fire extinguishers type / difference question

[John Nantz]

Fred - Those "Grrrrr"s are Hazardous!! ;D

Recommend you go down to the marina today (forcast 67 degrees) and clean the boat and go sail it tomorrow (forcast 70 degrees - hottest day of the month!). Go out and get some good fresh air and exercise. And remember, those "grrrrr"s are hazardous to your health!!! (or at least according to doctors)Winter is right around the corner!.... and Rick Webb: What are you trying to do with your post - get us back on topic???? Good Luck!

 

[Fred Ficarra]

Thanks John, will do

Besides, my wife just started painting the living room. ;D

 

[Seattle Scott]

Multiple boat fire

There is a marina a mile or two north of downtown Seattle, a few blocks from my house, that has hosted two multiple boat fires since I have been around. I'd guess that the smoke cloud that developed was about a square mile in size, luckily downwind from my house.Can't see the downside of any chemical you throw on to kill the fire, if it would have prevented multiple boats from burning all morning.

 

[Rich]

Back on topic

Notwithstanding the discussion below, the simple fact is that Halon isn't sold in new extinguishers any more and the typical A-B-C fire extinguisher on the market today uses reasonably innocuous chemicals. I would suggest using the marine white for the simple reason that Coast Guard or Power Squadron personnel inspecting your boat, voluntarily or involuntarily, won't have any questions about it. I personally decided to be safe and spring an extra dollar or two for the larger A-B-C rather than just the required B-C, and when it expires I'll take it home for a spare there.

 

[Calif. Ted]

Here's an environmental question for ya,

couple days ago I was getting boat ready to leave when Harbor Patrol boat (county sherrif) comes up the lane, spends 5 minutes idling 2 engines to jaw with a buddy then on his way out takes the time to bitch out a guy handsanding some wood on an old sailboat he's been rebuilding for a year for not using a vacuum to catch the sawdust. "You can't put ANYTHING in the water in the harbor" Sawdust? Hope this guy don't come by when I'm washing the birdshit off the boat.

 

[patrick]

Ted, what is your question?

I have been in several marinas and boatyards too that have the same attitude about sanding dust. Apparently there are some real laws about this kind of activity. The people who wrote these rules probably just took some time out of their "ozone hole" and personal drug research to do the environment a favor.As long as I am off topic, isn't the so called ozone hole really just a mapped measurement of heightened solar uv insolation? As I understand it they don't go up there and take atmospheric samples to quantify ozone - do they?

 

[Calif. Ted]

I'm just can't see the logic sometimes,

my minor in college was Earth & Marine Sciences and I used to be responsible for some environmental enforcement, even milk can kill fish if in too high a concentration and is therefore a "hazardous material" in a trout stream. But I never thought of a little sawdust as a hazard to the Pacific Ocean, scares me just to be subject to a law so absolute. As I said I was just going sailing for three days and couldn't get it out of my head, here was a gov. representative in a twin engine boat with underwater exhaust enforcing the "anything" law against sawdust. Isn't every boat there an "anything" that you put in the water?

 

[chuckwayne]

Halotron extinguishers use a different gas!

not quite correct, Rich-while the original Halon gas extinguishers are no longer legal for sale or refill, there are substitute gases that work almost as well. Halotron is a commercially available brand, and both West marine and BoatUS have marine rated units made by Kidde, Sea-Fire, andFireboy. There are automatic and manual units, using either halotron 1, Fm-200, or FE-241

 

[Vernon Kinslow]

B******T

What are you guys smoking today? And where can I get some? You are are the perfect example of never let the truth get in the way of a good story! I will say you gave me my best laugh of the day!! *o

 

[patrick]

I know what you mean Vern -

As I recall, there is a lot of that in Oklahoma but more so in Texas where I am from. I guess you guys won this weekend - huh!Who would have ever expected an innocent question like William's would have generated sooo much talk. By the way, you ever use a fire extinguisher as a weapon? What color was it? We haven't thouroughly covered that yet. Lets see - ozone hole - yes, halon - yes, cancer - yes, smoking - yes, atmospheric chemistry - yes, Canadian customs policies - yes, gun control -yes, sanding dust - yes, Texas OU game - yes, wives -just a little, EPA and conspiracy theories - yes but I know Fred has more to say on that so we can still get to page 4. It amazes me that it is all just slightly relevant to the original question. Come on guys, page 4, I just know we can. Rich will keep us on topic - as if! Gord has probably been researching the facts on something or other and Ted and I both have left some questions which have gone completely unanswered. I haven't figured how to work in the story of how my wife bought a car on ebay a month ago in New Jersey and then had to figure out how to get it 3000 miles to home. Take a guess at that one. Then there is the guy who by mistake put my phone number on his resume last week and when they called me, I went to the interview and got hired! Life is just too wierd! Sorry Rich but I just had to say it. I will try to be good and go to sleep now. Know what I mean Vern?

 

[Rick Webb]

Patrick Reminds Me

There is another emergency use for a CO2 extinguisher. One that I do not think any of the other types provide. It might be worth having one just for this reason. When all you have left is warm beer place your beer in a bucket or a sturdy box (we use an ammo can) hit it with a few bursts and your beer is cold. I bet it could be used as a weapon as well a blast in an assailants face would distract him for a few moments long enough to get your flare gun out and finish the job.

 

[Calif. Ted]

I have seen CO2 used on rattlesnakes,

running (slithering quickly ?) from brush fires, kind of a quick freeze. They also put out a considerable static electric charge which is why they have the insulated handles and cones. So while you spray your assailant try to touch the cone to a sensitve area and you can "Taser" him as well. Taking the wife sailing today, last time I went out this was a short forum on ext. color, can hardly wait to see where it's gone when I get back.BYW High pressure moving into area, 78 degrees after fog burns off, kinda cool, long pants and a shirt maybe. That ought to make you cold water guys call me a sissy.

 

[patrick]

Rick and Ted have given me another idea

Put your warm beer (cans only) into the end of the CO2 extinguisher, attach a thin wire from the beer to the cone. If someone tries anything, grab your secret weapon, ground yourself, shoot him a beer, giving him a quick burst of CO2 and the associated shock will cause him to freeze. You can retrieve the now cold beer and push him overboard before he even knows what happened. If he tries to come back, plug him with couple of 25mm meteors while you sit back and enjoy a cool one. That just might work even in Canada. What do you say, Bob? I think we need to contact Molson, eh?Would this work in the rain, though? Lets see, things to do: redesign the cone on a CO2 unit to fit the can, sand it really good, buy beer, head to Vancouver, leave the doors unlocked, and run some tests. Perfect - Maybe I will get a chance at the guy who broke into my car!What color should be used? I am thinking a white extinguisher with a red wire would look nice. By the way, halon gets cold too! Lots of material in this message guys. Lets hear your ideas!

 

[Rick Webb]

A CO2 Charged Beer Cannon

Perfect, I am going to start a google search right now for plans. I am then going to bring the idea up with some of the weapons development engineers here. I am thinking if we include pork rinds into the deal it will be the perfect weapon for Al Queda terrorists. For that purpose we should include our Canadian freinds and use the blue Molsen cans so that it is a red white and blue affair.

 

[Fred Ficarra]

Rick, I'll bet you

that we have more weapons engineers than you have. Oops, maybe that's a secret. *x

 

[patrick]

Rick, you are on track except

We mustn't call this device a cannon. Something innocuous? like beer delivery device or beer remote CO2 cooler. Your color scheme is a good one too. And the pork rind idea - wow I am awed by your creativity! Afterwards, you can have a snack while you sit back with a cold one thinking "it just doesn't get any better than this". I am not sure how to be certain that it doesn't affect your aim with the 25 followup device.One more beneficial point is that if you shoot the can at a fire, the beer spray would help extinguish it too.

 

[Rick Webb]

Patrick, How About A BDU-69

BDU(Beverage or Beer Delivery Unit)- 69 (just one of my favorite numbers)

 

[chuckwayne]

BDU?

Rick, I'd be really careful with that name-BDU stands for battle dress, utility, the camos that the militias are so fond of wearing! the canadians will never let you go!

 

[Calif. Ted]

Are the Canadians as openminded about

shooting trespassers as we are in the states? Or will it be an accident like "Ya know, officer, the ice chest was on fire and this poor fellow startled me stepping onto my boat just as I was putting it out, I'm not sure how he got that beer can size dent in his chest."BTW yesterday was like a beautiful summer day with winds variable >10, today it started blowing whitecaps at 0900 and just got better, not much chop or swell(once we got to deep water), great sailing. My wife is started to extoll the virtues of selling the house and getting a bigger boat to live on, am I dreaming or what?

 

[Rick Webb]

Well, Wouldn't they Need to Find a Body First?

Down here it would not be an issue. Up there, perhaps the bears would enjoy a snack?