[Public-List] Fire

[Robert Kirk]

Thanks, Michael; I didn't know the new systems were fixed CO2; I thought 
there was some sort of waiver to allow halon in installed engine 
comparetment systems, especially for commercial vessels.

CO2 is fine, and I have a lot of experience with fighting fires with it on 
destroyers in the Navy. A 15# CO2 bottle was the tool of choice for all 
smallish fires whether A, B, or C, even though they are only rated for B/C. 
It always put them out. The salt water fire hoses were reserved for a 
conflagration which, fortunately, we never had since salt water ruins 
everything. That, of course, was before halon or the corrosive Purple K or 
foam. Getting back to the Alberg 30, I'd be perfectly happy to have a halon 
bottle or a CO2 bottle aboard for the occasional galley or engine fire. 
However, I just looked up the cost of CO2 on the internet - a 15# bottle, 
which is probably too big for an A30, is a couple of hundred dollars. A 
more useful 5# bottle is only a little cheaper, though.

If you use CO2, be sure to buy a carbon credit to offset it, though.

Bob Kirk
Isobar #181

At 08:48 PM 7/12/2011, Michael Grosh wrote:
>There were two versions of halon. The first was found to damage ozone. The
>second, 1302, was found to form a toxic gas in the presence of fire,
>different than dying from lack of oxygen, apparently.
>I have a brand new tug launched in May with fixed co2.
>Co2 is not rated for class A or B fires-electrical only, in other words,
>unless one is flooding a space to displace oxygen, shutting hatches,
>blowers, etc.
>It can also stop a runaway engine, most likely cracking the block in the
>process.
>
>MichaelGrosh
>#220 Checkmate


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