Halon fire extinguishers

[Dean Abramson]

I have seen references to a law change regarding halon fire extinguishers. A boat I am in the process of buying has an automatic halon system in the engine compartment. What are the realities and ramifications? The web searching I have done has been confusing.

Thanks,

Dean

[Parfait's Provider]

Try working with the manufacturer of the system to see what it costs to convert. If it is a small self-contained Fireboy, then they won't convert, they will replace, perhaps at a big discount compared with list, but perhaps not if you shop price. The small bottles are not refillable, so there's not much to be saved. On the other hand, the Halon system will likely do its job if required. Once. Then you get to replace / refill anyway. The issue with Halon is the environment, not your immediate well-being.

[Dean Abramson]

Ken,

I sent you a private message. Did you get it?

Dean

[Oswego John]

Hi Dean,

As you might already know, the Halon family is a serious threat to the protective ozone layer. The Montreal Protocol has banned the use of halon, in it's various forms, since the year 2000 A.D. in developed countries and a complete worldwide ban by the year 2010 A.D. DuPont has ceased distributing it.

You might give serious consideration to having the seller of the boat that you are looking at give you documented proof of the sale and/or proper disposal of any halon that is associated with said boat

Once you take title to the boat and it's associated installations, including halon fire extinguishing equipment, you, as the new owner , most likely will be held responsible for the proper disposal of any existing halon. The present owner must show an unbroken paper trail of the wherebouts or proper legal disposal of the known halon.

At last check, I believe the fine for improper disposal of harmful gasses into the atmosphere is $25,000. The last time that I checked, the cost of proper disposal of halon was $44.00 per pound. There could be serious red tape and other legal ramifications involved with anything to do concerning halon.

Caveat emptor,

O J

[Steve D]

HI Dean,

I have known people who have had halon systems on their boats. The main thing about it is if you have a fire and the system discharges, that is it. You will not be able to refill the tanks. Since it is a great fire supression system, they have left it installed, and figure they will throw the complete system away if it ever does discharge. Then they will worry about replacing it with something else.

STeve

[Evergreen]

Hello:

The permanently mounted engine room Halon fire extinguisher in our boat needs replacement. As mentioned earlier in this thread Halon is not longer available. Instead FE 241 gas is now used. However, these replacements are VERY expensive.

Question: Does anyone have any personal experiences or input regarding these engine room fire suppression systems??? Do they work well and are they worth the expense? Has anyone actually experienced or heard of a fire developing in a Diesel Engine compartment, considering the low volatility of the fuel?

Of course we have several portable fire extinguishers on the vessel but I suspect an engine room system might be quicker and safer as a first line of defense if they are really necessary at all.

What are your thoughts or experiences?

Thanks, Philip & Sharon

[Russell]

Has anyone actually experienced or heard of a fire developing in a Diesel Engine compartment, considering the low volatility of the fuel?

I have had an electrical fire in my engine room, cause by a short from wire chafe. It didnt get big enough to set off the halon system, I smelled the smoke and caught it early.

[Joe Ruelle]

You probably can "sell" the halon to a gas supply company. Since is no longer being produced it has a high demand and commands a high price. I work at an art museum and we have about 15 halon extinguishers because it will not damage the art work. Call a supply company and see if they will buy it from you and buy a new system or units with the money from the sale of the halon.

[Cathy Monaghan]

Hi Dean,

I don't know if an old Halon extinguisher can be refilled with Halotron but it may be worth your while to ask the manufacturer.

For what it's worth, we replaced most of our onboard fire extinguishers with Halotron extinguishers. We mounted 2 manually operated KIDDE 5 lb Halotron extinguishers on either side of the companionway and 1 automatically operated Halotron extinguisher in the engine compartment. There's still a CO2 extinguisher in the forward compartment.

I copied the following verbage from a fire department's web site so that you can see that it's the replacement for Halon. It is also USCG approved.

"....Halotron fire extinguishers are an environmentally acceptable Halon-1211 alternative, designed to meet any special hazard need where Halon 1211 was traditionally used. This extinguisher offers the best discharge range for outdoor applications....." Also see:
http://www.ilpi.com/safety/extinguishers.html
and
http://www.tvfr.com/dept/fm/extinguishers/index.html

Yes, they are expensive, but if there ever is a fire and we can successfully put it out, the boat's interior AND the engine should still be usable since it won't leave a coating of white powder all over everything.

CLICK HERE for some sources if you're interested. There's a wide range in price (don't know why), so you do need to shop around. Look at the 5 lb models, the larger ones are too big to store on a small boat. You can also order them from West Marine and other marine outfitters.


Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay

[Evergreen]

Just was wondering if anyone else, besides Russel, has ever experienced or seen a Diesel Engine room fire?

Also has anyone heard anything about the effectiveness of the newer FE-241 automatic extinguishers?

Philip & Sharon