification. It forms a somewhat soapy layer over surfaces suffocating the fire. I've been told by customers who've used them that they work very well in a kitchen environment. I'm not sure if they have an A rating, but I don't see why they couldn't be used on A fires.

How small do they even make CO2 ext? I would think a 10 or 20lb ext would be the min size.

Another concern is you need to get quite close w/ a CO2. An abc is more of a stream w/ better distance. Face it, if you have a battery fire in your car, you'll want to put it out regardless to some cosmetic damage to some Alu parts. They can likely be cleaned up and polished well enough w/ timely care. Much of the car is going to be pretty fried regardless.

The smallest co2 being made now is 5lb, they stopped making 2.5lb as they are useless. IMO 10lb is the minimum co2 size, as they can make a decent stream so you don't have to be too close, 5-10ft away would still be the max distance depending on wind, type of fire, where it is, etc. CO2 is great for real car engine fire or any fire that can't be attacked directly and is a corner not easily reached. But they are also expensive, about $225 for a 10lb, which isn't the most portable thing in the world. Get a decent 5lb ABC (don't cheap out with a 2.5) stick it in the trunk, under the sink, in the garage, etc and be done with it.

I find it funny when computer geeks want a Halatron fire extinguisher (halon replacement) for their computer rooms. They are more expensive than CO2 and you still have to be there to use it, if you're not, it's just a nice decoration. I always tell them, get an automatic fire ext ($2k and up) or don't waste your money on anything more than ABC. The computer is going to be toast anyway if it caught fire and you didn't get to it real quick. Just take a look at that mugen mrx4 fire. They got to it in time, but didn't have an ext, all it took was another min to destroy the rest of the car.

I'd like to see a mini extinguisher made from a few bbgun/ airpistol type Co2 cartridges; pointless and 90% useless, but a quick blast is sometimes enough to put out a small esc fire maybe :mdr:

remember this thread quys?

well i went with an abc... sodium bicarb one :)

have a look... as i used it today :P

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut8xd0-H-K8

did a good job... saved the car and speed controllor... even if it did coat the car in blue!

excuse my shocking jump :P my excuse is that i couldnt see the landing...

great save on the rest of the buggy! Glad you had it handy

WOW
Never gave much thought into what extinguiser would be best for what application.
I learned a lot in these few post, special thanks to OverDriven.

Just take the electronics off the car and hose it down. Might want to make sure there isn't any powder stuck to leaking shock/diff oil, bearings etc though. I'd open up the esc and blow it off good too, just to be safe. Don't forget to get a new Fire Extinguisher, that type can't be recharged and whatever pressure (the nitrogen propellant) may be left will leak out now that the powder is in the seal.

I've learned alot here, just trying to give back a little.

Handy to have on hand but isn't preventation better than cure?

Wouldn't a hardcase Lipo have prevented this?

Hopefully freeze hasnt seen this:lol:

At the company where I used to work (Operations Manager), we used an FM200 system, but it was a 24/7/365 computer operations setup, so someone was there all the time. Where I work now, they use something else, can't remember the name. All I remember is the guy said that if it went off while you were in the room, you could still function (albeit not well) if you breathed a little in. Anyway, this operations is not 24/7/365, so you are right, it is useless unless automated. But now I think about it, I'm not sure it isn't; many operations centers have a pretty sophisticated fire alarm system, so it would make sense to have the extinguishing system hooked to it.

To answer the original question of what extinguisher to use: I say none. Just bring along someone you don't like and throw them on the fire.

I just have a Fire Blanket here, never had to use it yet, even with me cooking!

i'm so glad i had it handy...

already cleaned it... electrics out then into the shower ;)

then i took front and rear end off to make sure there wasnt any in the gearbox housings, its all fine...

hardcase would have prevented this... but probably would have been damaged...

battery box was at fault... need to get a new one and beef up the front...

thanks for all the help earlier in the year guys... i always have one handy when i bash... because... well... i'm not the best driver :P and i like doing stupid stuff :)

I was going to say that with how hard you guys bash you really need to beef up the boxes - You should line the bottom of the boxes with industrial velcro and then cover the bottom of the pack - The shear strength of velcro is bloody impressive.

I would also add there didn't really look like any need to let off the extinguisher on that pack - I'd have just removed it from car...

Will a extinguisher even work effectively on a lipo fire - I'm not sure if it even needs oxygen or if it isn't a chemical reaction between the layers within the battery.

sadly i missed joe's epic crash but i have broken a lipo tray on my vorza aswell after a big nose dive :oops: the lipo broke the tray and went right into the steering assembly and now it has a massive dent in the front. now i have a extra battery strap which i ghetto fitted to the front so it holds it in place

this design looks quite good http://www.rc-area.co.uk/blog/wp-con...-for-revo3.jpg

Prevention is the key.
 

As stated previously prevention is the key. It is our responsibility to learn from mistakes and events that happen to us and those that are shared on here. That is why we are here afterall. Try to imagine worst case cenarios and make preperations so they do not happen. Contain your lipos to the best of your ability.

As far as the fire extinguisher is concerned the only fire extingusiher truly recommended for any kind of electrical equipment is CO2, because it does not leave any residue that will damage the electronics, and it works instantly if used properly. Proper usage is to knock the flames down first, and if at all possible disconnect the elestrical source before trying to put the fire out in order to avoid an electrical shock of any kind. Otherwise it will just keep right on re-igniting itself over and over again. IF CO2 is not available you can use ABC, PKP, or just about any other kind of extinguisher that is available to put the fire out, but it will more than likely ruin whatever was on fire.

Honestly I like the idea of having a fire blanket on hand as well as a CO2 extinguisher. Basic fire fighting says the whole idea of any kind of fire fighting is to seperate one of the eliments from the fire.
(FUEL/OXIGEN/HEAT) Once you can achieve that the fire will go out.

BRIANG I like your resolution the best. Throw your enemy on the fire, problem solved.

Personally I've always found velcro on the bottom of the battery and the tray to work the best...

gonna go for a new battery tray (obviously) and velcro the batteries in... got any reccomendations on good velcro? the stuff i have used before comes unstuck from the tray and is pretty useless...

Try this one
 

Try using this one.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_184582-388-90593_0_?productId=1052627&Ntt=velcro&Ntk=i_produc ts&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?newSearch=true$Ntt=velcro

I use this one for allot of things and it holds up fairly well. You can also find all different types of strapping velcro for holding the batteries in the trays. Just Google velcro.

++1 - clean surface with alcohol before application...

I use hook on the tray and fuzzy on the batteries...

awesome, thanks alot,

i do have some velcro battery straps in other vehicles, just always seemed easier to use the clips that came with it in my hyper...