husafreak

My Feedback: (3)

Went by Home Depot and Walmart today to get a fire extinguisher. all they had was ABC dry chemical extinguishers which I am not too crazy about. I was looking for halon... What are you guys using/recommending?

smitty1001

My Feedback: (29)

Yup, you'll have to go to a speciality shop to get the right one. (CO2) Usually you can find one locally if you look for a place that does industrial type jobs - they can help you keep it filled too. All the consumer level places will usually just have the ABC which you don't want. I'm sure you're local jet freaks can help you out. Have fun!

FlyinTiger

My Feedback: (45)

I looked up the "fire extinguisher service" in my local area and came up with five shops within 20 minutes of my house. I live in the Hampton Roads part of Virginia, lots of city there though.

You might find one or two shops in your area, but that seems to be the way to get good CO2 used extinguishers for a reasonable price and a place to fill them.

BaldEagel

Isn't Haylon a baned substance for extinguishers now days?

CO2 is what you need, for a pocket extinguisher go to a cycle shop and buy a gas tyre inflator, for cycle I mean the pedel variety.

Mike

FenderBean

I bought two CO2 15lb fire extinguishers on ebay for 75.00 charged and freshly inspected. Lots of them on there when i got mine. Maybe a good source, local shops wanted 175-200 for 5-10 lbers.

DelGatoGrande

My Feedback: (23)

>>>> HALON ATTACKS OXYGEN INSTANTLY HALON WORKS IN CLOSED AREAS ONLY

ARE YOU GOING TO PUT OUT A FIRE IN YOUR WORKSHOP OR IN YOUR HOUSE WITH A HALON?

AGAIN HALON WORKS BY ATTACKING OXYGEN INSTANTLY = >>HALON CREATES AND OXYGEN-DEFICIENT ENVIRONMENT >YOU RISK TO S U F F O C A T E INSTANTLYCONSULT YOUR LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT AND NOT UNVERIFIED INTERNET INFORMATIONS INCLUDING MINE.
YOU RISK YOUR LIFE

im sorry for the capital writing .might help to warn future searchers

scoeroo

My Feedback: (9)

Halotron or compressed nitrogen extinguishers are the least harmful to the internals of our turbines - check'm out,
If you use a dry chemical style it means a trip to the service dept for the turbine = down time & money

quist

My Feedback: (198)

My halon bottles were purchased from Aircraft Spruce. They have them in all sizes. But they are not refillable.

dubd

These guys should have CO2 extinguishers: All NorCal Fire Equipment (Livermore, CA) (925) 784-0496

dbsonic

My Feedback: (3)

Husa, Let me know what you find, I need a 5lb CO2.

husafreak

My Feedback: (3)

Thanks Dubd, I will call them. I don't think Halon is illegal, my neighbor who races dragsters professionally told me last night that Halon was banned from racing, but that is what we use on the Boeing, a mix of water type and Halon type extinguishers.

siclick33

From the US Environmental Protection Agency Website

CO2 is what you want.

husafreak

My Feedback: (3)

OK, here we go. If you need a fire extinguisher in Livermore look up Coast Fire Equipment. They were recommended to me by All Norcal Fire Equip. who appear to have moved. Halon and CO2 are both available. Halon costs twice what CO2 does. So a 2 1/2 lb Halon bottle is the same price as a 5 lb CO2. I was told the drawbacks of the CO2 are it is useless in windy conditions, it will corrode electronics, and it needs regular refilling. Both of the guys I spoke to recommended the Halon for a small light extinguisher that would hopefully see little or no use. Halon may indeed be unhealthy but I don't plan to breath much of it and the airliners would use it in a closed cabin so... probably not instant death. As for price I was quoted about 75$ for a 2 1/2 lb Halon bottle which compares favorably with the prices on Ebay. Whew! Nothing is ever too easy in this hobby, LOL

BaldEagel

The personal liability of using a banned substance on a public or even club field does not bear thinking about.

Mike

siclick33

In my opinion, a small hand held fire extinguisher in your car or on board a full-size plane can be considered unlikely to be used. This isn't necessarily the case with one used for starting model turbines. On the odd occasion I have had the need to squirt a little bit of CO2 into an intake to stop a small start-up fire. The last thing you want when you have a small fire is to be worried about how much it is going to cost and how easy it is to get your extinguisher refilled. You want to be able to consider your fire extinguisher as an expendable item.

G4guy

My Feedback: (13)

I do not believe it is banned in the US. I have them on our Gulfstream and Hawker and also all thoughout the hangar at stategic locations.
Maybe in the UK, not here.
Halon extinguisher in our new Hawker 4000

stevekott

Halon works GREAT. One little puff and the fire is OUT! Halatron is the "new" Halon. It is legal and available. Mostly available through pilot shops industrial shops.

ABC Dry Chemical Extinguishers would be the best on a ground or brush fire but would make a terrible mess inside your plane or turbine on a start up fire.

Halon and Halatron work great and are very compact and light weight. If you have an old Halon extinguisher you can still get it serviced providing it passes hydro testing. They are not making any new Halon but are still servicing existing Halon systems with recycled Halon. It's expensive, about $26/lb. Halotron is about the same price but it is still being produced. It is said to not be quite as effective but is still incredibly effective at putting out a turbine fire.

Co2 is also a good choice but it may take another shot or two to put out the fire. The smallest they make seems to be a 5lb extinguisher but it is way more than what you would need to put out a start fire. The beauty of Co2 is it's only about $8lb to get it recharged. This makes you more likely to use it early and stop the damage quickly. Just like Halon or Halotron - NO MESS

The quickest way to put out the fire is to shoot the extinguisher into the fuselage air intakes. It's impusive to shoot at the flames up the exhaust or at the turbine but if the agent doesn get sucked into the turbine it won't put the fireball out.

Fortunately start up fires are rare. Leaking wet fuel or smoke oil can do it. A failed start or purging the fuel system can fill the turbine with fuel, that's another cause. I had a starter/bendix malfunction during spool up, that caused a fire. Another 'fire starter' I've seen is the Exhaust pipe breaking loose or shifting to one side. In both cases it was bad spot welds on the mounting tabs coming loose.

If you can't see your turbine during start-up watch the tail pipe and the sides of the fiberglass fuselage. In all the fires I've seen the color of the fiberglass began to darken with the heat before the flames got going. Also a big yellow plume of flames out the tailpipe is dead give away.

Happy Flying,

Steve

ChuckC

My Feedback: (24)

A little clarrification here -

HALON isn't carcinogenic. It's specifically used because of it's toxilogical characteristics/safety. The Permissible Exposure Limit is actually pretty darned high (1,000 ppm over an 8 hour day). Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health doesn't occur until VERY high concentrations, >40,000 ppm. The current literature does not indicate anywhere any potential carcinogenicity (even in California or Europe!).

Now, what about by-products of combustion? Maybe, but they would be very, very minute trace amounts in this case and irrelevant since you'd be using it out doors. And, we all know it's not good for our environment. It's also still widely aailable, albeit a bit expensive and not being produced any more. There is actually a "Halon bank" to which you can sell your old Halon if you have enough to mess with. I think the aviation industry still uses it pretty widely because there really isn't anything quite as effective yet. Halotron, as mentioned is as close as we get for extiguishers and being readily available. At work, we're installing/using FE-25, FM 200 and Saphire systems. Still have some old Halon systems, though.

They have a decided advantage or 2: less thermal shock to your turbine and much, very electronics-friendly and much more effective and putting out fires than CO2. Just expensive. -

Art ARRO

My Feedback: (5)

ALCON,
Halon or the newer Halatron is my preferred method of extinquishing on-board turbine fires. I experienced a runaway fuelpump during a ground runup which poured fuel into the tailpipe and rear fuselage. A quick-2 second, shot of Halon and all was extinquished. I later poured about a pint of liquid kero out the back of the model. The turbine was sent back for service and has worked fine ever since. BTW, my halon bottle was purchased from Sears many years ago and the gauge still reads in the green. I plan to have it refilled when depleted. CO2 would be my 2nd choice of an fire extinquuisher and, of course, water for any brush or grass fires-after calling the local fire dept.

Art ARRO

BaldEagel

yosephwhite

My Feedback: (34)

CO2 2.5lb, 5lb and up can be bought at SimplexGrinnell and most locations will refill at a low cost. Halon can be reclamed and recharged but are only used on airliners or by the military. Clean agent extinguishers can be used without harm to turbines but they are cost prohibitive. The best and cheapest way to go is CO2. I don't want to second guess using an extinguisher because i'm worried how much it will cost to refill. as an added bonus the CO2 cools down the turbine as well to prevent re-ignition. I agree to stay away from ABC units the powder can be VERY damaging to turbines as well as mildly corrosive if it gets wet. Make sure to check your extinguisher each time you fly, if you have to use it you need it to work!

hooker53

My Feedback: (106)

G4 Affraid so. We had a Fire Marshall that came over and inspected our Astablishment about a month ago and that was wht he was looking for. Luckily enough, we didn't have any. I hope your New one shown has Halatronic on it rather Halon.

ChuckC

My Feedback: (24)

Halon is not banned for use, just production.

Im a professional fire safety engineer and industrial hygienist, coincidentally. If a fire marshal was "looking for halon" he doesnt know the law, which is actually quite typical in the US Im afraid. There are some really good ones but not a lot of pay in the field to really attract a lit of high performers.

Anyway, if you got halon, use it-good stuff and way more effective than co2. No liability in its use because it is not illegal to USE. Im afraid though its not readily available and you wont be able to get your extinguisher refilled. I guess a moot point. Im going to use halotron and water extinghishers because i can and are the two best choices. Halatron is about 200 for a 10 pounder if i remember right. Compared to the damage your preventing...

rcand

CO2. cheaper to buy and easy to refill

husafreak

My Feedback: (3)

FWIW I sprang for a "reconditioned" bottle of Halon, whatever that means. 125$ for 5 lbs. My choice to spend more than I had to but as I said I've been around Halon bottles my whole working life and if that's favored for military and commercial aviation than that influenced my decision. The bottle came with a legal tag and paperwork and I was assured it is absolutely acceptable and legal to use (at least for now!). But thanks for the help, I did not know there were facilities that sold only fire extinguishers, I'm glad I asked rather than just buying a bottle of ABC Dry chem at Home Depot. Thanks