Halon System

[Carol Bentley]

I'm trying to locate a halon system for my Norcold refrigerator. Does anybody have a source ? Thanks Jim Bentley

[Gerald Farris]

Jim,
Halon fire suppression systems were phased out, starting over twenty years ago because of ozone depletion, and new system sales ended around the 1994 to 1995 era with very few exceptions. The feds decided that halon gas was harming the ozone layer, so it went the way of Freon R 12 refrigerant.

The Cold Fire systems (a wetting agent) are being sold as a halon replacement, even though they are totally different systems. It is not the best system, but it is probably the best one that the government will let you buy. However there are several recognized halon alternatives that I have heard of that you may want to look into. They are Inergen (a combination of nitrogen, argon, and CO2), DuPont's FM-200 (heptafluoropropane), FE-13, FE-25, or FE-36, and of course CO2.  

Gerald  

[Carol Bentley]

Thanks Gerald for the info

[George Harwell]

Jim, go to firefight1.com and look at the SS-30. A little expensive but cheap insurance if you ever have a fire. I installed the horizontal with the 90 degree.

[Joel Ashley]

I'm apparently not up to date on things.  Like Gerald, I'd assumed Halon was no longer being manufactured.  Yet the firefight1.com website is making and selling Halon systems.  I assume some aspect of Federal law changed, or did the halon composition change?

-Joel

Addendum -  I checked and found the following explanation in Wikipedia:

"Halon (including Halon 1211 and Halon 1301), a gaseous agent that inhibits the chemical reaction of the fire. Classes B:C for lower weight fire extinguishers (2.3 kg; under 9 lbs) and A.B.C for heavier weights (4.1–7.7 kg; 9–17 lbs). Banned from new production, except for military use, as of January 1, 1994 as its properties contribute to ozone depletion and long atmospheric lifetime, usually 400 years. Halon was completely banned in Europe resulting in stockpiles being sent to the United States for reuse. Although production has been banned, the reuse is still permitted. Halon 1301 and 1211 are being replaced with new halocarbon agents which have no ozone depletion properties and low atmospheric lifetimes, but are less effective. Currently Halotron I, Halotron II, FE-36 Cleanguard and FM-200 are meant to be replacements with significantly reduced ozone depletion potential."

[Gerald Farris]

I think that the people at firefight1.com are selling one of the newer DuPont halon replacements like FE-36 and calling it halon even though they are chemically different. Halon has not been manufactured in 17 years, so what is available from recycling old systems is used to maintain the older large commercial systems that are still being used. Although they may have access to some halon since it is sold from dismantled systems, but I doubt that they have a dependable enough supply to design and market systems with it.

The newer replacements for halon are not as effective as halon, especially in computer or record rooms, however they will work very adequately for RV situations. The downside is the expense.  So if money is not the problem, use one of the halon replacements. Otherwise you can save a few dollars and go with one of the other systems that that are marketed for RV use like Cold Fire or CO2. The dry chemical systems that are available are so corrosive that they do almost as much damage as the fire, so I would not recommend one of them.

Gerald

[Bill Sprague]

I think you can still get halon fire extinguishers --- at least in the airplane world.   The last time I looked in a new Cessna there is a bottle on the floor between the seats that has halon in it.  Wanting one for the motorhome, I tried to buy one and found out they are very expensive.  

While at an airshow a few years ago, I did buy a non damaging extinguisher.  I'm not in the motorhome and now can't remember the agent.  I'll look later today.

Part of the issue in aviation is what the FAA will allow and certify.   Another part of the issue is the idea that you don't want to ruin what is burning.  For example, if you get a small fire in the instrument panel, you don't want to ruin what's left with the extinguishing agent.  The same might be true in our motorhomes.

On edit:  I found a link to where you can buy halon bottles:  http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/pspages/h3rhalon.php

[Gerald Farris]

I received a personal email on this subject that I will pass on to members incase it may help someone. However I can not guarantee the accuracy of the email.

Gerald

There are a couple of reasons halon is still around.  The FAA doesn't  
 allow much else, and the military confiscated all of our halon back in  
 95 because there was no replacement for combat vehicles and aircraft.  
 they put it all in storage up at the Concord Weapons Station until  
 some numbskull decided it was hazardous material.  It's not hazardous,  
 it's totally inert.  It is however dangerous because it will displace  
 oxygen in confined spaces (as will CO2 and for that matter, fire!).
 
 The base commander at Concord put it up for sale through DRMO and it  
 was purchased for $.05/lb by safecraft up in the bay area.  Last time  
 I had a bottle filled it cost me $25/lb!  He has some 250,000 pounds  
 of it in underground tanks.  He drains and filters the halon and re-
 fills the bottles and gives them a cert.
 
 The feds did make life tougher a while back as a result of the airline  
 crash in Florida.  Now only certain types of bottles can be shipped,  
 even by truck, if they are loaded.  If you have a good one it can be  
 re-filled.
 
 Best places to find extinguisher systems are racing supply houses.  
 They carry just about every type of material, bottle sizes, release  
 mechanisms, and nozzles.  A good start is Pegasus Auto racing  
 Supplies, Keith Averill Racing Stuff, Truechoice, Jegs, and Summitt.  
 They sell to a healthy consumer market.  Everybody else sells business  
 to business and prices the stuff accordingly as if they expect you to  
 take a deduction on it.