Fire extinguisher Question
- Thread starter Jencourt
- Start date
Saxe Point
Well-Known Member
I just replaced the small one in my boat with another small one from Canadian Tire that was on sale for about $25. I asked around and was told the old one probably wasn't worth recharging. Recharging is likely only economical if you've got a high end extinguisher.
directmule
Member
We get our fire extinguisher's re-certified every year in our trucks........all they do is check the gauge and bang/shake them up if gauge pressure is up and there re-certified.
Hali killer
Member
I take mine to northern ropes in behind value village.
Enniberg
Well-Known Member
Mine was actually low this time - the safety pin had somehow gone missing and they told me it likely had caused it to leak a bit when carrying/shifting it around on the boat - gotta get it permanently mounted so this does not happen again. Recharging is a bit more costly - I paid 36 bucks.
Are the cheapo extinguishers without a certification even legal on a boat??
Are the cheapo extinguishers without a certification even legal on a boat??
Jencourt
Well-Known Member
How much do they charge you to re-certified.
Saxe Point
Well-Known Member
For sail or powered pleasure craft up to 6 meters (19 feet 8 inches), the Transport Canada regs say:
11. One (1) 5BC fire extinguisher if the pleasure craft is equipped with an inboard engine, a fixed fuel tank of any size, or a fuel-burning cooking, heating or refrigeration appliance
I have a 16 footer with an outboard and portable tanks, so no extinguisher is required, but I think having one is obviously a good idea.
For those fortunate to have the big sail/powered pleasure craft between 6 meters and 9 meters (29 feet 6 inches) TC says:
11. One (1) 5BC fire extinguisher if the pleasure craft is equipped with a motor
AND
12. One (1) 5BC fire extinguisher if the pleasure craft is equipped with a fuel-burning cooking, heating or refrigeration appliance
This is all on the Transport Canada web site.
Saxe Point
Well-Known Member
Here's a 2 lb'er on sale for $23 that's rated 5BC: http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brow...urpose+Fire+Extinguisher,+2+lbs.jsp?locale=en
Foxsea
Well-Known Member
If you get it to a accredited professional - great! Not to to sound cavalier but why not do it yourself? Our Health & Safety crew at work do exactly as noted above- if the pin has not been pulled and the guage is well in the green, turn upside down, bang the bottom with a rubber mallet and shake. Profisher's an expert but I've been told the cheap ones with plastic fittings cannot be re-charged.
Saxe Point
Well-Known Member
"but I've been told the cheap ones with plastic fittings cannot be re-charged."
Exactly what I was told when I went to try and recharge my old one. But those inexpensive small ones at Canadian Tire have a 6 year warranty, which is pretty good.
Exactly what I was told when I went to try and recharge my old one. But those inexpensive small ones at Canadian Tire have a 6 year warranty, which is pretty good.
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casper5280
Crew Member
When I took my Power Squadron course, we took a fire fighting course at the fire department. It was a great learning experience. They showed us how you would fight a fire on a boat in close quarters. They also told us about proper extinguisher placement, meaning someplace that everyone can see it and grab it if a fire was to start. The thing that I learned the most was those small fire extinguishers are almost useless. They would almost put the fire out and then the extinguisher would be empty, and the fire would start up again and there you are still standing there with a fire and a empty fire extinguisher. They other thing was how many extinguishers that did not work, the firemen told us that this was quite common.
Saxe Point
Well-Known Member
Just wondering, is that for pleasure craft or commercial?
Hali killer
Member
I cant remember the price but it was cheaper than buying new. My insurance requires them to be up to date and a certain size.There not the cheap plastic ones though.
Ok, I'll weigh in here....all portables that are either in a public building, a commercial truck/van boat etc must be annually inspected and tagged. Dry chem's are recharged every 6 years from the date of manufacture. They get a hydro test as well after 12 years. The 6 year recharge is about half the price of new...so worth doing. The cost of a hydro & recharge at 12 years on 5 pound ext'ers and smaller is not worth it. Your bill to fix will be the same as replacing. I only hydro 10 pounds and larger. Co2 are hydro tested and recharge every 5 years. They are expensive to replace as new so we always hydro and recharge them. Don't buy portables with plastic valve bodies. They are more prone to leaking from diferent expansion rates between metal and plastic...often the are slightly under size from commercial portables: ie...Can Tire sells one that looks like a 5pound but is actually only 4 pounds...they can sell cheaper. Also plastic nozzles often have no inner or outer thread for the shops to hook a pressure vessel up to...so they can't be recharged and they are only good for 6 years instead of 12. Our shop guarantees our recharges for the full 6 years...so long as you haven't discharged it, removed the pin, dropped it etc. They do leak on their own once and awhile and that is why they get certified and why it is good to deal with a shop that will stand behind new sales and recharges. Now you know everything about portables 
I should have mentioned that because all recharges are from the date of manf. you should always find that date on any retail store purchased fire ext. The stores seem to be better now, but a few years ago it wasn't uncommon to see "low priced on sale" portables that were already 3 or 4 years old still new on the shelf. So you were only 2 years from having to spend money on a recharge instead of 6 years. So not really a good deal.
