Out-of-date Fire Extinguishers - are they any use? (1 Viewer)

[ukfetchfan]

I know there are some current and retired Firefighters on the site - so seeking their professional opinion.

We currently have 4 Fire Extinguishers in our motorhome - three of which are out of date. We carry them because we think they might be useful - but would they?? Or are we carrying them around for no benefit. They weigh quite a lot and take up space - so if they are of no benefit I shall dispose of them / refill them.

They are all powder extinguishers. One was manufactured in 2011 and says refill after 5 years (British) Another says manufactured in 2002 with no indication as to how long it lasts (French) and the last says manufactured in 2008 and must be removed from service after 12 years (USA)

The British one, that I think came out of a car we owned in the past, says it should be refilled. Where can this be done? Don't want to throw in to landfill if it can be refilled - even if it is cheaper to throw it away.

Bearing in mind we do have one 'in date' extinguisher would these 'out-of-date' ones be useful as additional extinguishers - or would we find the powder clogs up and the extinguisher wouldn't work?

Thanking you in advance for your advice

 

[phase3begins]

they can be useful for clubbing football supporters. I could have said seals but that would have been in poor taste.

 

[phase3begins]

' r

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[TheBig1]

Powder extinguishers are crap, the powder settles and compacts in a solid lump at the bottom of the cylinder. Unless you give them an occasional shake from new, they are worse than useless. The current type that use a micro mist of water are much better and are far lighter

 

[cmcardle75]

Powder extinguishers are basically obsolete. I would chuck them and replace with water mist.

 

[Two on Tour]

Replace our out of date water mist with new ones and have kept the out of date ones on the van as I can see any real reason why they would suddenly not work straight after the expiry date.

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[paddymcc]

Many years ago I went into a toilet on a hospital ward and there was a small fire. Rang the alarm and the used the adjacent fire extinguisher. It didn't work so went to get another which I'm glad to say did. Rather shocking as fire extinguishers were checked regularly ( in theory) by the hospital.
So worth having one you think will work.

 

[Tombola]

Was running a hotel back in the day, there was a fire in the staff accom rooms, an I ran up with a powder...opened the room door, pitch black, the light wouldnt work and was full with smoke but I banged the extinguisher anyway...nothing. Got another, same story.
what seemed like an age after.... i retreated biting nails waiting for the fire fighters. 3 engines turned up and soon sorted it.

After it was all done a fire officer tookk me up and showed me that the lght was actually working but the smoke and soort just covered the light.

Scary stuff, always make sure your extinguishers are in date and serviced regular.

 

[ukfetchfan]

Thank you all for your advice and comments. Will dispose of them and get some new water mist ones.

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[Spriddler]

They're probably O.K. for an out of date fire.

I had a couple of powder ones on my boat and was advised to take them off the bracket and give them a good banging/shake up from time to time as the powder compacts over time. Apparently you should be able to hear the powder sliding from end to end as you rock it (but I never could so I replaced them).

 

[2 Jabs]

May be worth using one so you can have a go and know what to expect if you need to use one in anger. Don't breathe in the fumes.

 

[Wabs]

Always handy as a weapon,,not that I would, just saying

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[jumar]

Discharge them in an area where the Talc will not do any harm to anyone or anything...if they are out date it's a good idea to take them out of circulation.....have a bit of fun, then go and replace them....I carry a large Dry powder in the motorhome garage....and a small one in the cab....

 

[ukfetchfan]

Final update- I did as 2Jabs suggested and had a go with one and was amazed at the power of it! A very good idea to have go with one in a calm situation, rather than when a fire is blazing. Two of them had set hard and didn’t discharge- so I took them to the local Dump for disposal. Thanks all for your help

 

[82125]

Had all mine 'serviced' and re-certified on the boat a couple of years ago. Theres a whole range of extinguisher types fitted (water, powder, CO2, autos).
As far as i could tell all the engineer did was take them out their brackets, inspect them, and stick a new label on to say they were now good again.

Now where to get rid of my out of date flare pack... is it nearly bon fire night yet?

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[Vipar]

Empty them and turn them into table lamps. They sell like hot cakes on eBay. You will make enough to pay for their replacements.
Look at retro table lamps. Can’t attach a link. Some weird and nice stuff on there.

 

[WillH]

On ships we gave them a shake once a month, the constant vibration caused the powder to compact more rapidly.

 

[tacr2man]

To service powder extinguishers properly they should be de pressurised and the contents tipped out and agitated , before refilling . very important if subjected to any vibration which can result in compaction as mentioned by a previous poster

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[stevewagner]

Water mist fire extinguishers are good but you shouldn’t use one on an oil fire. If you have the room I would fit a fire blanket close to the kitchen area.

 

[GAVLAD]

Firstly dry powder extinguishers are not obsolete. We use them at work.
Used on the correct fire, they’re good.
We’ve used them in addition to a hose to smother a car fire petrol tank leak and they’re brilliant, so don’t discard using them.
The downside of them is that they have no cooling qualities (like water or foam) so you need to ensure that the fire is out and won’t reignite.
In answer to your question, it all depends on the storage conditions. Some have a pressure gauge and needle which may indicate when the pressure is down.
However, the needle may point within the green section but if it’s been stored in a cold and damp environment, the powder solidifies and won’t work properly.
I’d suggest replacing with a mixture of types.
Buy a cheap dry powder (small) for the cab.
Buy a water for the habitation along with a fire blanket.
Fit a smoke alarm in the habitation.

The idea is that the extinguisher is to be used at an early stage of the fire to knock it back. When that doesn’t work you get out/away and leave it to the fire service.

Reason I suggest a small cheap one is that you can just throw it away after 12-18months and replace.
Aldi sell them occasionally.

 

[MisterB]

Firstly dry powder extinguishers are not obsolete. We use them at work.
Used on the correct fire, they’re good.
We’ve used them in addition to a hose to smother a car fire petrol tank leak and they’re brilliant, so don’t discard using them.
The downside of them is that they have no cooling qualities (like water or foam)

dry powder extinguishers work on the principle of a multi directional flame arrester, i could explain but its not important, and they are still relevant. in the right circumstances they are more than suitable for putting out fires - no cooling properties whatsoever, so always useful to have a backup - so with that being the case, would i have one for my motorhome interior, no - would i have one for my engine compartment - i would consider one!

when i was a young fireman, it was one of my tasks to service the on station ones, the annual service/inspection was - take the top off, remove the contents, so it loosens them up, weigh the gas cartridge used as the expellant and replace it if it weighed less than it should, then check the interior of the extinguisher for rust, debris and if clear, replace the powder taking care not to shake the contents so that it compacts. check the plunge mechanism that ruptures the top of the gas cartridge. the testing and maintenance regime also included on a quarterly programme to turn them upside down, give them a shake to stop the powder compacting and carefully place them back on their brackets,

that is still a bona fida and legitimate way of testing a dry powder extinguisher, will it guarantee it will work - NO !!! on a programmed inspection regime, we also discharged them, did they always work, even though regularly maintained - NO !!! so if a dry powder extinguisher is out of date AND it is not a stored pressure one - ie doesnt have a pressure gauge on it, then you could service it yourself .... however if it is a stored pressure type and the pressure is still showing in the green, then i would have kept it, but made sure i sometimes travelled with it in the upside down position to loosen the contents !

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[GAVLAD]

dry powder extinguishers work on the principle of a multi directional flame arrester, i could explain but its not important, and they are still relevant. in the right circumstances they are more than suitable for putting out fires - no cooling properties whatsoever, so always useful to have a backup - so with that being the case, would i have one for my motorhome interior, no - would i have one for my engine compartment - i would consider one!

when i was a young fireman, it was one of my tasks to service the on station ones, the annual service/inspection was - take the top off, remove the contents, so it loosens them up, weigh the gas cartridge used as the expellant and replace it if it weighed less than it should, then check the interior of the extinguisher for rust, debris and if clear, replace the powder taking care not to shake the contents so that it compacts. check the plunge mechanism that ruptures the top of the gas cartridge. the testing and maintenance regime also included on a quarterly programme to turn them upside down, give them a shake to stop the powder compacting and carefully place them back on their brackets,

that is still a bona fida and legitimate way of testing a dry powder extinguisher, will it guarantee it will work - NO !!! on a programmed inspection regime, we also discharged them, did they always work, even though regularly maintained - NO !!! so if a dry powder extinguisher is out of date AND it is not a stored pressure one - ie doesnt have a pressure gauge on it, then you could service it yourself .... however if it is a stored pressure type and the pressure is still showing in the green, then i would have kept it, but made sure i sometimes travelled with it in the upside down position to loosen the contents !

Well I've said most of that with what you've quoted me on.
For what the small dry powder extinguishers cost these days I wouldn't bother faffing around, Just buy a new one. Aldi were selling them for about £11.

 

[Minxy]

You can have some fun with fire extinguishers ...

 

[MisterB]

Well I've said most of that with what you've quoted me on.
For what the small dry powder extinguishers cost these days I wouldn't bother faffing around, Just buy a new one. Aldi were selling them for about £11.

and ive agreed and added some extra .... is there a problem with me doing that?

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[GAVLAD]

and ive agreed and added some extra .... is there a problem with me doing that?

just thought it strange that you've quoted what i've said and then re-wrote what I've said

 

[Offagain]

Now where to get rid of my out of date flare pack... is it nearly bon fire night yet?

In Galaxidi in the gulf of Corinth there’s a ”chandler” for want of a better term - hardware shop/mixed boat bits, as they do out there - who will take them off your hands “for the football”! We replaced some of our hand held flares there a couple of years ago and he was happy to take the old ones for us.

 

[MisterB]

just thought it strange that you've quoted what i've said and then re-wrote what I've said

i didnt just rewrite what you said, i gave an explanation of how to service an extinguisher aswell, i identified how a dry powder ext extinguishes a fire, so i enhanced your thread, look at it as i agreed with you. without wanting to sound pompous, i passed the Members exam of the Institute of Fire Engineers (MI Fire E), at a time when you had to pass every paper in one sitting, not as nowadays when you can take one paper at a time and concentrate on just that one ... of course you could only sit that exam after passing the Station Officers exam (if in the fire service) , again at a time when you had to pass everything in a 2 day sitting, i also set questions and marked the examination questions for a few years, so i suspect my knowledge in the subject might be as good as yours .... so if i have agreed with you, why are you being so precious about someone adding additional information? see it as a complement, not negatively ......

i could ask, did you repeat anything anyone else had said .... but that would get us nowhere, best wishes and have a good day

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[SpeedyDux]

The upshot seems to be that the combination of the harsh ride (Fiat + Michelin Camper Tyres) and potholed and washboard surfaced UK roads means dry powder extinguishers have compacted contents before long.

Mine is held by a plasticky band that looks designed to break when you need the extinguisher so replacement of the whole outfit including holder seems necessary. I expect that Lidl will provide eventually ... (Aldi is far away). Though I am a fan of the get the hell out of there ASAP approach and would leave tackling a fire to the pros. MHs are so full of combustible stuff, insulation included. The extinguisher is a condition of my insurance policy.

 

[GAVLAD]

i didnt just rewrite what you said, i gave an explanation of how to service an extinguisher aswell, i identified how a dry powder ext extinguishes a fire, so i enhanced your thread, look at it as i agreed with you. without wanting to sound pompous, i passed the Members exam of the Institute of Fire Engineers (MI Fire E), at a time when you had to pass every paper in one sitting, not as nowadays when you can take one paper at a time and concentrate on just that one ... of course you could only sit that exam after passing the Station Officers exam (if in the fire service) , again at a time when you had to pass everything in a 2 day sitting, i also set questions and marked the examination questions for a few years, so i suspect my knowledge in the subject might be as good as yours .... so if i have agreed with you, why are you being so precious about someone adding additional information? see it as a complement, not negatively ......

i could ask, did you repeat anything anyone else had said .... but that would get us nowhere, best wishes and have a good day

As I said, it seemed strange to quote someone and then re-write what the person had said.
I'm not questioning your expertise nor didn't expect a full curriculum vitae of comparing yesteryear's brigade with the present.
I've no doubt that you've served the service well, as does anyone who works/worked.
Good day to you too

 

[HugoBNB]

Suitably informed, I will now change our existing powder extinguishers.
Great thread, thanks to all posters