On Sat, 10 Jan 2004 21:50:09 -0500, keith bowers
wrote:

Gunner wrote:

On 10 Jan 2004 10:44:20 -0800, jim rozen
wrote:

In article , steamer says...

--I think you mean "Halon". Horrible stuff.

Horrible, how?

Jim

Halon is hardly horrible stuff. Its a CFC (NOOOOOOOOO!!) that has had
significant use in fire systems. Its a heavier than air gas, that
displaces the oxygen in the room that its dumped into. IRRC it is
nontoxic, but as it indeed does displace the oxygen, its greatest risk
is suffocation.

It was very commonly used in computer centers, and other electrical
areas that need fire suppression instantly, with no associated thermal
shock as caused by CO2 and other gases. It worked very very well with
no/few problems. Supression systems were developed that gave lots of
pre warning before a dump, multiple levels of fire detection before
dumping, over rides etc etc etc. Very safe technology and very mature.
Many fire extinguishers were also made, often found in aircraft etc.

It was banned due to its being a CFC, and the price went from only a
few dollars a pound to well over $150 when I checked a couple years
ago.

http://www.reliablefire.com/halon/halon.html
http://www.epa.gov/ozone/title6/608/halons/
http://www.nfpa.org/Research/FireRes...ternatives.asp
http://www.harc.org/

Gunner

"Gun Control, the theory that a 110lb grandmother should
fist fight a 250lb 19yr old criminal"

I can't find an absolutely reliable cite, but this one matches what vendors
told me in the early '80s when I was involved in designing computer rooms
http://www.isp-planet.com/equipment/halon.html
A properly installed halon system only puts about 7% concentration in the
area. Halon is a complex molicule that attaches itself to the oxygen in the
air and severely interfers with combustion. It's only dangerous to humans
when misused; same as if you were in a room that was flooded with water
clear to the roof, instead of spraying a fire with a little water. The
dangers of halon to humans are mostly urban legend.

Yup. As I said..I used to do that professionally G
I still carry my California C7/C10 contractors licenses, though its on
"inactive"

Gunner

"Gun Control, the theory that a 110lb grandmother should
fist fight a 250lb 19yr old criminal"