Fire extinguisher Question

I'm a little confused both my bottles say good til 12 years beyond the stamp on the bottom of the cylinder or until the gauge is not green. I checked the rec. boat site and all I can find is they must be in good order. So do you have some different info or another site-I see no other markings on my extinguishers-both by KIDDE. Thanks
 
Date my be stamped on the bottom, or located on the bottom corner of one of the stickers front or rear. All dry chem's are recharged after 6 years. The powder has to be run through a screen to remove any lumpy powder. (I call them strawberries in a milkshake) If one of those lumps gets sucked onto the end of the pick up tube...no more powder. 12 years is the hydro interval. If yours have plastic valve bodies/nozzles they probably are non-rechargable and the Kidde is saying their life is 12 years...you have to remember there are no rules for residential or own use applications. You aren't even required to have a portable in your home let alone keep it in working order. I have helped from a dock in trying to put out a boat fire...not easy to do when gas is involved. A cheap portable may be better than nothing around the house...because you can always through it at the fire if it doesn't work and walk out the door....not so easy to do alone and 10 miles offshore. I would have good equipment on the boat and the minimum required is BS...like I said gas is not easy to put out especially if it is under pressure from a EFI system. You only get about 7 or 8 seconds of powder from those 2 1/2 pounders and about 15 seconds from a 5 pounder.
 
I can see where you're coming from on the good equipment etc. But where do I find what the definitive requirement is for a fire extiguisher on a recreational fishing boat. Is this KIDDE or in my case 2, are within the 12 years it states on the front and the pressure is in the green -will I get ticketed by the cops or are they considered "in Date"
 
I believe all boat extinguishers should have an up to date tag. Your insurance would also require this as well.
 
Where do you live? In Langford, there is a place on Station Road. Look for a place that sells fire extinguishers.
 
Nope, fire departments don't want anything to do with taking on liability.
 
Agian it seems alot of people on here are giving really bad advice when you really shouldnt be responding to stuff you dont know about not on this topic but many others on this forum.
Rollie has been servicing and maintaining fire systems and extinguishers many many years he has stated what has to be done hes a professional at his trade ill believe him MORE then anyone else on here as thats what one of his professions,
Would you ask a bus driver on how to fly a plane???? LOLjust saying......
 
Something that most people assume is that a gauge reading in the green means the fire ext is fine and charged. Not always so. The gauge is reading pressure coming up from the pick up tube. As the powder packs down (especially if packed down from constant jarring in a boat or vehicle) this packing on the bottom creates a barrier between the pick up tube pressure and the cylinder pressure. If the o-ring located between the valve body and the cylinder fails it allows all the cylinder pressure to escape but the packed powder will prevent the pick up tube from loosing its pressure too. Therefor the cylinder has no pressure but the gauge still reads in the green as it is still under pressure from the pick up tube. When you go to fire the ext off you will get a very short little puff, then nothing. I've found a few of these faulty extinguishers on my daily service routes over the years.

I can also share a story about the cheap plastic (valve body) extinguishers and why I wouldn't own one. An automotive supply store I serviced had a couple of 5 pound ext'ers with plastic. They were rechargeable and they were 6 years old and due to be done. I told the manager that they would be better advised just to replace them with commercial grade ones and I told her why. She said that she found it hard to believe that they would allow any safety equipment to be sold if it wasn't reliable. I told her as they had to come apart anyway lets go outside in the parking lot and test them. My van was parked out there about 30 feet from the front door. I puled the pin on the first one, squeezed...got the short puff..then nothing...dead. Point proven and she looked stunned. Now I should have just stopped but no had to fire off the 2nd one. Squeezed the handle and it fired, released handle and the check valve jammed in the plastic body and continued firing...I couldn't shut it off. The entire bottle emptied in the parking lot...thats when I noticed my down wind van had a completely wind open front window and yep a now yellow interior!!! Never did that again. LOL
 
"that is my biggest beef with this site...people giving their opinions... "

Ha Ha , thats funny. ( I think ?) :confused:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks to Rollie for making it right....and the truth... and GREAT ADVICE......
 
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