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Hi folks! Ended up replying at another forum and thought to post the same info here for y'all:
"Hi folks, just happened across this thread. I was in the fire protection business for awhile and we serviced most major brands.
Personally I wouldn't use a Kiddie for much of anything. There's good reason why they're cheap, and sold at chain stores. In our experience they're marginal at best and basically designed as a cheap disposable. Most techs refuse to refill them at all, that says a lot.
Ansul is indeed good, another good unit is Badger and the latter is quite reasonably priced. Whatever you buy look for all metal valve as mentioned, not plastic.
In use a 2-3 lbs extinguisher only lasts a few seconds. You have gasoline, oil, grease, vinyl/plastic flammables present, plus you could be stuck in the car in a serious wreck! I wouldn't ever carry less than 5 lbs, and 10 lbs takes up a very small footprint, COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!! A pair of 5's happens to be my minimum carry for gas powered sport vehicles, but a single 5 lbs or 10 lbs might do it for you.
Yes, they seem expensive, but high quality is available at around $50 apiece. Figuring your equipment investment and value of life and limb, seems dirt cheap to me. They should be a lifetime unit, able to be recharged for years & years if you buy quality such as those mentioned. I have some that are 50 years old in excellent shape.
I have to disagree that the gauges aren't accurate, that has never been our experience in the re-charge business. Instead it indicates a poor quality re-charge or a cheap junk extinguisher to start with, such as one brand already mentioned. A good quality unit's gauge is a very dependable indicator of state of charge.
About every 3-6 months remove unit from rack and use a smallish rubber mallet or heel of hand to lightly tap around cylinder, mainly tapping bottom sides with extinguisher inverted. You want to knock the powder loose enough so that when slowly tipping unit upside down and right side up again you can hear the powder flowing in tank. May have to have your ear right up close. Reason for this is that in a vehicle the vibrations & shock can cause the powder to get all packed in at bottom of cylinder where it won't pump when needed most!
Also there's a type of critter that builds mud nests wherever it finds small holes: such as the spray nozzle tip on a fire extingusiher! A piece of black electrical tape across there with easy tear off tab may be worth considering, or use a brightly colored plastic nipple cover from the autoparts store.
Good to contact a fire extinguisher service company and check out their products. They can advise you on the proper unit as there are several types, 'A', 'B', 'C', and 'B-C" and 'A-B-C'. 'B-C' may be your best bet, but at least speak with the pros and get advice. They usually have some kind of a deal going.
Also in California a private user isn't required to have unit serviced yearly, where a commercial user is. Inquire with an extinguisher company & they can usually supply you with a quality older used unit that's just fine for our needs.
I hope each one of you will very seriously consider investing in a good quality extinguisher or two, especially for a vehicle that is driven at the max in potentially dangerous conditions. My guess is that any of your lives, and those of friends & family, is worth $100-$200 ??
.
"Hi folks, just happened across this thread. I was in the fire protection business for awhile and we serviced most major brands.
Personally I wouldn't use a Kiddie for much of anything. There's good reason why they're cheap, and sold at chain stores. In our experience they're marginal at best and basically designed as a cheap disposable. Most techs refuse to refill them at all, that says a lot.
Ansul is indeed good, another good unit is Badger and the latter is quite reasonably priced. Whatever you buy look for all metal valve as mentioned, not plastic.
In use a 2-3 lbs extinguisher only lasts a few seconds. You have gasoline, oil, grease, vinyl/plastic flammables present, plus you could be stuck in the car in a serious wreck! I wouldn't ever carry less than 5 lbs, and 10 lbs takes up a very small footprint, COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!! A pair of 5's happens to be my minimum carry for gas powered sport vehicles, but a single 5 lbs or 10 lbs might do it for you.
Yes, they seem expensive, but high quality is available at around $50 apiece. Figuring your equipment investment and value of life and limb, seems dirt cheap to me. They should be a lifetime unit, able to be recharged for years & years if you buy quality such as those mentioned. I have some that are 50 years old in excellent shape.
I have to disagree that the gauges aren't accurate, that has never been our experience in the re-charge business. Instead it indicates a poor quality re-charge or a cheap junk extinguisher to start with, such as one brand already mentioned. A good quality unit's gauge is a very dependable indicator of state of charge.
About every 3-6 months remove unit from rack and use a smallish rubber mallet or heel of hand to lightly tap around cylinder, mainly tapping bottom sides with extinguisher inverted. You want to knock the powder loose enough so that when slowly tipping unit upside down and right side up again you can hear the powder flowing in tank. May have to have your ear right up close. Reason for this is that in a vehicle the vibrations & shock can cause the powder to get all packed in at bottom of cylinder where it won't pump when needed most!
Also there's a type of critter that builds mud nests wherever it finds small holes: such as the spray nozzle tip on a fire extingusiher! A piece of black electrical tape across there with easy tear off tab may be worth considering, or use a brightly colored plastic nipple cover from the autoparts store.
Good to contact a fire extinguisher service company and check out their products. They can advise you on the proper unit as there are several types, 'A', 'B', 'C', and 'B-C" and 'A-B-C'. 'B-C' may be your best bet, but at least speak with the pros and get advice. They usually have some kind of a deal going.
Also in California a private user isn't required to have unit serviced yearly, where a commercial user is. Inquire with an extinguisher company & they can usually supply you with a quality older used unit that's just fine for our needs.
I hope each one of you will very seriously consider investing in a good quality extinguisher or two, especially for a vehicle that is driven at the max in potentially dangerous conditions. My guess is that any of your lives, and those of friends & family, is worth $100-$200 ??
.
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