Fire Extinguishers

[gwebb]

I have had a small fire extinguisher in the D1 for the past couple of years and because of the hot weather in Victoria at the moment I was wondering how much Temp can a small 2kg extinguisher take in the cabin. I don't know how hot it gets in there but it must be well over 50% some days and it could'nt be good for aerosols so I make sure they are kept out but the fire exy???

What's the general consensus. Take it out unless on a trip or leave it inside all the time???

[Blknight.aus]

Ive seen them survive in storage temps over 80 degrees.

I dont know how much hotter as the scale stopped and pegged not much further up the scale.

as most of them are an inert propellent with a powered the temperature shouldnt be a problem unless it causes enough pressure increase to pop the safety.

[dullbird]

if you have had it in there a couple of years have you checked that it is still in date?

[gwebb]

Yep still in date and I usually get the fireys to check it out when they do their extinguisher check at work (when I remember to).

[cewilson]

I have had a small fire extinguisher in the D1 for the past couple of years and because of the hot weather in Victoria at the moment I was wondering how much Temp can a small 2kg extinguisher take in the cabin. I don't know how hot it gets in there but it must be well over 50% some days and it could'nt be good for aerosols so I make sure they are kept out but the fire exy???

What's the general consensus. Take it out unless on a trip or leave it inside all the time???


Leave it in. I have mine constantly in both vehicles and we regularly hit temps above 40 degrees outside here and I've never had a problem.

Cheers
Chris

[hiline]

mate it will be fine as long as it still has pressure in it

if the safety pin is still in place and it has no pressure, i'd say she's blown the safety burst disc..............

[Basil135]

And don't forget to take it out of its holder every month or so, and roll it around in your hands. Turn it upside down, and then roll it between your hands on its side.

This should be done with all DCP (Dry Chemical Powder) extinguishers to stop the power compacting into the bottom.

[cookiesa]

Mine stays in, my thinking is I would rather take the chance of a mess or it not working versus it sitting at home in the shed etc when I (or someone I come across) might need it.

Only used 1 once, that was for a fire under the bonnett of a Vitara on the side of the road.

[seano87]

Just went and had a look at all 3 of my 1kg extinguishers - 2 in car, one for BBQ :twisted:

They were all pressure stamped to cope with a max 21 MPa - 3 different brands, although 2 were identical looking...

Their standard fill is usually around 1000 kPa, or 1 MPa, and state they should be checked to 2 MPa. The short point of it all is that they should withstand huge heat and still not leak/explode. Although if you want to be silly and shoot them... anything is possible!

I tried to find a date on them, and could only find a manufacture date on the cylinder, how long is it safe to keep them for? Or is it more a case of they should just be inspected annually and tested by suitably qualified people? I'm fairly sure the cylinders themselves are meant to be good for 10 years without inspection as per most pressurised cylinders.

Seano

[CraigE]

They are designed to be left out in the weather, heat/cold/rain/wind etc.

[hiline]

Just went and had a look at all 3 of my 1kg extinguishers - 2 in car, one for BBQ :twisted:

They were all pressure stamped to cope with a max 21 MPa - 3 different brands, although 2 were identical looking...

Their standard fill is usually around 1000 kPa, or 1 MPa, and state they should be checked to 2 MPa. The short point of it all is that they should withstand huge heat and still not leak/explode. Although if you want to be silly and shoot them... anything is possible!

I tried to find a date on them, and could only find a manufacture date on the cylinder, how long is it safe to keep them for? Or is it more a case of they should just be inspected annually and tested by suitably qualified people? I'm fairly sure the cylinders themselves are meant to be good for 10 years without inspection as per most pressurised cylinders.

Seano

harsh environment they need to be tested every 3yrs
normal conditions every 5 yrs..........

[CraigE]

Industry codes state they should be inspected by a qualified person every 6 months. This is not mandatory but recommended and widely followed.
They need to be replaced or hydrostatically tested every 5 years, from the date they were first put into service, not from date of manufacture. Generally they will be replaced as the cost of hydrostatically testing them is prohibitive and nearly the same as buying new.
The big thing with private extinguishers is to check them regularly and ensure they are charged and contents mixed for DCP.
If they are generally more than 5 years old I would consider changing them.