Our hobby, fire hazard and fire extinguishers

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burnt classic
A hobby with risks

Our hobby is not without risks. By grinding, welding, soldering or otherwise heating our passion can go up in flames. And a survey in the circle of acquaintances shows that this is insufficiently taken into account. With and fire in the A, B or C class. And with what the insurer will do after a garage fire (you). Because perhaps there is an exclusion clause in the smallest print of the policy about this type of work in our own shed.

A A class fire is one in solid. The coating or wiring for example.

class B
indicates that the extinguishing agent is suitable for extinguishing liquids and liquefying substances such as oil, gasoline, fats, etc.
Class C
indicates that the extinguishing agent is suitable for extinguishing gases. (Be careful when extinguishing gases that you can then shut off the gas supply, otherwise you will get a gas cloud, which can explode afterwards at an ignition source.)
Class D
indicates that the extinguishing agent is suitable for extinguishing very hot burning metals, such as magnesium, from which engine blocks and rims can be made.
Class F
indicates that the extinguishing agent is suitable for extinguishing very hot oils and fats, the amount of which exceeds 5 liters.

A fire starts when a combustible material is heated in an oxygen-containing environment. In practice, the fire is extinguished when:
A: the combustible material is removed (the burning cloth is thrown out),
B: the temperature is lowered (cooling with water, for example),
C: the oxygen (in the air) can no longer reach the burning object (the CO2 gas deck smothers the fire).

At 'us', fire often arises from grinding or welding work. Grinding can cause the fire to start due to the heat generation on site. But more often it is the 'peacock tail of sparks' that makes things farther on somewhere else on the matter. Think of the pile of greasy cloths in the corner. Consider the container with flushing gasoline. Keep the workplace clean. Cover barrels with flammable liquids.

Welding often causes a fire in the hollow cavities, which are provided with oxidation protection. This can also lead to wiring. Think of sills. With that kind of burning 'inside' in the structure of the car, the difficult accessibility affects us as amateur extinguishers. And then we also need the right extinguishing agent!

And then make sure that the extinguishing agent is also accessible and deployable!

EXTINGUISHING MEDIA
Water is a lesser option for us. It is not good for the car and any burning liquid can end up everywhere with the water as a carrier. This also applies to the current spray foam extinguishers.

Extinguishing powder is also a less idea. It is there for A, B and C class fires. Extinguishing powders are based on very finely ground salts. Extinguishing powder for extinguishing liquid fires consists mainly of baking soda, sodium bicarbonate. When the extinguisher gets a lot of it, he notices that it is violently laxative. All extinguishing powders are corrosive and the residues cannot be removed. The advantage of extinguishing powders is that it has great impact power and that the product has a large penetrating capacity. If violence is nevertheless chosen, always choose an ABC-universal extinguisher. Never buy fire extinguishers at DIY stores and car shops. Things should fall under the law on gambling. Preferably buy an extinguisher with internal propellant gas cartridge, not a constant pressure unit. A powder extinguisher with a capacity of less than two kilos is no more than a gesture of goodwill.

CO2 fire extinguishers. The operation of these extinguishers is based on oxygen displacement. The heavy extinguishers have a working pressure of approximately 60 bar and fall under the pressure vessels decision of the Steam System. The two kilos of copies have limited extinguishing capacity. The large 5 or six kilograms with their expansion (snow) tube offer more. But they are awkward. With a full extinguisher in a normal workspace, the concentration of extinguishing agent can become so high that not only the fire but also the extinguisher goes out. CO2 Extinguishers are often used improperly. The temperature at the opening of the expansion tube can be approximately -60 ° Celsius. And that is an ideal temperature for shrinking cylinder buses, for example. CO2 is in fact not suitable for extinguishing solids when they are in their glow phase.

Foam extinguishers / mist extinguishers are the weaknesses after the best extinguishing agent ever received the red card. These extinguishers are reasonably effective and in fact have limited consequential damage. But they don't deserve the beauty prize. And when purchasing, care must be taken that they are frost resistant.

The best extinguishers of all time, BCF extinguishers. They are now prohibited. Because they have an "ODP" - an 'ozone depleting potential' - of thirteen. You can still find them at fairs and at the thrift shops. The extinguishing agent BCF - bromochlorodifluoromethane - extinguishes in a chemical way. It interrupts the chemical chain reaction that keeps the fire going. BCF extinguishes very quickly and without secondary or residual damage at a volume concentration of 4-6%, making a 1,5 kg BCF extinguisher a more powerful extinguishing agent than a 6 kg CO2 extinguisher. And as far as the environmental impact is concerned, the benefit is the fact that the super-fast extinguishing extinguishes the fire much earlier, so that the emission of harmful flue gases stops ASAP. And the environment will be happy with that. Do not confuse these BCF extinguishers with the endearing brass extinguishers that are also often found at trade fairs. The extinguishing agent in it decomposes on exposure to heat in - among other things - phosgene. And phosgene is a highly effective nerve warfare agent.

 

classic car on fire
Things can also go wrong outside the garage

Buy new or used?
Buying new BCF fire extinguishers is no longer possible. But a portable fire extinguisher is one of the few things that can be purchased fairly risk-free, provided it has a fairly recent inspection sticker, the safeguard is intact and the thing looks neat. There is a large supply on trade fairs, thrift stores and remediation companies. Here, at the local building demolition, more than sixty extinguishers have just arrived. They leave for tens. With CO2 fire extinguishers the empty and filling weight is stamped in. Companies have an inspection obligation for their extinguisher park. This does not apply to us. A propellant gas cartridge can be checked on the kitchen scale. For cash extinguishers of any kind, tap the indicator. If the indicator falls down, the device is pressureless due to leakage or use.

Oh yes: it is also very handy to have a fire extinguisher on board during journeys and journeys….

 

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