Chemical vs water fire extinguishers

[Lelandwelds]

Dont get the antique kind you need to turn upside down that makes its own pressure. If you are going to DIY, any dry powder can be dumped and filled with water. Charge with rubber tipped blow gun. Top off regularly.

You can rig you own " fire extinguisher like product". Just get a tank with an external pressure source. Pump. Air tank. Co2 with regulator.

 

[RjCorazza]

I keep a water can in the house as my go-to fire suppression tool. You would be amazed at the volume of fire a 2.5g can extinguish.
I find them too inconvenient to be carried on a tractor though.

 

[Lbdg8885]

We have both in our volunteer department. The water can is great for small stuff and is one of the first things off the truck with “nothing showing”. As others have said a small amount of dish soap adds a little foam and is good for vegetation type fires. We have also used the environmentally friendly anti freeze to add to the water in winter months.

 

[repete]

We have both in our volunteer department. The water can is great for small stuff and is one of the first things off the truck with “nothing showing”. As others have said a small amount of dish soap adds a little foam and is good for vegetation type fires. We have also used the environmentally friendly anti freeze to add to the water in winter months.

This is the best answer for Class "A" fires (paper, wood grass etc). The soap in the water may not necessarily create foam but it breaks the surface tension of the water and it will soak in faster. Fill the tank with water then add the soap so it does not foam up as you fill it.

Get the kind you can fill with a tire walve.

 

[Wagtail]

Certainly a water fire extinguisher is pretty much only for a Class A fire, whereas a chemical one is multi-class.

The problem is that a fire will usually instil a "PUT IT OUT! PUT IT OUT NOW!!!" reaction, which means using whatever is at hand (for the untrained). Kind of like the adage; 'if all you've got is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.'

I'd advise a multi-class.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I also have C02 extinguishers that would be my first choice to avoid a big cleanup.

Unless you are talking high voltage, like 600 or higher, I would have no issue using a water extinguisher on an electrical fire. It's not the tricity that is on fire, but insulation or some such thing. Why make a huge mess with the chemicals? Extinguish the flame and shut the power off ASAP! Not suggesting anyone else should do that.

 

[leonz]

That certainly gives new definition to the word "carcass"

 

[leonz]

The sulfuric acid, baking soda and water fire extinguishers with a small air charge were very good but I think they could have used white vinegar instead of sulfuric acid instead. They became much less desired because of the sulfuric acid as a reagent and the B+C rated dry chemical fire extinguishers became more accessable and less costly per unit.

I worked on the ansul Purple K fire extinguishers as part of my old job many years ago and they were very good but the Purple K being what it was, was not good for the lungs.

Its always best to flip the powder fire extinguishers upside down occasionally to make sure that the powder is still loose and can move

 

[Turbys_1700]

I have a 5# and newly acquired 20# extinguisher. Just got a mount for the 20# unit. Both are ABC. If I was baling I would keep a water extinguisher on the baler and an ABC on the tractor. 20# units. We never had one on the farm when my father used the combine in wheat and soybeans or the round baler. To me it is cheap insurance and just plain common sense to have them if needed. Just got to figure the best place to mount on the T4.75 now. May put the 5# unit on my Toro Groundsmaster.

 

[Mace Canute]

A couple of years back a friend bought his kid a water gun similar to these, just a slight difference.

It shoots an amazing strong stream of water a considerable distance (they claim 50' for these) and loads fast from a bucket. As soon as I saw it in action I thought it would make a great extinguisher for Class A fires.

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