AUTO FIRE EXTINGUISHER FOR FRIG

[John Hennessey]

With all the safety issues with the Noldcold frig I'm wondering if we should have an automatic fire extinguisher system in the outside frig compartment.  Has anybody installed one and what type and brand did you install?

[Steve Jewell]

Hello John and Linda
   I have been using an automatic fire extinguisher since my first frig fire in 1989. I like the fire fight SS30. Their web site is firefight1.com. You can try shopping around but I think the price is about $165.00 plus freight no matter who you buy it from.

Steve

[Joel Weiss]

I agree that the price is probably about the same, but an expert in RV fire extinguishers is http://www.macthefireguy.com/

[Steve Jewell]

The fire guy does not show a fire extinguisher made for a frig with an automatic 165 degree head. The ones he shows have  280 degree heads made for engine compartments. He may have one but he does not show it on his website. (http://firefight1.com/prod_ss-30_z.html) This is the style you want - they also make one with a 90 degree head or with the head mounted on a hose depending where you need to locate it.

Steve J

[MarcRodstein]

I also have the ss-30. In addition I installed a smoke detector in that compartment as a warning system. Hopefully it will wake us in time to get out if there is a fire.

[John Hennessey]

Marc, do you have the 90 degree head?  How would I mount it?

[Joel Weiss]

After watching a demonstration staged by Mac the Fire Guy, we replaced our powder extinguishers with 3 aqueous foam ones (one large and 2 small).  The ability of these units to deal with Class A and B fires is impressive and they don't have the residue issues associated with powder.  

We're planning to buy a large automatic system for the engine compartment.  Mac inspected both our electrical bay and generator compartment and didn't think either one warranted an extinguisher.  I have to admit I hadn't considered the Hurricane system.  We eliminated the refrigerator concern by buying a residential one.

[John Hennessey]

We had a 53 foot boat that had a halon fire suppression system.  It was huge and unfortunately my husband was down in the engine compartment and knocked it just a bit and it went off.  So when you mount any auto system make sure nothing will accidentally trip it.  The previous owner had a small engine fire and he said it worked great.  The manufacture was KIDDE and they were bought out so we couldn't get it recharged.  Halon extinguisher need to be refilled at the factory.

[Joel Weiss]

We had a 53 foot boat that had a halon fire suppression system.  It was huge and unfortunately my husband was down in the engine compartment and knocked it just a bit and it went off.  So when you mount any auto system make sure nothing will accidentally trip it.  The previous owner had a small engine fire and he said it worked great.  The manufacture was KIDDE and they were bought out so we couldn't get it recharged.  Halon extinguisher need to be refilled at the factory.

IMO a halon system wouldn't be suitable for a MH engine compartment because it the engine bay is open at the bottom.  Halon is normally used in enclosed locations so it can displace oxygen and stop the fire.  You could use it inside the coach but you wouldn't want to be inside if it went off. Your husband was very lucky; no one is supposed to be inside when a halon system is set off.

[John Hennessey]

The ss-30 is advertised to be used in engine compartments.  Aren't they open at the bottom?   Also, our engine compartment wasn't totally closed.  It had 2 3ft by 1 foot vents.  The problem with other types of extinguishers is that they leave a residue and I would think that a CO2 extinguisher would be made less effective with an open compartment since the intro of oxygen via an open compartment or vent would be the same as halon.  Halon is so much more expensive than CO2 (ours was 2K) for a fraction of the size that big tankers need that I suppose cost is a factor is which type to buy.

[MarcRodstein]

[size=14]I used a 90 degree head like the one in the attached photo. The mounting location shown is not ideal but is the only place I could access and I figure it is better than nothing. The better way would be to pull the fridge and place the fire extinguisher up high, behind the fridge. But who wants to have to pull that monster out?[/size]

[Joel Weiss]

The ss-30 is advertised to be used in engine compartments.  Aren't they open at the bottom?   Also, our engine compartment wasn't totally closed.  It had 2 3ft by 1 foot vents.  The problem with other types of extinguishers is that they leave a residue and I would think that a CO2 extinguisher would be made less effective with an open compartment since the intro of oxygen via an open compartment or vent would be the same as halon.  Halon is so much more expensive than CO2 (ours was 2K) for a fraction of the size that big tankers
need that I suppose cost is a factor is which type to buy.

The extinguisher Mac recommends for engine compartments is foam, not CO2.  CO2 wouldn't be effective for the reason you note.  The foam leaves only a water soluble residue which can easily be removed.  We watched foam be demonstrated against a variety of fires, particularly gasoline and diesel fuel.  It provides protection to vertical surfaces for a considerable length of time.  An engine compartment unit is supposed to be positioned over the intake side of the engine so that the spray from the nozzle can blanket the surfaces on that side.

[Wayne Tull]

This link this talks about a question I had on fire extinguisher placement in the refrigerator compartment.  

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f54/norcold-air-temp-at-top-for-fire-extinquisher-operation-81098.html

Thoughts?

[Joel Ashley]

Thanks for the link, Wayne.  Another link within an associated thread led me to this very interesting YouTube post, where you can learn something about your refrigerator's construction, as well as see an appropriate mid-level fire extinquisher placement that would deal with both top and bottom compartment fires, but leave the extinguisher tank and guage fully accessible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zm1cOgn2Uk&feature=player_embedded#at=31

Joel

[Jeff Watt]

This thread got me thinking, worrying and then pondering the installation of these automatic extinguishers; so many things to look into and learn.

Well, I found a problem after contacting a local fire/safety supplier and was told that Halon 1211/1301 is illegal in Canada unless special arrangements and licensing is in place, and then only for aircraft applications.

So I am trying to find something comparable. Any ideas?

The engine suppression system Mac The Fire Guy sells is a foam based system, correct?

Thanks,

Jeff