Fire Extinguishers

yes, halon is still available but it is a "recaptured" gas and very expensive. what is more readily available
is a product called "halotron". has all the approvals and firefighting capabilities of halon but none of the
hassles. 2.5# units can be purchased online or at napa,etc. and will not need hydrostated for 6yrs.
this type of extinguisher is still the best bet to have on board. it is clean and will not damage anything
after use. co2 has its drawbacks but mainly the bulk of the container and the low temps. encountered
are the chief ones. halotron is your best choice.

 

Note that halotron is about 25% or so less effective than Halon, so plan your firebottle lbs accordingly.

 

Wow, didn't know that. Good to know though.

Too bad the Halon is so hard to get, best damned stuff.

I once had a fire under the hood of my 1961 Impala, 409 dual quads... damned dry chemical extinguisher did more damage than the fire!

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

 

Do some research on 'Purple K'.

It is the standard of the oil and gas industry for those types of fires specifically.
So if your seats or dash catch on fire, I don't know how well it would work, but this or Halon has to be
better than ABC dry chemical.

 

Halon is easily available on the Internet and considering that it is the best product available I wouldn't think that anyone who is interested in protecting a Ferrari would chose any alternative extinguisher.

 

Be aware the FireCharger ones that have the little co2 cylinder attached to the side and can be refilled by the owners will freeze below 32 and crack the bottle. They have water in them. Found out when the race car sat out for a few hours last winter.

 

Halon 1211 - the good stuff:

http://www.ricambiamerica.com/index.php?cPath=627

 

On your "standard" 308 engine fire, how big a bottle do you need? 2.5lb? 5lb?

Just curious,

Joe

 

As a pilot, I will only have Halon in the cockpit. Safe and effective.

Many sizes are availble from Aircraft Spruce (www.aircraftspruce.com) and Wag-Aero (www.wagaero.com)

According to Aircraft Spruce, the Halon blend (1211 and 1301) is MORE effective than straight Halon. See page 55 of thier catalog.

Reasonable prices from both suppliers.

Bob Z.

 

I bought this one:http://www.ricambiamerica.com/index.php?cPath=627

together with the billet mounting plate and clamp on the same page as the fire extinguisher. I mounted it behind the passenger seat and it is secure and easily accessible. $600. but worth it if there is a fire (and 430's seem to catch on fire more frequently than any other passenger cars I know about.

 

I had the same question a little while ago and decided that for $150 it was prudent to buy one and have it in the car - so I ordered from Ricambi and it sits snugly on the floor between the passenger seat and the door sill without it needing to be mounted.

 

Dumb question, maybe, but can you get a Halon extinguisher recharged or do you just replace them?