BenB
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| posted on 9/2/09 at 12:17 PM |
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What size fire extinguisher?
Okay, following on from the "how bad can things get" thread? I've been thinking about my serious lack of fire preparation in my
garage. Only one exit (the front doors), lots of welding going on, usual crud all over the floor, oil soaked rags etc etc...
Okay, so I can do something about the oil soaked rags and crud (and clear either side of the car for an escape route) but what to do about the serious
lack of extinguishing ability. At the moment my method of escape would be to run over the top of the car and fling myself out the doors 
I've got an extinguisher for the car but it's a piddly 600G token gesture one which really wouldn't do much for a garage fire.
So... what to get. Anyone know if a powder 2Kg extinguisher would suffice (presumably I'd realise the gig was on fire before it got too big)...
I know powder extinguishers knacker up the car a bit but I'm not planning on using it, and even if I did I doubt it'd stop the fire
completely, hopefully enough to escape....
What does anyone else use?!?! We've got our fire inspection coming up at work and I was hoping they would get new ones (and I could whip the old
ones) rather than pay the ££££ to check the old ones but apparantly we have to pay £££ for the inspection anyway even if we did this.....
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 9/2/09 at 12:26 PM |
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I have 3, 5kg powder extinguishers in my garage mounted on the walls and a plastic bucket of sand (not for making sand castles...), there's 4
large opening windows, 2 on the back wall and one each side wall, plus a back door and off course the main door, so plenty of exits really.
I make a point of keeping the oily rags in a small oil drum at one corner away from where I weld or the workbench grinder. Also sweep the floor before
I shut the place up for the night, which is important to stop any burning embers taking hold later after welding etc.
I suppose if a fire really got going I could simply switch on the garden hose, taps on the side of the garage, though the hose is inside due to the
cold. A good idea too is to switch of the power to the garage at night, I have a cooker switch in the bedroom cupboard (houses main fuse box is there)
which I flick before going to bed so I now nothing was left on (like a heat gun etc) also prevents the electric door opening.
[Edited on 9/2/09 by Mr Whippy]
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tegwin
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| posted on 9/2/09 at 12:31 PM |
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The bigger the extinguisher you can fit (within reason) the better IMHO...
Having said that, i dont think the one in my garage works..
The last time I set fire to anything I managed to put it out with my welding gloves.... I couldnt get the smell of burning pubes out of my clothes
for weeks after mind you!!!!!
[Edited on 9/2/09 by tegwin]
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Would the last person who leaves the country please switch off the lights and close the door!
www.verticalhorizonsmedia.tv
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 9/2/09 at 12:34 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by tegwin
The last time I set fire to anything I managed to put it out with my welding gloves.... I couldnt get the smell of burning pubes out of my clothes
for weeks after mind you!!!!!
buy a willy warmer rather than use the welding gloves...
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graememk
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| posted on 9/2/09 at 12:37 PM |
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if you havent got a couple of extinguishers, get 2 buckets one with an old bath towel in it and full of water and a slash of washing up liquid, other
one with sand.
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tegwin
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| posted on 9/2/09 at 12:41 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
quote:
Originally posted by tegwin
The last time I set fire to anything I managed to put it out with my welding gloves.... I couldnt get the smell of burning pubes out of my clothes
for weeks after mind you!!!!!
buy a willy warmer rather than use the welding gloves...
Isnt that normally known as a woman?
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Would the last person who leaves the country please switch off the lights and close the door!
www.verticalhorizonsmedia.tv
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 9/2/09 at 12:43 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by tegwin
quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
quote:
Originally posted by tegwin
The last time I set fire to anything I managed to put it out with my welding gloves.... I couldnt get the smell of burning pubes out of my clothes
for weeks after mind you!!!!!
buy a willy warmer rather than use the welding gloves...
Isnt that normally known as a woman?
so long as their hairs tied back (fire hazard... )
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MikeR
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| posted on 9/2/09 at 01:05 PM |
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I've got a washing up bottle full of water (so i can squirt it or dribble it over little 'incidents'. I've also got a couple
of empty cordial bottles full of water. Plus a mini extinguisher at the 'back' of the garage (1.5kg?) and a 2kg (?) extinguisher at the
front.
If the weather is ok and i'm late to the pub the usual question is what have i set fire too .... i've only set fire to the garage twice
(rags both times) but all my upper body clothes have holes in them around the crotch region.
Let me put it another way - slapping out the flames on your groin is an interesting exercise as you don't want to hit too hard as you know it
will hurt - yet you want to put the flames out cause you know that will hurt.
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vinny1275
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| posted on 9/2/09 at 01:17 PM |
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AFFF is pretty good compared to powder - it's a wet foam which can be used on liquid fires as well as solids (and doesn't leave a powdery
residue) - it's the same stuff they use in plumbed in extinguishers. The only time I've set fire to the garage was a puddle of petrol (the
floor's not level, so not a good thing!), had a powder one to hand to put it out, but it made a mess.....
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BenB
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| posted on 9/2/09 at 01:42 PM |
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So basically the more the merrier..... oh well! Better buy some extras. Now I think about I'm drastically under-prepared!! So far I've
only set fire to things that could be stamped out (luckily not myself  ).....
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