AMA234

My Feedback: (3)

I just bought a NEW Badger CO2 extinguisher to replace the dry chem one I was had and it didn't come with a pressure gauge. I called the owner of where I bought it from and he told me that none of the manufactures, Kidde, Badger, Amerex etc. put pressure gauges on their CO2 extinguishers. Can anyone please validate this for me?
Thanks,
Les

DavidAgar

My Feedback: (108)

A CO-2 extiguisher is sold by weight and none of them ever have a pressure guage on them. On your extiguisher there should be a full weight stamp as well as a CO-2 quanity, ie, 2 pound, 5 pound, etc. If it is used you can weight it and tell how much is left in it. As an FYI, CO-2 is not as good an extinguisher as a dry chemical. If the wind is blowing it is even less effective. Good Luck, Dave

Thud_Driver

My Feedback: (1)

5lb bottle should weigh around 17lbs full and 12lbs empty.

Wayne22

My Feedback: (2)

A fire extinguisher guy told me why, and it was a darned good reason, but I cant remember what the heck it is......[sm=red_smile.gif]
One of the reasons I'll stick to halon as long as I can get it......

Harley Condra

My Feedback: (4)

AMA234,
Dry chemical fire extinguishers contain a cocktail of chemicals, two of them being rather benign, and one of them (monoammonium phosphate?) being somewhat corrosive.
These chemicals coat the fire and smother it. They work just fine, but make on hell of a powdery mess inside your airplane. They don't work any better than CO2, which smothers the fire by displacing oxygen. The corrosive effects can make a mess of certain metals, aluminum being one of them. There is plenty of aluminum in your engine. If the engine is turning at the time the poweder is discharged, it weill certainly be ingested, and.......the engine repair man doesn't work for free.
<<Safety>>
Always remember this one thing: NEVER discharge the extinguisher into the exhaust end of the pipe. ALWAYS discharge it into the intake or intakes, or into the engine bay of the airplane..
Discharging it into the exhaust end of the pipe will certainly blow burning fluids into the interior of the airplane (If it isn't already there), and possibly onto someone's face.

Been there, done that, saw it happen and have the commemorative tee-shirt.

Harley Condra
BVM REP
JetCat REP

seanreit

My Feedback: (60)

I agree with Harley, one more caveat, there are a lot of start fires that can be blown out with a 12 volt makita blower, or bilge blower like Harley was recently posting about. I keep both at the ready.

At MS jet rally a few years ago, there was a fire on a jet and someone grabbed someone else's fire ext. to put it out.

Although I don't remember the parties, I remember it coming up what was the etiquette of grabbing someone else's ext. that was totally uninvolved.

FWIW, IMO use my ext, someone else's, whatever needs to be done, just shoot it out. My local AAA safety company charges about 12 bucks to fill a 5lb'er. I keep a 5 and a 10 on hand, plus a water, plus 2 halon ext.

Gordon Mc

My Feedback: (11)

The weight varies substantially depending on the construction type

I've bought a lot of surplus CO2 extinguishers form work over the past 5 years, supplying them to many of the CA jet guys ; there has been quite a substantial weight difference amongst the various bottle types.

Gordon

AMA234

My Feedback: (3)

Thanks for the responses. The first time I used it a dry chemical one I couldn't believe the mess it made. I had heard that CO2 was better simply due to the mess factor so that's what I bought.

Thanks again,
Les

DavidAgar

My Feedback: (108)

What Gordon says is indeed true. The cylinders are made of steel and some are made of aluminum. All CO-2 Tanks should have a full weight stamped on them. They are filled by placing them on a scale and pumping the CO-2 into the tank. Good luck, Dave

AMA234

My Feedback: (3)

This does bring up another point. I guess I should have labeled the post " CO2 extinguisher REFILL gauge". Does any elses CO2 extinguisher have a 'refill' gauge? A buddy of mine brought up a good point... when do you know you need to refill it? I guess you simply weigh it as it sits full and then keep track of it by weighing it before you go to the field as opposed to a quick visual reference.
Thanks,
Les

doug l

les
around our hangar and our aircraft bottles..we do a weight check every 6 mos..
they dont leak as a rule...but..
once you use one..even a little..
they will leak down..
so dont put out a little fire and save for the next...refill then..
for small fire..use rest to cool your beer..he he

jason

My Feedback: (1)

I have a friends engine here that here that had a "helper" put a fire out with a powder extinguisher, not a good thing, it coated it internally with a nasty, hard to get off gunk. Co2 is great for our use but Halon is by far the best you can get. Or should I say can't get.. I believe they no longer manufacturer it for normal use for environmental reasons but its still made for full size aviation use because it's so effective and comes in a small bottle but if you can get one then do so because a small halon extinguisher will put out a fire many time bigger than a Co2 one five times its size. I managed to get 4 on Ebay recently and they will last me years, hopefully.....

Jason

quist

My Feedback: (198)

Does anyone know of a product called "Flame Out" It is a certified replacement for Halon. It is an aerosol product. I was wondering if it is safe for the Turbines.

Wayne22

My Feedback: (2)

According to the fire extinguisher place where I got mine, even un-used ones can leak down. That is why regular inspections are a good idea...

KC36330

i just breezed over this but didn't see the answer posted.

CO2 when compressed to liquid it is at 900-1100 PSI and will remain that till it's empty enough there is no liquid left, a full bottle and an almost empty bottle would have the exact same pressure reading, so it's useless to have a gauge on one.

A CO2 ext should be recharged any time it's used, partially or fully, it should be fully discharged and then filled. they should also be weighted every 6 months.

kc