Author Topic: Firefighting question... (Read 2824 times)

280plus · « **on:** May 16, 2006, 12:41:41 AM »

Does anyone know what chemical they put into those dry chemical extinguishers? I was wondering if it is corrosive or if it conducts electricity. I know the "purple K powder" we used in the Navy was corrosive but this stuff is yellowish not purple so I'm not totally familiar with it. Had a local fire dept put out an electrical fire in a customer's A/C and the question is will it eat away the bare metal electrical connections over time? I also notice some very strange arcing and sparking between two terminals and wonder if the powder was the cause. Any info would be helpful.

mtnbkr · « **Reply #1 on:** May 16, 2006, 02:15:34 AM »

I've been told the dry chem ABC extinguishers are corrosive and bad for electrical components. That's why it's better to use a BC model when you know it's an electrical fire. BC doesn't have this problem.

Chris

K Frame · « **Reply #2 on:** May 16, 2006, 02:43:36 AM »

No, it doesn't conduct electricity, at least not it its powder form. Mixed with water yes, but the powders are hygroscopic, which could contribute to arcing.

Most dry chem fire extinquisher powders are sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, monoammonium phosphate, or a combination of the three.

A BC fire extinquisher will be filled sodium or potassium bicarb. The chemicals are corrosive.

An ABC extinquisher contains primarily monoammonium phosphate. That's the most destructive to electrical equipment, but any of these will score the living hell out of electrical contacts, which will cause arcing in its own rights.

CO2 extinquishers are best for pure electrical fires, as they leave no residue of any kind.

280plus · « **Reply #3 on:** May 16, 2006, 11:34:26 AM »

Yea, that's what I thought. Especially since working on it started all the little cuts etc on my hands to start stinging like it was lemon juice. I totally agree they should have used CO2 and would venture to say the FD effed up hard. Everybody say a little prayer that I can get this POS working again. :sigh: It was the indoor blower motor that went up in flames. They blew this crap all over and into the return plenum. What a mess. The FD did more damage than the fire! rolleyes

K Frame · « **Reply #4 on:** May 16, 2006, 11:53:55 AM »

Fire department doesn't care about what happens after they put out the fire.

My suggestion?

Distilled water, and LOTS of it, is your friend.

The stuff is insidious, though.

Guest · « **Reply #5 on:** May 16, 2006, 12:54:30 PM »

If you want the firefighters to use Halon or another electronics friendly means of extinguishment (is that a word) then you should provide such extinguishers.

K Frame · « **Reply #6 on:** May 16, 2006, 01:00:58 PM »

Should we provide a truck, hose, and water, too?

Firethorn · « **Reply #7 on:** May 16, 2006, 01:58:58 PM »

Quote from: Mike Irwin

Should we provide a truck, hose, and water, too?

How about not letting your stuff catch fire? Wink

280plus · « **Reply #8 on:** May 16, 2006, 03:01:51 PM »

If we didn't let our stuff catch on fire once in a while, what would the fire dept have to do?

I don't know if they carry CO2 on the trucks, you would think so. I may call them just for info. I'll let you know what happens. Might be a day or two.

K Frame · « **Reply #9 on:** May 16, 2006, 04:53:56 PM »

CO2 extinquishers are heavy, and of limited use, so I doubt if there are too many on fire trucks these days. The last time I saw a CO2 extinguisher in use was in the fire house to immobilize what turned out to be a rabid bat. They're normally something kept on-site at plants and in or near electrical equipment rooms.

Sylvilagus Aquaticus · « **Reply #10 on:** May 16, 2006, 08:16:37 PM »

I dunno, but it sure plays Hob with old aircooled VW engines with gas leaks.

Makes the aluminum/magnesium parts real hard to get apart.

I know, I used to drive a Wolfsburg Hibachi.

Regards,
Rabbit.

280plus · « **Reply #11 on:** May 17, 2006, 12:56:52 AM »

Quote

CO2 extinquishers are heavy,

My first guess as to why one didn't make it up the ladder and onto the roof. Not a biggie, maybe this'll give me an excuse to sell them a whole brandy new unit. Cheesy

280plus · « **Reply #12 on:** May 17, 2006, 02:03:48 AM »

I gotta ask...

Did they chase the bat around swinging the extinguisher at it? Cheesy

I used to work at a big building that had motion detecors. If a bird or whatever was in there we had to get it out or we couldn't set the alarms to go home. We did the best we could to get them out in one piece and usually did but when it got late we had this little rubber mallet that we became deadly with. Sad but true... Sad

Brian Williams · « **Reply #13 on:** May 17, 2006, 03:23:48 AM »

The most used extinguishers in the Marines were the CO2 ones because they were heavy and we did not want to lug them around, besides they did a great job of cooling liquid refreshments

K Frame · « **Reply #14 on:** May 17, 2006, 05:29:26 AM »

"Did they chase the bat around swinging the extinguisher at it?"

Nah, they blasted it in place to make it sluggish then killed it and set it for testing. Rabid.

charby · « **Reply #15 on:** May 17, 2006, 05:36:44 AM »

Quote from: 280plus

If we didn't let our stuff catch on fire once in a while, what would the fire dept have to do?

Burn books.

280plus · « **Reply #16 on:** May 17, 2006, 07:21:41 AM »

Quote

Burn books.

Now that's funny right there...

CHAR-by,,, appropriate ID for the thread, don't you think?

Cheesy

charby · « **Reply #17 on:** May 17, 2006, 07:31:49 AM »

Quote from: 280plus

Quote

Burn books.

Now that's funny right there...

CHAR-by,,, appropriate ID for the thread, don't you think?

Cheesy

Yeah! When I have a grill-out all my buddies call it Char-Bee-Q

And for all of the slow folks today.. think Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451.

-C

Guest · « **Reply #18 on:** May 17, 2006, 10:52:29 AM »

Quote from: Mike Irwin

Should we provide a truck, hose, and water, too?

I dont know about you, but Im pretty sure that some portion of my local taxes accomplished that. Of course, that is your point. However, consider for a moment wether or not you would be willing to pay for all the other tools that would be necessary for the FD to make *everyone* happy. I think that after the first 6 million spent on the robotic car-in-tree retriever you might sing a different tune. :p

K Frame · « **Reply #19 on:** May 17, 2006, 11:06:20 AM »

"first 6 million spent on the robotic car-in-tree retriever"

OK....

I want to know a couple of things...

How often have you had to retrieve your car from a tree, and

How drunk were you to get your car UP the tree in the first place?

Cheesy

And I've been to a number of fires where the homeowner provided the water we used to fight his fire, in the form of a pond or swimming pool. When you're in the country, you draft where you can.

Oh, I've always found that a chainsaw is a perfectly adequate means of getting a cat out of a tree, as is the ladder carried on virtually every firetruck in the nation.

Hell, even our brush truck had ladders.

Guest · « **Reply #20 on:** May 17, 2006, 05:55:46 PM »

.22 works pretty good, too.

MillCreek · « **Reply #21 on:** May 17, 2006, 06:26:07 PM »

We stopped responding to 'cat in tree' calls. As we would say to the owner, "Have you ever seen a little cat skeleton clutching to a tree branch? They will come down eventually."

Guest · « **Reply #22 on:** May 17, 2006, 07:39:08 PM »

Quote from: MillCreek

We stopped responding to 'cat in tree' calls. As we would say to the owner, "Have you ever seen a little cat skeleton clutching to a tree branch? They will come down eventually."

.... the skeleton, that is"

charby · « **Reply #23 on:** May 18, 2006, 04:58:57 AM »

Quote from: WV Slim

.22 works pretty good, too.

Monitor is covered in coffee

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Author Topic: Firefighting question... (Read 2824 times)

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