Thought it might be a smart idea to get a fire extinguishers for our two cars, have seen some 1kg ones advertised at super cheap auto & mitre10 mega for about $20.
Only concern is quality, surely if it's met NZ standards it will work as promised, right? Hate to save a buck, then find out when I need it I should have spent more!
Any advice?
morrisman1,
Jan 26, 3:36pm
get one with a mounting bracket that suits your application would be my advice.
quickbuck,
Jan 26, 3:42pm
1 Kg is quite small. Not sure what the recommendation from the car clubs is, but I wouldn't go near a burning motorbike with anything less than a 2Kg. Well, if 1Kg was all that is about I would obviously give it a go, but really it is not a lot of agent.
Personally I have a 4.5Kg in my pit garage, but obviously this is too big to mount in a vehicle. Cost me $70 through a company we have a contract with at work.
All that said, 1Kg is better than zero Kg. and to be honest, if it passes a standard then it should be okay.
daryl14,
Jan 26, 3:53pm
Have heard the dry Powder ones settle into a hard lump in the bottom of the cylinder after a while and become useless. I had one go off in my old truck and the shit was foul to breathe. So maybe CO2 is the way to go. But ask around.
saki,
Jan 26, 4:02pm
Time to rock and roll it happens in older bone shaker type vehicles.
matarautrader,
Jan 26, 8:19pm
Don't use CO2. They are a gas and blow away in the wind. Dry powder 1 kg will give you about 11 seconds of extinguishing. The cheap extinguishers are usually OK. Make sure they have a mount suitable for cars as an extinguisher on the loose in a prang can make the eyes more than water. Perhaps a 2 kg mounted in the boot?
nukhelenc,
Jan 26, 8:43pm
Yeah just buy a cheap one cos you most likely wont ever use it on your own wheels So why worry about some one else when they don't have one for you. Let the police put out the fire, i mean the fire department. Get your own airbags,,, could be money well spent?
socram,
Jan 26, 9:22pm
Don't fit one with a plastic mounting bracket - I've seen one of those come adrift and it broke the driver's arm!. Metal bracket and two metal clips is considered OK for MSNZ.
The $20 ones are probably good value and are also sold by Fire Protection companies.
martin11,
Jan 27, 5:32am
I have had a plastic bracket one in my boat for 4 years now and never had a problem the extinguisher is checked every year for servicability
budgel,
Jan 27, 9:38am
When I was a volunteer fireman we had a training day which included using a fire extinguisher on a petrol fire. It was surprising to most of us beginners how little time you had once the trigger was pulled, if it wasnt aimed right straight off, it had run out before it was correctly deployed. Whatever you get, at least watch a youtube video on the best way to use it, which is not always easy to do with a huge adrenaline rush from having to deal with a fire.
brapbrap8,
Jan 27, 10:38am
An anyone remember why they are not supplied with vehicles? I asked once when I got a new tractor that had a bracket but no extinguisher fitted, apparently there are very strict rules on transporting extinguishers?
socram,
Jan 27, 11:00am
Sorry, I should have clarified that. The plastic mounted extinguisher that broke was in a saloon car that had an accident and the extinguisher just ripped itself out and bounced around the inside of the car.
I'd imagine that in normal circumstances such as in a boat, they'd be fine. My plastic mounted one is now on the garage wall.
elect70,
Jan 27, 1:44pm
Make sure they are fully insured for full value , if they catch fire empty the extinguisher on the ground & walk away .Seen the result of guy trying to put out an engine fire , a blast of hot fuel & oil burnt his face when he lent over the engine& emptied the little fire extinguisher .
jason_247,
Jan 27, 7:24pm
cheap extinguishers are fine. pretty basic and all meet international standards.
never test a powder one by pulling nozzle. once you squirt a little all the gas will leak out and leave it useless.
co2 does bugger all outside.
2kg will be better if you have the room to mount it.
steel bracket much better than plastic.
make sure fuel source is cut before you fight a fire, i.e. ign off to cut fuel flow.
and with an engine fire dont open the bonnet. if you have to, crack it a little and spray extinguisher in.
intrade,
Jan 27, 7:32pm
i would only have a co2 extinguisher in a car or non at all . you dont blow the extinguisher in to the air you are putting out flames , or stall a engine as only co2 will stall a runaway diesel without Damage when you spray it in the intake .
jason_247,
Jan 27, 7:48pm
its true co2 will stop a diesel but watching a cummins explode at 7000rpm isnt worth missing.
thejazzpianoma,
Jul 20, 5:42pm
Think carefully about where you mount it. I like the idea of them being within reach of the drivers seat so you can hopefully grab it if trapped in the car. Could also make a good tool for smashing a window. Not always very practical or pretty mounted that way though. If it's a powder type, be very sure it won't get accidentally knocked on. I had one go off in the boot of a car when something heavy moved and pushed it (pin came out). No one tells you how difficult it is to get all that powder out of the seams and just how corrosive it is. I have a huge foam extinguisher at work for this very reason.
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