Fitting fire extinguishers in cars

[otherclive]

I'm planning to fit a 2kg dry powder extinguisher into the new addition (Pajero). For all of my previous cars I have fitted the extinguishers horizontal in the passenger footwell. Either across the car just in front of the passenger seat, or in a fore-aft mode fitted to the side of the car where the florpan rises towards the door. Howver I have been told that the FEs should be vertically mounted but the unit has no such instructions regarding fitting orientation. Monthly I normally take the FE out and shake it and hit the base witha rubber mallet, and prior to use would also give a vigourous shake too. that would probably be a response to the situation anyway!

Does anyone have any information re mounting orientation?

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Clive,
I have no formal information on the fitting of FE's, but two bits of good sense shoudl be used.
The first is to follow the firring structions supplied with the extinguisher, and if none are provided, then contact the seller or manufacture to clarify.

The second bit relates to the fitting of FE's in buildings (Not cars), where it is good sense to have FE's mounted vertically as the should be placed where easy footfall (i.e. by doors) so users will be upright.

In general though extinguishers should be located/positioned where they are easily accesible for users, even if that means fitting at an angle.
Perhaps WilliWonta might offer the view from the fire service.

 

[otherclive]

Thanks Prof there were no instructions in the box and nothing on the unit itself. The makers details are on the unit, which is 1kg not 2 kg as in the OP.

 

[ProfJohnL]

And they say size isn't important - or is it?

 

[Surfer]

Surely if a car catches on fire, the best thing to do is to get away from it as soon as possible? I think one of those little hammers to break the glass would be preferable.

 

[otherclive]

I have got Lifehammers fitted in each of my three cars with two in the front and one mounted mid ships in the rear. A fire extinguisher can be useful in certain situations but I would not envisage trying to use it in the car anyway, so my first action would be to exit the car and make sure passengers are safe. One can also be useful in the event someone else has an emergency. For my Pajero certain 4WD events make it mandatory to fit an extinguisher.

 

[emmerson]

My mate was given a Lifesaver hammer for Christmas a few years ago. He keeps it in the drawer in the kitchen.................................

 

[topshelf]

Good idea to gently shake the FC, Im not sure if you know why but for the other users, dry powder is a refined talcumpowder, when it gets damp it will clog and it is posable that the pressur in side will not force it through the nozzle. as for location, make sure its not going to be set off by some ones foot, you may not be able to stop it and you will find it frightening as the car fills up. and theres the MESS ! Have a search on you tube there will be one being set off im sure, as for the size, how long is a piece of string ? if you have a petrol car, unleaded fuel is hard to extingush, Warning = do not attempt to lift the bonet up if smoke is evident under the bonet, pull the release handle and only pear inside it with the safty catch still in opperation, discharge the extingusher and hope for the best, ( some time a leaking radiator can look like a car fire ) I do not advise tackaling a car fire. get out stay out as, they say.

 

[Dustydog]

Morming Clive

And as a belts and braces carry one of those quick seat belt cutters in case you can't reach the belt catch in an accident.
Something like This
I'm with Surfer. Get out and away fast. Exploding tyres and fuel tanks don't mix well with flesh.

Maybe we should ask Nigel to do an article on essential safety equipment to be carried in car and caravan

 

[otherclive]

Thanks for the info everyone. Certainly my first priority in the event of an emergency would be tto ensure the car's occupants were rendered to a safe place, not to tackle any fire. But situations may arise where the quick application of what is admittedly 'first aid' firefighting may prevent a situation escalating prior to the arrival of the emergency services. That's why I carry a fire extinguisher, but from time spent in Portsmouth and Moreton I know full well the potential risk associated with fire. Given that mounting the FE vertically in the front of the car is not feasible I will mount it horizontally and continue my practice of removing it monthly for a pressure check and gentle taps with a rubber mallet. It seems to have worked as I once discharged an old dry powder unit that was getting low on pressure and it came out as a powder cloud.

Regarding lifehammers I have them fitted to all three cars, but care needs to be taken with them as in the event of a frontal accident airbags may not have activated, and reaching down into the footwell could be a hazard as the delayed activation of airbags will likely kill you if you are reaching forwards/down. Similarly I would never reach across the front of someone in a car's front seat if it had been in an accident and airbags had not activated. That's where a lfehammer enables you to cut their belts from above the shoulder without reaching into their car. But then the dilemma do you help them out and risk exacerbating a neck/back injury? Well you can only judge that one when it arises.

 

[mcghee]

Just as a by the way, make sure your fire extinguisher is fitted so that if you are involved in an accident it can't break free from its holder and smack you in the head.

 

[otherclive]

Yes I've seen some pics on website forums where they have been located high on a rear door or pillar and just screwed into the plastic mouldings trim....... Not good eh?

 

[RayS]

While obviously it's a good idea to carry a fire extinguisher, the chances of needing to use it are very low. In my working life I drove very large distances - averaging over 23,000 miles/year for many years and in that time saw exactly two vehicles on fire. One was overheated brakes and the other failure to remove a blanket placed over the (air cooled) engine on a coldnight. Since then I have seen one - a major engine fire in a new Discovery in a Spanish supermarket car park which would have burnt itself out had not some macho young man opened the bonnet to get at the source of the fire. No one or two kg. extinguisher would have been any use at all.
All the cars I drove while working were fitted with fire extinguishers by the company for insurance purposes only.

The classic answer to the question 'what steps would you take on discovering a fire in a car' is blo**dy great ones at high speed in the opposite direction.

 

[RayS]

While obviously it's a good idea to carry a fire extinguisher, the chances of needing to use it are very low. In my working life I drove very large distances - averaging over 23,000 miles/year for many years and in that time saw exactly two vehicles on fire. One was overheated brakes and the other failure to remove a blanket placed over the (air cooled) engine on a coldnight. Since then I have seen one - a major engine fire in a new Discovery in a Spanish supermarket car park which would have burnt itself out had not some macho young man opened the bonnet to get at the source of the fire. No one or two kg. extinguisher would have been any use at all.
All the cars I drove while working were fitted with fire extinguishers by the company for insurance purposes only.

The classic answer to the question 'what steps would you take on discovering a fire in a car' is blo**dy great ones at high speed in the opposite direction.

 

[jasonbecker]

Not a big difference from how the old one is installed. But the performance should give you somehow improvements. I wish I can find some manual on the net.
Spam Link Deleted
Parksy
(Moderator)

 

[otherclive]

I don't understand your answer other than the link takes me to a commercial site that says nothing about fitting an extinguisher into a car, but seems to be selling a service. Can you expand please.

 

[ChrisUK]

Having had to use a 6kg dry powder extinguisher in my garage recently (electrical wiring / pipe insulation - roofing felt!) I will warn you that dry powder makes a terrible mess that is difficult to clear up. I replaced it with a CO2 type. However I have tackled two car fires with CO2 (my office was right next to a car park) and they don't work very well on a car engine fires, it puts out the fire, but does not remove the heat and it reignigts.
I think that if you had some electronic device catch fire, the drypowder would ruin it, but hopefully stop the fire spreading.
In umpteen years of driving I have only seen 2 or 3 car fires, but, driving along the road I am surprised by how often you can see the blacked stain on the tarmac where there has been a fire.
Mounting in a car is so difficult now as all the surfaces to mount to are plastic.
Running away is the best advice, but when its your house / car the sensible thing gets forgotten.

 

[Gozza]

... I will warn you that dry powder makes a terrible mess that is difficult to clear up. I replaced it with a CO2 type.
...I think that if you had some electronic device catch fire, the drypowder would ruin it, but hopefully stop the fire spreading.

I've never had to put out a fire in an electronic device myself, but I'm reliably informed that either a CO2 or a dry powder extinguisher will ruin them - the DP because of the sticky mess and the CO2 because the extreme cold will crack circuit boards.
In situations where I only have one extinguisher I always favour dry powder as it's the only extinguisher that's totally safe to use on anything - in theory CO2 can be used on anything. but unless used skilfully it'll just blow loose flammables like paper around, it won't always stop a fire re-igniting as in Chris's comment above, and because of the extreme low temperature of the gas jet I've never been comfortable with the idea of using it on burning clothing although recent changes to medical advice now say that it is acceptable for this purpose.
Having said that, of course if a CO2 was the only thing available I'd use it!
My qualifications for making these comments - I'm a health and safety professional with a specialism in fire safety.
If there was a fire in my car or caravan, my attitude is that the FEs are there to make sure my family and I can escape safely, so any mess that gets made is irrelevant. I can't say I'd feel the same if a fire threatened my home, but that's just human nature!