Fire Extinguishers

[Lee1st]

michele - 2007-03-10 10:30 AM

 

Slightly off but relevant I think ........Do many people have chip pan's in their van's ?. Also please can people explain their abreviations or are they SOTBO and I,m just silly ?.

Whats AFFF and BCF fire extinquishers please ?.

I also read the points about shaking them every year I never knew that and where can one by a fire blanket B&Q ?. cheers.

The chip pan is a no no for us we won't even have one at home so their is no way that we would ever put it in a small camper with us.

 

BCF = Bromochlorodifluoromethane

AFFF = Aqueous film forming foam

CTC = Carbontetrachloride

 

That's why they abbreviate them. When I went to Fire Service training school (Essex) they insisted we learned all of these items. would have been far more beneficial learning more practical and useful stuff. Ah well :-S

Lee

[Guest starspirit]

I thought carbontetrachloride was dry cleaning fluid and highly inflammable?

[Wingpete]

Starspirit. I think you are refrrring to the "other" dry cleaning liquid that was in use, before it was discovered to be carcinogenic ! And banned

Methethylketone (MEK)

CTC has been used for dry cleaning, but a very long time ago *-)

It was found that when in contact with hot steel. it became phosgene, a War gas. That is why the Navy used to dye CTC with red colouring, to prevent Matelots from killing themselves when ironing their uniforms.

Michelle (and other reading this ) CO2 in fire extinguishers is now under scrutiny, as adding to the so called "Global Warming" effect that is flavour of the day. It ascends to atmoshpere and is said to have an adverse efect on it.

Also, CO2 is useful on chip pans fires, so long as it is used at "long range" and not close to the container, when the gas pressure may cause the fat or oils to splash onto the hot cooker and reignite.

Now we are left looking at innert gases for use in fire fighting.

But you don't half need a lot to be effective.

So, have a fire blanket handy, as first attack, combined with an approved portable extinguiser of the Dry Powder or AFF type, and take the trouble to enquire of your local Fire Station as to the methods of use for perosnal safety. They will say "get out, stay out" but when you are in your motorhome, far from the UK fire services, be more self reliant.

 

 

[Supertractorman]

Michele,

 

Aldi & Lidl frequently have Fire Blankets & Extinguishers, and at their prices you can afford to throw them away after 5 years.

 

David

[michele]

Sorry must ask is Aldi & liddals like Tesco's as in that every shop does the same range ? Only we dont have Aldi Lidal isn't very big I will keep an eye out now . thanks for the info peeps (lol)

[Supertractorman]

Michelle,

 

If you go on to both web sites and register you can get reminders of whats coming new each week. www.lidl.co.uk & www.aldi.co.uk

 

David

[michele]

Thank you I will my hubby likes that cheers ;-)

[Dave Newell]

Some sort of fire safety training would be a good idea for many motorhome and caravan owners, it certainly opened my eyes when I attended a course at a MOD installation I worked at a good few years ago. The site had its own fire station and full time crew and every new member of staff had to undergo fire training on the first day. After an hour in the classroom we were taken out to the yard and given some practical experience.

 

First up they lit a 2 foot square, 1 inch deep pan of petrol then picked a volunteer and gave him a\ water extinguisher, I kid you not. Its probably the scariest but most effective demonstration of why you shouldn't use water on a liquid fuel fire! Another volunteer was then chosen and given a AFFF extinguisher and instructed how to tackle the blaze. You start at the outside and work around the fire then in towards the centre, result is the fire was out in 3 seconds!

 

D.