With all the safety issues with the Noldcold frig I'm wondering if we should have an automatic fire extinguisher system in the outside frig compartment.  Has anybody installed one and what type and brand did you install?

Hello John and Linda
   I have been using an automatic fire extinguisher since my first frig fire in 1989. I like the fire fight SS30. Their web site is firefight1.com. You can try shopping around but I think the price is about $165.00 plus freight no matter who you buy it from.

Steve

I agree that the price is probably about the same, but an expert in RV fire extinguishers is http://www.macthefireguy.com/

The fire guy does not show a fire extinguisher made for a frig with an automatic 165 degree head. The ones he shows have  280 degree heads made for engine compartments. He may have one but he does not show it on his website. (http://firefight1.com/prod_ss-30_z.html) This is the style you want - they also make one with a 90 degree head or with the head mounted on a hose depending where you need to locate it.

Steve J

I also have the ss-30. In addition I installed a smoke detector in that compartment as a warning system. Hopefully it will wake us in time to get out if there is a fire.

Marc, do you have the 90 degree head?  How would I mount it?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Halon-.....;hash=item5647a0f8b2
I have installed 2 of these units. One is in the Electrical Bay under the pilot seat and the other is in the Dometic Fridge access area . I am considering putting one in the Hurricane furnace/Seaward electric water heater bay .I am going to install a thermometer in the bay to see what temperature 'head' I need. I also have 4  10 lb powder extinguishers inside the coach.

After watching a demonstration staged by Mac the Fire Guy, we replaced our powder extinguishers with 3 aqueous foam ones (one large and 2 small).  The ability of these units to deal with Class A and B fires is impressive and they don't have the residue issues associated with powder.  

We're planning to buy a large automatic system for the engine compartment.  Mac inspected both our electrical bay and generator compartment and didn't think either one warranted an extinguisher.  I have to admit I hadn't considered the Hurricane system.  We eliminated the refrigerator concern by buying a residential one.

I've read a lot now about different extinguishing systems for both engine areas and fridge areas. Has anyone had firsthand experience with an actual fire after the system install? I see the posts about people that have had fires and them installed systems, but have you had another fire afterwards?

Ken

We had a 53 foot boat that had a halon fire suppression system.  It was huge and unfortunately my husband was down in the engine compartment and knocked it just a bit and it went off.  So when you mount any auto system make sure nothing will accidentally trip it.  The previous owner had a small engine fire and he said it worked great.  The manufacture was KIDDE and they were bought out so we couldn't get it recharged.  Halon extinguisher need to be refilled at the factory.

Quoted from Hennessey

We had a 53 foot boat that had a halon fire suppression system.  It was huge and unfortunately my husband was down in the engine compartment and knocked it just a bit and it went off.  So when you mount any auto system make sure nothing will accidentally trip it.  The previous owner had a small engine fire and he said it worked great.  The manufacture was KIDDE and they were bought out so we couldn't get it recharged.  Halon extinguisher need to be refilled at the factory.

IMO a halon system wouldn't be suitable for a MH engine compartment because it the engine bay is open at the bottom.  Halon is normally used in enclosed locations so it can displace oxygen and stop the fire.  You could use it inside the coach but you wouldn't want to be inside if it went off. Your husband was very lucky; no one is supposed to be inside when a halon system is set off.

Thanks Linda, in boats, the hull holds the heavy Halon or other extinguishing agent inside. Large ships use CO2 to flood watertight compartments to extinguish fires aboard. They let it sit for days monitoring the temperature inside before opening up and allowing air back into the area.

In the back of your refrigerator and in the engine compartment there is no containment, therefore the heavy Halon or other extinguishing agent flows out or is blown out by wind or motion. We've all read about and maybe some even have experience with oil blowby from the engine being picked up in the air stream and blown into the radiator along with any dust or road dirt, clogging rear radiators.

I've been looking for an actual user who had a fire that was extinguished or contained by a fixed head system as sold by Mac the Fire Guy or similar. I've seen the sales videos of how the systems are set up, and even a couple of them set off on stationary equipment. I'm looking for the person who was driving 60 mph down the freeway, had a fire, and the "system" extiguished it.

Quoted from 6322

I've been looking for an actual user who had a fire that was extinguished or contained by a fixed head system as sold by Mac the Fire Guy or similar. I've seen the sales videos of how the systems are set up, and even a couple of them set off on stationary equipment. I'm looking for the person who was driving 60 mph down the freeway, had a fire, and the "system" extiguished it.

That's a fair question.  Why not send Mac an email asking if he has one?  We saw his "performance" at the Escapees Boot Camp last summer but that question was not asked.  It would be worth knowing the answer.

The ss-30 is advertised to be used in engine compartments.  Aren't they open at the bottom?   Also, our engine compartment wasn't totally closed.  It had 2 3ft by 1 foot vents.  The problem with other types of extinguishers is that they leave a residue and I would think that a CO2 extinguisher would be made less effective with an open compartment since the intro of oxygen via an open compartment or vent would be the same as halon.  Halon is so much more expensive than CO2 (ours was 2K) for a fraction of the size that big tankers need that I suppose cost is a factor is which type to buy.

Quoted from Hennessey

The ss-30 is advertised to be used in engine compartments.  Aren't they open at the bottom?   Also, our engine compartment wasn't totally closed.  It had 2 3ft by 1 foot vents.  The problem with other types of extinguishers is that they leave a residue and I would think that a CO2 extinguisher would be made less effective with an open compartment since the intro of oxygen via an open compartment or vent would be the same as halon.  Halon is so much more expensive than CO2 (ours was 2K) for a fraction of the size that big tankers
need that I suppose cost is a factor is which type to buy.

The extinguisher Mac recommends for engine compartments is foam, not CO2.  CO2 wouldn't be effective for the reason you note.  The foam leaves only a water soluble residue which can easily be removed.  We watched foam be demonstrated against a variety of fires, particularly gasoline and diesel fuel.  It provides protection to vertical surfaces for a considerable length of time.  An engine compartment unit is supposed to be positioned over the intake side of the engine so that the spray from the nozzle can blanket the surfaces on that side.

This link this talks about a question I had on fire extinguisher placement in the refrigerator compartment.  

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f54/norcold-air-temp-at-top-for-fire-extinquisher-operation-81098.html

Thoughts?

Thanks for the link, Wayne.  Another link within an associated thread led me to this very interesting YouTube post, where you can learn something about your refrigerator's construction, as well as see an appropriate mid-level fire extinquisher placement that would deal with both top and bottom compartment fires, but leave the extinguisher tank and guage fully accessible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zm1cOgn2Uk&feature=player_embedded#at=31

Joel

This thread got me thinking, worrying and then pondering the installation of these automatic extinguishers; so many things to look into and learn.

Well, I found a problem after contacting a local fire/safety supplier and was told that Halon 1211/1301 is illegal in Canada unless special arrangements and licensing is in place, and then only for aircraft applications.

So I am trying to find something comparable. Any ideas?

The engine suppression system Mac The Fire Guy sells is a foam based system, correct?

Thanks,

Jeff

This thread has brought me into the whole fire safety in the RV mode. It would appear proper attention to maintenance of heat generating systems is a key factor. Then what fire controls to put in place, ranging from smoke detectors and fire extinguishers to fully automated fire suppression systems. As well as having a fire escape plan and practicing it.  I'm still in the processing mode at this time.  I did find the videos on "cold fire" in this link interesting http://www.coldfire.biz/CF_Video_News.htm  .  

Quoted from Wayne Tull

This thread has brought me into the whole fire safety in the RV mode. It would appear proper attention to maintenance of heat generating systems is a key factor. Then what fire controls to put in place, ranging from smoke detectors and fire extinguishers to fully automated fire suppression systems. As well as having a fire escape plan and practicing it.  I'm still in the processing mode at this time.  I did find the videos on "cold fire" in this link interesting http://www.coldfire.biz/CF_Video_News.htm  .  

I can't get your link to work.  Did you intend to point here:  http://www.firefreeze.com/  ?  These folks appear to own the trade name "cold fire".

That space space . at the end was a bad idea on my part.

http://www.coldfire.biz/CF_Video_News.htm