Fire Extinguishers!

coyotek · March 10, 2008, 12:15:29 PM

Part of boating saftey is having a fire extinugisher on your boat. Plus it is required and you can get a hefty ticket if you don't have one or its empty!!! We found this out first hand this week when we got stopped on the lake and ours wasn't good. When you take your boat out for the first time of the season, pick up the extinguisher and make sure its in the green. Trust me you will save yourself some green if you do!!!

OutdoorFrontiers · March 11, 2008, 08:25:38 AM

Not only do you have to have one that's gauge reads in the green, it has to be within its inspection dates.

If you look hard on the extinguisher, you'll either find a manufacture date printed on the label or stamped into the cylinder itself. To have a "legal" extinguisher, it has to be inspected by an authorized inspector every six years.

A dry chemical extinguisher needs a Six-Year Maintenance done when the extinguisher is six years old, then it needs a hydrotest when its twelve years old.

Check the date on your extinguishers because the game wardens and Coast Guard inspectors will be......

Steve

Bassinkorea · March 11, 2008, 08:37:01 AM

Now this is a couple of great tips/advise.

Safety first

chunkstyle · March 11, 2008, 09:56:15 AM

Can the local fire dept do the inspections? Or at least they'd be able to send you to someone who could, right?
I never knew there was a requirement for inspections, I just thought it had to be "good". Guess I should do a little more

OutdoorFrontiers · March 11, 2008, 10:25:52 AM

Quote from: chunkstyle on March 11, 2008, 09:56:15 AM
Can the local fire dept do the inspections? Or at least they'd be able to send you to someone who could, right?
I never knew there was a requirement for inspections, I just thought it had to be "good". Guess I should do a little more

Some departments do the inspections, some do not. You can check with your local department or look in the Yellow Pages under fire extinguishers or fire safety.

Steve

Kal-Kevin · March 11, 2008, 10:50:03 AM

Even if you think you will never need it some one else may! I had a boat full of week end boaters out buying a boat and was test running it. well it had a fire in the tank well and they used theirs up. I pulled up by side them and handed them mine. i had to tow them back to the landing but now there are two kid and two parents happy to go home dry and safe!

If you think of cost it is only around ten dollars to have a brand new one with you!

Kal

OutdoorFrontiers · March 11, 2008, 12:39:53 PM

Another good thing to do with fire extinguishers from time to time is take them out and shake them like crazy, holding them at different angles to loosen and fluff up the powder. It has a tendency to get packed in the cylinder and it will not come out decent when it's like this. Usually you find this out at the worst possible time!

I do this with mine once a month during the fishing season.

Steve

Smoke_eater · March 11, 2008, 07:30:31 PM

Many of the smaller fire extinguishers (less than 5 pounds) are not able to be "recharged" and must be discarded. All fire extinguishers have a "shelf life", and the ones found in most fishing vessels are of the disposable kind. Your local fire department can advise you if the extinguisher is out of date and some departments give away extinguishers free of charge.

Also, while I have the opportunity, please take the time NOW (clock changing time) to replace the batteries in your smoke detectors in your home. I have responded to numerous calls where the home had smoke detectors but not a working battery. Stay safe

smoke

Glasstream15 · March 12, 2008, 05:17:55 AM

Get a rubber mallet like the kind for putting hub-caps (remeber those) on. Hold the extinguisher at different angles and whack it a few times. Breaks up all the powder clumps. And I bought 2 X 2 packs of those typical boat type extinguishers at Sam's and have 1 mounted in my car trunk and 2 mounted at opposite ends of my garage to make them easy to grab. Cheap security and sorta makes you fell safer.

spetro · March 12, 2008, 05:41:02 PM

Quote from: OutdoorFrontiers on March 11, 2008, 12:39:53 PM
Another good thing to do with fire extinguishers from time to time is take them out and shake them like crazy, holding them at different angles to loosen and fluff up the powder. It has a tendency to get packed in the cylinder and it will not come out decent when it's like this. Usually you find this out at the worst possible time!

I do this with mine once a month during the fishing season.

Steve

If you store/mount the extinguisher horizontal....the movement of the boat on the water will always "shake" the extinguisher

lnlbean · March 28, 2008, 04:44:20 AM

QuoteIf you store/mount the extinguisher horizontal....the movement of the boat on the water will always "shake" the extinguisher

I had the Game Warden tell me that if it was sisdeways in the boat, it would all settle that way and that when you squeezed the handle, nothing will come out. It only makes since as we have to have our Halon 1211 bottles in the upright position at all times in front of our aircraft. We get in trouble if they are not. Since that day, I have had mine standing straight up.

Larry