engine bay fire extinguisher

[bargebird]

It seems my boat insurance demands that I have a fire extinguisher for the engine bay area on my widebeam canal barge.

Can anyone advise me of the options I can use please.

Thanking ALL who reply in advance

 

bargebird

[by'eck]

Halon substitute with auto trigger will do the least harm to your engine.

 

Much cheaper more commonly available powder ones make an awful mess.

[Ally]

See if they will accept a fire hole. If there is a fire in there, you either need an automatic sensore one, or usually you can have a metal covered hole through the bulkhead, through which you can put the extinguisher nozzle. You don't want to have to lift deck boards to use one! We always fit the fire point hole, many boats though have no facility.

[DaveR]

Easiest way is to pipe in a 2kg CO2.

 

Extinguisher costs about £60 and the extension hose with connections another £30. This means that the extinguisher can be mounted externally (so you do not have to open the hatches in the event of a fire) and still remain under manual control.

 

Dave R

[Iain_S]

Fire hole is a good idea, which keeps things simple, with no risk of discharge in error.

One of our fellow owners had an engine room fire some years ago on Copperkins, and one problem was that the engine started itself, and could only be stopped by using the fuel cut-off.

A CO₂ extinguisher would have prevented the engine starting,although it would still have turned over. (We have since moved the battery master switches outside the engine area.)

Any CO₂ extinguishers will have to be in addition to BSS requirements, depending on examiner, as CO₂ doesn't have an A rating.

 

Iain

[MtB]

It seems my boat insurance demands that I have a fire extinguisher for the engine bay area on my widebeam canal barge.

Can anyone advise me of the options I can use please.

Thanking ALL who reply in advance

 

bargebird

 

 

You have a boat now?!! Am I the last to find out? Lol!

 

Mike

[bargebird]

Thanks for your replies....I like the sound of the auto trigger system and halon substitute that richardhula advised, as to say I would be in panic if a fire started is no-where near the real event !!!

Ian_S mentioned that the engine started itself so how could I stop it if the cut-off switch is in the engine bay? Could I have another fitted inside the living area perhaps?

What is the difference between CO2 and the halon substitute as it would be nice to have a good engine after the event if possible.

Thanks again

 

Jules

[blackrose]

Easiest way is to pipe in a 2kg CO2.

 

Extinguisher costs about £60 and the extension hose with connections another £30. This means that the extinguisher can be mounted externally (so you do not have to open the hatches in the event of a fire) and still remain under manual control.

 

Dave R

 

I don't think my insurance requires it, but I'd like some sort of system whereby I don't need to lift the deckboards (cruiser stern) in the even of a fire on my widebeam. At the moment I just have an extinguisher in the engine space to satisfy the BSS, but it's a bit of a waste of time really. If there was a fire the worst thing to do would be to lift the deckboards.

 

The only problem with an externally mounted extinguisher is that I imagine it wouldn't be long before someone nicks it or kids set it off.

[colin stone]

After much debate I went for a FirePro solid extinguisher - essentially a "rocket" that burns and interacts chemically with the flame/oxygen reaction. Leaves a residue rather like the dust that collects on the TV. It is manual with a smoke and heat sensor in the engine room with alarm in WH. Controlled by a WH panel - you may actually need to get somewhere safer even if the engine room is on fire!!

Also have fuel supply cut off valves that are remotely operated from the WH.

Great thing about FirePro is that is is simple to service and company will train owner to service. Pressure systems require a proper techy to service each year - and insurance may be invalid if not annually serviced.

FM200 is a name to look out for, and I also considered water mist, CO2, etc etc.

[Bob18]

CO2, like most gases, has a major disadvantage, they don't cool any hot surfaces and they dissipate very rapidly when the covers are opened.

Water mist, effective, but you have to have it properly installed to get the best out of it, and it needs regular servicing.

Foam is superb for fuel fires, but, and big one to consider, is the mess they leave behind, its no joy having to wash down the foam, and dispose of the resultant mess.

The various powders are very effective, but like foam they leave a lot of mess to clean up.

The "new kid on the block" are the pyrotechnic devices. Its strange to think of using a firework to put out a fire, but they are very effective, produce less mess than either powders or foam. The big drawback is the capital cost, they sure ain't cheap, but they do have a long service life.

Halogen is banned apart from in some very specific circumstances, so is a non-starter for use on a boat.

[Iain_S]

Ian_S mentioned that the engine started itself so how could I stop it if the cut-off switch is in the engine bay? Could I have another fitted inside the living area perhaps?

 

As far as I can recall from the log, the engine (Vetus 4.15)was switched off at the first visible signs of smoke. It then started itself, most likely due to insulation burning off the starter cicuit. The engine stop was still operative, but required holding in all the time, not a good idea with a fire under the floor, and the engine was still turning on the starter anyway. If the battery master switches had been accessible, switching off would have prevented the engine re-starting.

 

With the benefit of hindsight, if it had been possible to kill the batteries without lifting the engine boards, the damage would have been a lot less, and,indeed, that action alone might have killed the fire, which started in the wiring loom.

 

Iain

[Bob18]

Certainly being able to turn off both the fuel and batteries from outside the engine enclosure will help a lot in controlling a fire. It is important that the point at which both are isolated is outside the enclosure, otherwise you may find you get no advantage.

[bargebird]

Thanks to you both lain_S and Bob18.....I understand your answers perfectly and will look into the possible relocation of the battery Isolation switches and fuel shut-off.

Thanks to EVERYONE for taking the time to answer

 

Jules

[bizzard]

It might have paid to rev the engine on the one that caught fire as any nearby flames and smoke would be sucked into engines air intake and possibly self extinguish.

Carburetter vehicles would often pop back through the carb and sometimes set the plastic aircleaner and element alight,and the first thing to do was to restart the engine,rev it hard,hey presto fire out.

Once on holiday in Cornwall this had happened. At traffic lights an elderly couple in an HB Viva were in a big flap with flames and smoke emitting from around its bonnet and frantically throwing out all their holiday and personal effects,and me being a ''Knight of the road'' as well as the river,ran across the road at great risk ahem,grabbed the keys restarted it and revved the hell out of it,fire was sucked out by the engines carb,i then did temporary repairs to wiring, HT leads ect with insulting tape.

They were so pleased and very very grateful, i had a lump in my throat,and their holiday wasn't ruined.

I didn't charge em much. bizzard.

[by'eck]

Halogen is banned apart from in some very specific circumstances, so is a non-starter for use on a boat.

 

I think you mean Halon. Yes it was banned some time ago but there are perfectly legal extinguishers available using a Halon substitute.

 

Here is an example of a 2Kg automatic FE36 halon alternative.

[bargebird]

Thanks for that link Richard

 

Jules

[WotEver]

I didn't charge em much.

[Chertsey]

Certainly being able to turn off both the fuel and batteries from outside the engine enclosure will help a lot in controlling a fire. It is important that the point at which both are isolated is outside the enclosure, otherwise you may find you get no advantage.

Oh well, I'm stuffed then.

[rjasmith]

Oh well, I'm stuffed then.

 

Yes - having a day tank in the (proper) engine room near the engine doesn't seem to be quite what the RCD standard writers (ISO 9094 - Fire Protection) had in mind either.

 

I keep reading and re reading it to see if I can invent some suitable words for the Tech File that will keep our set up more or less compliant!

 

9094 is due for reissue soon and will bring in some changes unless a comment I made to the RYA a few months ago is accepted. This could bring in fixed fire extinguisher systems for smaller engines if I read the new draft correctly!

 

This would only affect people working to the RCD of course.

 

Richard