Fire suppression system

[LEAH DRAPER]

Assuming that he has a website, does he have any information on it regarding this system....anybody know?

[Gil_Johnson]

I'm curious as to how effective the system would be while the coach is moving at speed.  There's a lot of air passing through the engine compartment.  I'm not expert, but would think extinguishing agent will have a hard time getting to where it needs to be.  Did he make any comment on what the extenquisher agent does if ingested by the engine?

Gil
08 Contessa

[Keith Cooper]

If I was going to install an automatic 3 or 4 liter fire supression system in the engine compartment I would also be inclined to install an extinguisher alarm system or a heat sensitive alarm set to trigger at no more than 275 degrees. The idea is to get the rig stooped as quickly as possible to maximize the effect of the fire supression system.  

[Joel Ashley]

Gil -
Quoting Joel W., "He said that engine runaway is not a problem with AFFF because it has no combustible hydrocarbons so is inert in the engine even if ingested by it."  That it is inert, beyond not being combustible, likely means it does little harm inside the engine, but it is a question worth further exploration.

Leah-
http://www.macthefireguy.com/fire_safety_products.htm
Scroll about halfway down to the engine compartment units, as well as an available alarm.

[Keith Oliver]

One of the reasons boats have engine kill in the automatic fire suppression is to save the engine.  Dry chem extinguishers will ruin your engine if ingested.  So if you don't put an engine stop function in, be sure the extinguisher you use is not harmful to the engine, as it WILL be ingested.  

[Ken Buck]

AFFF concentrate is mixed with water to create the "foam solution" then aireated at the nozzle to produce "finished foam". If he's using a 10% mixture ratio to create more foam, it's still 90% water. Unmetered amounts of water/foam into the intake of a diesel engine can't be good for it. When water converts to steam inside the engine it expands 1700 - 1. I'm not sure which engines can survive that compression ratio. It may not add to the combustion, but it will certainly alter the compression.

You will not get off scott free from damage in any event. The engine will most likely be hot when/if a fire starts, unless it's an electrical fire, which AFFF solution isn't going to extinguish anyway. Imagine dumping a few gallons of water on top of your hot engine. It's still better to put the fire out than it is to burn the entire motorhome, but there's gonna be some damage.

[Joel Weiss]

[quote author=]

You will not get off scott free from damage in any event. The engine will most likely be hot when/if a fire starts, unless it's an electrical fire, which AFFF solution isn't going to extinguish anyway. Imagine dumping a few gallons of water on top of your hot engine. It's still better to put the fire out than it is to burn the entire motorhome, but there's gonna be some damage.
[/quote]

Even a rebuilt engine is a lot less $$ and hassle than replacing everything in the MH.