# When did you last check yours



## 89682 (Jun 4, 2005)

Hi All 

Just a thought. I replaced the two fire extinguishers in our van today. I suspect that like most people whenever we have changed vans the fire extinguishers were just swopped over along with all the other bits and pieces. 

When I checked the end dates on the extinguishers one was 5 years out of date, the other four. Now, thankfully, I have never had to use one in years of caravanning and motorhoming. Bit, I wonder, what would have happened if I had had to use the old extinguishers? 

Maybe just worth checking yours to be on the safe side. 

Regards 

Herman


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## 94639 (May 1, 2005)

Hi Herman

A timely reminder to some such as myself, a check is now on my must do list. As we have only one extinguisher on board the purchase of a second will be made before our next outing.

Many thanks


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## zaskar (Jun 6, 2005)

brisey said:


> Hi Herman
> .......................the purchase of a second will be made before our next outing.
> Many thanks


Yep, you really must have a 2nd. The dammed things dont last 2 seconds.......or thats how it seems when you're panicking! 8O 
Mine lasted JUST long enough to put out the small amout of flames caused by burning grease when the calipers jammed on my RV.
We now have 2 in the front, 2 in the bedroom and a fire blanket as well.
Perhaps an overkill, but it frightened the life out of me when I saw just how ineffectual they are!  
Better than nothing.........but that's about it! 8O


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## olley (May 1, 2005)

Hi Guys, but which type? Dry powder, water, gas, or foam. 

Olley


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

My suggestion if you only can have one type would be AFFF (foam). Plus a fire blanket if you ever fry on your hob.

As for Zaskars 4 extinguishers I had only room for 1 and I have sited it next to the door so that I can grab it when leaving.

Regards Frank


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## zaskar (Jun 6, 2005)

sallytrafic said:


> As for Zaskars 4 extinguishers I had only room for 1 and I have sited it next to the door so that I can grab it when leaving.
> Regards Frank


Ah, but your bed ain't 30 odd foot from the door is it!


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## 94639 (May 1, 2005)

Hi Guys

A look at the following web site will give you some information and advice on which extinguisher to use.

http://www.fireservice.co.uk/safety/extinguishers.php


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## 89682 (Jun 4, 2005)

Hmmm I have i started something here? The firebrigade webpage is worth a read.

www.fireservice.co.uk/safety/extinguishers.php

Whilst they say no extinguisher is perfect Dry Powder seems to cover most likely circumstances, and probably most readily available. Point is they need checking folks.

Regards

Herman


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## badger (May 9, 2005)

Well I put mine in new when I bought the van about 2 years ago. Only 1 mind, and I suppose someone will be on here to say the small ones are useless, and I'll have to fill the van with firefighting equipment and have no room for food and clothes and............................  

only joking.....although I know its not a joking matter.........I have often wondered weather my one and only extinguisher would be of any help in a real emergency..........  

I bet there is someone on this forum who could steer us in the right direction without getting us paranoid and installing overkill equipment.

Or perhaps I've missed a perfectly good instructional post in the distant past?? :? 

My appologies if I have, but an update may be in order.


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## zaskar (Jun 6, 2005)

badger said:


> ...............and I suppose someone will be on here to say the small ones are useless, and I'll have to fill the van with firefighting equipment and have no room for food and clothes and............................
> ..


I really didn't mean to be alarmist with my last post. All I can say is that I was bitterly disapointed with the performance of the 1Lb dry power extinguisher I had to use and I suspect that most people have too much faith in what they are capable of.
4 plus a blanket is possibly an overkill, even for a large RV, but it make ME feel better


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## olley (May 1, 2005)

Hi dry powder might be the most effective but the mess! might be better to let it burn.

Olley


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

olley said:


> Hi dry powder might be the most effective but the mess! might be better to let it burn.
> 
> Olley


But first make sure your insurance is upgraded to 'new for old'.


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## mangothemadmonk (Aug 6, 2006)

The one thing you have to remember with a dry powder is to shake it every month as it can cake up. This means it goes into lumps which causes it to fail just when you need it. 

Always check the extinguishers stored pressure gauge if it has one to see that the stored pressure is correct. Some you can weigh as they will have their weight written somewhere on the body. There will be a shelf life/best before date. When its past it, bin it. 

As for tackling a fire only do so if you feel confident. We always preach get out, stay out and call the Fire Brigade out. Also wake your neighbour up if you think that theirs could be affected.

A dry powder will cover most eventualities. Being a powder it can be used on electric. The only trouble is that they make one hell of a mess in a confined space, but that could be the least of your problems.

Know where you isolation valves are for your gas just in case.

I would always make sure you have a fitted and working smoke alarm. I also have a carbon monoxide detector as well. 

Did you know that the Fire Service nationally offers a free smoke alarm and a free home fire safety check and chat. Give your local fire station a ring and ask. (This is for your home but they could give you advise while mobile and if you full time).

At the end of the day its down to good old common sense. If you smoke make sure your *** ends go into a metal bin with a bit of water in. If you use candles make sure they are on/in a non flammable container and that you don't put them near curtains. Don't leave cooking pans unattended. 

Last thing at night give all over a check and know where your keys are if you are on dead locks etc. 

Hope that is of some help. 

Stay safe you all. 

Johnny F


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## mangothemadmonk (Aug 6, 2006)

Just thought I would bring this post back as a reminder.
Now the time of year is here and habitation checks are being done its a good time to check your smoke alarms (house ones as well) and your fire extinguisher and fire blanket.
Give your smoke alarm a hoover out just to make sure flies and insects haven't taken up residence and put a new battery in. Same with your CO detector if you have one.
Take care.
Johnny F


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

As for binning it, how? Don't want to give the refuse collection lorry a turbo-boost on a Monday morning. I've had an old one sitting outside by my bins for weeks now. Each time I see it I think I must check how to dispose of them.

Dave


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## dwwwuk (Dec 31, 2005)

Smoke alarm? - do most motorhomes have one (or should they).

I have a 2006 Bessacarr and it doesn't - when I had a caravan it did, is there any reason why / why not to have one? If so, which are the best for motorhomes - the optical or radiation (can't remember the actual type!) ones?

David


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## mangothemadmonk (Aug 6, 2006)

Hi Dave, hand it in to your local Fire Station and ask them to dispose of it for you. We get a few handed to us every year. We usually set 'em off then bin them.
If not take it to your local refuse centre and ask them.
Johnny F


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## teensvan (May 9, 2005)

Hi.

Just checked our two extinguishers and they are in date until 2011. We also have one fire blanket and smoke alarm. This gets tested most days with anns cooking.

steve & ann. -------- teensvan.


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## sheringham (Mar 24, 2006)

Reading this thread prompted me to go and check the numerous extinguishers in the kitchen, garage and workshop.

I know the exts. and the fire blanket in the Mh are fairly recent from Screwfix and are valid to 2012.

I bet I am not the only one with exts. which are somewhat out of date as the ext. next to the wood turning lathe is a Pyrene GPDP PD2.2 made in 1966 and complied with FOC 69/37 at that time. press the white dimple at the top and it still retains the pressure. The unit on the wall in the garage is a BCF unit made in 1976 and the 1201 can be heard moving when shook. 
From which you can gather that either I am ultra cautious or bloody lucky not to have an incident involving fire!!! With smoke detectors I am neurotic and change the 9V batteries at least every 6 months.
Tomorrow will place order with Screwfix for 2 more DP units and by Tuesday all will be in place and none older than 4 years. 
Shall hand in the "mature" ones to Staffordshire Fire Service HQ some 250 metres away
A salutary warning!!!!

I cannot believe I alone have relics?

Ron


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## patman (Jan 1, 2007)

Evening all
We have a fishing boat and carry two 4kg units and two 1 kg units. At the local chandlers the 1kg were £25 each and the 4Kg £64 each. I got them all from Lidl for £36. All to EN3 standard with guages.
Regards Patman


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

I had a halon extinguisher in my hall for many years and when they were discontinued for environmental reasons I replaced it with an AFFF but never quite got around to disposing of it, it just stayed on its bracket. When starting to do the decorating I took it off its bracket and it was empty! Now either someone had a fire and didn't tell me or its been quietly destroying the ozone layer by itself  However it was quite a shock to find it useless, only slightly offset by the reassuringly big AFFF exinguisher by its side.

There's probably a moral there somewhere.


Regards Frank


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## mangothemadmonk (Aug 6, 2006)

If its a dry powder just remember to give it a good shake to stop the powder "caking" (going lumpy). If its a stored pressure look at the gauge. Any doubts, change it.
I would recommend putting a smoke detector in a M-home. The new ones have a hush facility so when it goes off through burnt toast/bacon etc you push the button and it de-sensitizes it for about 12 mins then re-arms.
If anyone hasn't got smoke alarms for their houses, ring your local fire station and ask for a free home fire safety check and free smoke alarms. Its a free service now provided by the Fire Service.
Johnny F


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## 88826 (May 9, 2005)

I would be grateful if someone could advise me where do I dispose the obsolete, (since 2003?) Halon extinguisher which was in the motorhome which I bought?http://www.chubb.co.uk/chserver/navId/00000200a00i00b001
Bonza


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## patman (Jan 1, 2007)

Bonza said:


> I would be grateful if someone could advise me where do I dispose the obsolete, (since 2003?) Halon extinguisher which was in the motorhome which I bought?http://www.chubb.co.uk/chserver/navId/00000200a00i00b001
> Bonza


Just throw it out of the window as you drive along. A traffic warden would be good of course.


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## mangothemadmonk (Aug 6, 2006)

Hi Bonza, hand it in to your local fire station. They will probably hand it top who ever checks their extinguishers, we use Chubb and I have passed old extinguishers to their rep.
Johnny F

ps. If you wanted to be really naughty, just set it of and bin it :wink: As long as we have concrete factories we will always have global warming. They do say for every ton of concrete produced the process produces a ton of CO2.


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

Just popped into my local fire station this morning and asked about extinguishers both for the house and van.

Advice received was unequivocal AFFF *not* dry powder for both. Thats what I thought from various offshore courses but nice to get it confirmed by a reassuringly experienced fire officer (two pips on shoulders).

The government (home office) leaflet more or less says the same. AFFF is the only one without an entry in the 'DANGER' column.

Regards Frank


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## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

sallytrafic said:


> Advice received was unequivocal AFFF *not* dry powder for both. Thats what I thought from various offshore courses but nice to get it confirmed by a reassuringly experienced fire officer (two pips on shoulders).
> Regards Frank


*Hi Frank*,

With the AFFF, you have to remember to isolate the power supply to any electrical fire situations.

This is why Dry Powder covers most types of fire, as my former colleague Johnny has pointed out. Excellent advice given there, by the way.

*Hi Bonza*,

I would keep the Halon (BCF) extinguisher in service, providing that it is still serviceable, in date, and of sufficient pressure as indicated by the guage or pressure test button. Once it has been discharged, it cannot be refilled.

I have two such type extinguishers in the home. If it was a business premises, that would be different. I would have them decomissioned.

Jock.


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

With everthing else apart from the lights protected with RCD I would rely on the AFFF to knock the electric off  kill two birds wth one stone.

See I'm an electrical bod, worry like anything about fire but mains shocks no worries.

Frank


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

Funny how we get paranoid about the size, type and number of fire extinguishers we have on board. Then are quite happy to drive around with naked gas flames on our heating appliances... :roll:


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## mangothemadmonk (Aug 6, 2006)

Hi Spacerunner. I have always been paranoid about the size of mine 8O 8O 8O 

The reason I would go for a dry powder is that it covers a wider range of fire classes. The only down side is the mess it makes in a confined space but its better than seeing your "precious" go up in smoke.

Just as long as you have a smoke detector to give advanced warning of a fire in its very early stages and an extinguisher which you feel confident in using (if you don't then get out, stay out and call the fire service out) its better having some sort of fire fighting medium than none at all. Just remember to check what it can be used on and that it will work when you need it.

Johnny F


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## mangothemadmonk (Aug 6, 2006)

sallytrafic said:


> See I'm an electrical bod, worry like anything about fire but mains shocks no worries.
> 
> Frank


I find that shocking Frank :wink:

You be careful out there mate.

Johnny F


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## olley (May 1, 2005)

Hi speaking for myself I don't think fighting a fire inside a motorhome full of plastic giving of potentially lethal fumes is a good idea.

Best to stand outside and watch it burn, you can always buy another van, difficult if your dead though. 

Olley


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

olley said:


> Hi speaking for myself I don't think fighting a fire inside a motorhome full of plastic giving of potentially lethal fumes is a good idea.
> 
> Best to stand outside and watch it burn, you can always buy another van, difficult if your dead though.
> 
> Olley


Plastic oh dear! I can see, Olley, that I'll have to revise my view of RVs downward.



Frank


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## olley (May 1, 2005)

Hi Frank its american plastic far better than that stuff we use, guaranteed to stop an RPG.   

Olley


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