The hread about freon, etc. was very educational.

Brought up a question bothering me: How can one tell if FE is still OK?

Mine is a very old Kidde, big red puppy; A.B.C. Indicator is still in the green, albeit leaning toward the left (recharge).

Has never been used(thank goodness!)

However, I don't want to find out the hard way that it is over the hill.

Can I squeeze the lever a little, to see if it works? Don't hit me; I'm just ignorant!

The new ones that size range from $40+ on up. I'm not trying to nickel & dime my home's safety; just want to know if there's a way to test this.
If the test shows it's still good, fine. If it shows no good, at least I know what to do, $$ notwithstanding.

Any help appreciated.

HB

Higgs Boson wrote:
The hread about freon, etc. was very educational.

Brought up a question bothering me: How can one tell if FE is still
OK?

Mine is a very old Kidde, big red puppy; A.B.C. Indicator is still
in the green, albeit leaning toward the left (recharge).

Has never been used(thank goodness!)

However, I don't want to find out the hard way that it is over the
hill.

Can I squeeze the lever a little, to see if it works? Don't hit me;
I'm just ignorant!


My understanding is that once the lever is used, the extinguisher will lose its
pressure over time and should be replaced or recharged. Personally, I'd buy a
new one if I was worried about it, so you have one for sure if the old one is
dead. But as long as it shows the proper pressure, it should be OK.

On Sun, 15 Sep 2013 12:23:40 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson
wrote:

Mine is a very old Kidde, big red puppy; A.B.C. Indicator is still in the green,

I asked a local Fire Captain ( I know) about this. His answer was if
the gauge still shows green the FE was still good.

Do not tamper with the trigger.

One is not enough in a home.

Sample placements:

http://ruttsautotools.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/kidde-466141-kitchengarage-fire-extinguisher-10-bc-image-02.jpg

Higgs Boson wrote:
The hread about freon, etc. was very educational.

Brought up a question bothering me: How can one tell if FE is still OK?

Mine is a very old Kidde, big red puppy; A.B.C. Indicator is still in the green, albeit leaning toward the left (recharge).

Has never been used(thank goodness!)

However, I don't want to find out the hard way that it is over the hill.

Can I squeeze the lever a little, to see if it works? Don't hit me; I'm just ignorant!

The new ones that size range from $40+ on up. I'm not trying to nickel & dime my home's safety; just want to know if there's a way to test this.
If the test shows it's still good, fine. If it shows no good, at least I know what to do, $$ notwithstanding.

Any help appreciated.

HB

Hi,
I take it to service center for annual check up. If needed they'll
recharge it. Local code requirement.

On Sunday, September 15, 2013 1:27:37 PM UTC-7, Tony Hwang wrote:
Higgs Boson wrote:

The hread about freon, etc. was very educational.



Brought up a question bothering me: How can one tell if FE is still OK?



Mine is a very old Kidde, big red puppy; A.B.C. Indicator is still in the green, albeit leaning toward the left (recharge).



Has never been used(thank goodness!)



However, I don't want to find out the hard way that it is over the hill.



Can I squeeze the lever a little, to see if it works? Don't hit me; I'm just ignorant!



The new ones that size range from $40+ on up. I'm not trying to nickel & dime my home's safety; just want to know if there's a way to test this.

If the test shows it's still good, fine. If it shows no good, at least I know what to do, $$ notwithstanding.



Any help appreciated.



HB



Hi,

I take it to service center for annual check up. If needed they'll

recharge it. Local code requirement.

Thanks everybody. I should do SOMETHING because it's hard to believe that a
FE literally DECADES old could still be good. But then what do I know?

Also, you-all are right about one is not enuff. Tx!

Kidde Web site says if in green still OK, but it's really old. No Help available on Kidde site. No local service listed. Not helpful site.

Trying to find general FE service center only one listed.

What do you mean by "local code requirement"? Who has this? Fire Department? Or City?

HB

I heard about a school teacher who opened the valve just a bit, and filled the entire room with white powder

He was replaced before the next year.....

another funny from that school, they caught the students printing bogus 20s......

their printing equiptement was excellent

Higgs Boson wrote:
On Sunday, September 15, 2013 1:27:37 PM UTC-7, Tony Hwang wrote:
Higgs Boson wrote:

The hread about freon, etc. was very educational.



Brought up a question bothering me: How can one tell if FE is still OK?



Mine is a very old Kidde, big red puppy; A.B.C. Indicator is still in the green, albeit leaning toward the left (recharge).



Has never been used(thank goodness!)



However, I don't want to find out the hard way that it is over the hill.



Can I squeeze the lever a little, to see if it works? Don't hit me; I'm just ignorant!



The new ones that size range from $40+ on up. I'm not trying to nickel & dime my home's safety; just want to know if there's a way to test this.

If the test shows it's still good, fine. If it shows no good, at least I know what to do, $$ notwithstanding.



Any help appreciated.



HB



Hi,

I take it to service center for annual check up. If needed they'll

recharge it. Local code requirement.

Thanks everybody. I should do SOMETHING because it's hard to believe that a
FE literally DECADES old could still be good. But then what do I know?

Also, you-all are right about one is not enuff. Tx!

Kidde Web site says if in green still OK, but it's really old. No Help available on Kidde site. No local service listed. Not helpful site.

Trying to find general FE service center only one listed.

What do you mean by "local code requirement"? Who has this? Fire Department? Or City?

HB




Hi,
Local city FD fireman come around house to house to check on smoke
detectors, FE(if you do have one or more in the house) better have
annual check up tag by certified sservice center. Law does not require
you to have FE, but if you do, they want to make sure it is in good
working order. If you are running a business, it is mandatory to have
FE. I think it's good for the insurance coverage too.

On Sun, 15 Sep 2013 13:59:11 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson
wrote:



I take it to service center for annual check up. If needed they'll

recharge it. Local code requirement.

For a residence? Very few if any places require FE's for private
homes.

The smallest ones ones are not worth recharging.

Thanks everybody. I should do SOMETHING because it's hard to believe that a
FE literally DECADES old could still be good. But then what do I know?

I think my small Kidde ABC was 10 or 15 years old when I needed it.
Worked fine. Gauge had been in the green.

I took a pot off the stove and put it on a cloth pot holder. Later I
put it back on the stove. Fortunately I sit at the kitchen table
facing the sliding glass door. Looked in the window and eventually
realized I was watching flames. The pot holder had stuck to the pot
when I put the pot back on the stove. Wait. That's the one I
stomped out. Very small by the time the cloth hit the floor.

The Kidde was for a fire in the oven. Worked fine. 10 or 15 years
old. It would have been hard to test it without letting a lot out.

I'd buy a second one for the primary location and put this one in a
secondary location, but after that, I'd rely on the green gauge.



Also, you-all are right about one is not enuff. Tx!

Kidde Web site says if in green still OK, but it's really old. No Help available on Kidde site. No local service listed. Not helpful site.

Trying to find general FE service center only one listed.

What do you mean by "local code requirement"? Who has this? Fire Department? Or City?

HB

I disagree with the pressure gauge needle reading being the sole determinant of whether the FE is still good. Where I live, there is a fire code that requires all fire extinguishers in commercial buildings to be serviced every two years and recharged every 7 years (or something like that). The reason for this is that the white powder inside the FE can consolidate to form a big "clump" which won't come out of the nozzle if and when the day comes when you need that fire extinguisher to work properly. In that case, the propellant gas will come out of the FE, but not the white powder.

So, every couple of years, I have to take my three fire extinguishers in for "servicing", and basically, all that involves is putting the fire extinguisher in an apparatus that holds it horizontal and locates it's center of gravity. The fire extinguisher is then shaken and the location of the center of gravity determined again. If the white powder inside it has clumped together, then the center of gravity of the FE won't move because the powder inside didn't get redistributed when the FE was shaken. If it did move, then it's because the powder was redistributed when the FE was shaken. That determines whether or not the powder inside it is still loose and will flow freely when the FE is used, or if it's clumped together so that it won't flow out of the FE as a thick "fog" of particles.

And, every 7 years I have to have all three fire extinguishers recharged, and that basically involves replacing the powder and propellant in the FE and costs considerably more than just having it serviced.

If you're required to have your fire extinguisher recharged, THAT's when you want to pull the pin on it and use it LIKE you would in an emergency because the powder and propellant is going to be replaced anyhow. But, be prepared for a big white clowd of dust to come out of it that will sit in your driveway for days. (Maybe go to an empty field to use the FE.)

There are different fire code requirements for fire extinguishers. For example, here in Winnipeg they made it mandatory that all fire extinguishers in commercial buildings dispense their powder through a hose, and not just a nozzle. Apparantly, people were saying that holding the fire extinguisher so that the nozzle was pointed at the base of the fire was harder than just holding the fire extinguisher and pointing the end of the hose at the base of the fire. So, whether or not your fire extinguisher needs to be equipped with a hose or not depends on your local fire code.

Also, fire extinguishers are rated according to the weight of the powder inside them. My local fire code requires that I have a five pound fire extinguisher on each floor. That means there's 5 pounds of powder inside the FE. But, other places could require a 10 pound FE instead.

The trainer for my work emergency response team told us that dry powder
extinguishers should be turned upside down every few years to keep the
powder from forming a clump.
If you listen carefully as you do so, you'll hear the powder flow. Tap
it if necessary to get it started.

micky wrote:
The Kidde was for a fire in the oven. Worked fine. 10 or 15 years
old. It would have been hard to test it without letting a lot out.


I was told by an appliance repairman once that the best way to put out an oven
fire was to close the door.

Close to what I'd been about to write. Short answer: NO.
Please do not test squirt the unit. The dry chemical
gets stuck in the valve, and the rest of the pressure
leaks out in the next day or two.

As Bob says, buy another. They are about $25 or so at
Walmart.

If you want to hang onto this one, and "do something",
keep the pin in. Take the unit, tip it upside down and
shake it seriously. Thump the tank with a rubber mallet,
and shake it some more. This will help keep the powder
from caking. Or, free it up if it's caked.

Trivia; With dry chem units, it's a good idea to invert
and shake on the way to the fire. You don't know how long
the unit has been in one place. Lever and gauges on top
when operating.


..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On 9/15/2013 3:49 PM, Bob F wrote:
Can I squeeze the lever a little, to see if it works? Don't hit me;
I'm just ignorant!


My understanding is that once the lever is used, the extinguisher will lose its
pressure over time and should be replaced or recharged. Personally, I'd buy a
new one if I was worried about it, so you have one for sure if the old one is
dead. But as long as it shows the proper pressure, it should be OK.

Sounds like good counsell. I have a couple FE in my
home, and at least one in each of the two vehicles.

Interesting you should ask, today. I had an old
pressurized water unit, which had been in storage
for about twenty years (at least since 1986). Today
a friend and I discharged it. Worked fine.


..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On 9/15/2013 4:03 PM, Oren wrote:

I asked a local Fire Captain ( I know) about this. His answer was if
the gauge still shows green the FE was still good.

Do not tamper with the trigger.

One is not enough in a home.

Sample placements:

http://ruttsautotools.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/kidde-466141-kitchengarage-fire-extinguisher-10-bc-image-02.jpg

Invert, shake, thump, shake.

Walmart. Buy two or three more.

I'm not sure who handles recharge codes. Building
department, most likely. For commercial buildings.

..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On 9/15/2013 4:59 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:

Thanks everybody. I should do SOMETHING because it's hard to believe that a
FE literally DECADES old could still be good. But then what do I know?

Also, you-all are right about one is not enuff. Tx!

Kidde Web site says if in green still OK, but it's really old. No Help available on Kidde site. No local service listed. Not helpful site.

Trying to find general FE service center only one listed.

What do you mean by "local code requirement"? Who has this? Fire Department? Or City?

HB

I heard about a part time employee who absentmindedly
leaned on a dry chem unit that was hanging on the
wall. The resulting discharge shut down the fast food
restaurant for the rest of the day for cleaning.

..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On 9/15/2013 5:06 PM, bob haller wrote:
I heard about a school teacher who opened the valve
just a bit, and filled the entire room with white powder

He was replaced before the next year.....

another funny from that school, they caught the students
printing bogus 20s......

their printing equiptement was excellent

"Higgs Boson" wrote in message
...

The hread about freon, etc. was very educational.

Brought up a question bothering me: How can one tell if FE is still OK?

Mine is a very old Kidde, big red puppy; A.B.C. Indicator is still in the
green, albeit leaning toward the left (recharge).

Has never been used(thank goodness!)

However, I don't want to find out the hard way that it is over the hill.

Can I squeeze the lever a little, to see if it works? Don't hit me; I'm just
ignorant!

The new ones that size range from $40+ on up. I'm not trying to nickel &
dime my home's safety; just want to know if there's a way to test this.
If the test shows it's still good, fine. If it shows no good, at least I
know what to do, $$ notwithstanding.

Any help appreciated.

HB


After reading all the replies, I will check mine with the balance then shake
and recheck balance. I keep one in each vehicle. One in kitchen. One in
garage and two in basement and work shop area. Thanks for all the answers
found here. WW

The one time I had to run for FE, I'd lit my
lawn mower on fire. Gas, air, spark. And off
it went. I'd just drained some gas out of the
carb, to drain off any water. Pulled the spark
plug and pull the rip cord to check for spark.

Well, I find out that I had air, gasoline, gas-
air mix, and spark, all in the same place.

One of those moments where it all made sense,
later, how that happened.

..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On 9/15/2013 5:41 PM, micky wrote:

I think my small Kidde ABC was 10 or 15 years old when I needed it.
Worked fine. Gauge had been in the green.

I took a pot off the stove and put it on a cloth pot holder. Later I
put it back on the stove. Fortunately I sit at the kitchen table
facing the sliding glass door. Looked in the window and eventually
realized I was watching flames. The pot holder had stuck to the pot
when I put the pot back on the stove. Wait. That's the one I
stomped out. Very small by the time the cloth hit the floor.

The Kidde was for a fire in the oven. Worked fine. 10 or 15 years
old. It would have been hard to test it without letting a lot out.

I'd buy a second one for the primary location and put this one in a
secondary location, but after that, I'd rely on the green gauge.

On 9/15/2013 4:59 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
On Sunday, September 15, 2013 1:27:37 PM UTC-7, Tony Hwang wrote:


Hi,

I take it to service center for annual check up. If needed they'll

recharge it. Local code requirement.

Thanks everybody. I should do SOMETHING because it's hard to believe that a
FE literally DECADES old could still be good. But then what do I know?

Also, you-all are right about one is not enuff. Tx!

Kidde Web site says if in green still OK, but it's really old. No Help available on Kidde site. No local service listed. Not helpful site.

Trying to find general FE service center only one listed.

What do you mean by "local code requirement"? Who has this? Fire Department? Or City?

HB

At work I have a local company inspect the FE every year. It is an OSHA
requirement. I forget the details but every X years it has to be
pressure tested and refilled. The cost is reasonable, much less than a
new unit.

In our case, we have about 40 units so they come to us, but you can take
yours to them. Check the yellow pages for fire equioment.

On Sun, 15 Sep 2013 16:11:33 -0700, "Bob F"
wrote:

micky wrote:
The Kidde was for a fire in the oven. Worked fine. 10 or 15 years
old. It would have been hard to test it without letting a lot out.


I was told by an appliance repairman once that the best way to put out an oven
fire was to close the door.

Probably.

I think in this case the door was closed when the fire started.

On 9/15/2013 4:52 PM, Liz Megerle wrote:
The trainer for my work emergency response team told us that dry powder
extinguishers should be turned upside down every few years to keep the
powder from forming a clump.
If you listen carefully as you do so, you'll hear the powder flow. Tap
it if necessary to get it started.

Now THAT sounds like really good advice. Whether or not it is, who
cares? It certainly cannot hurt anything.

On the topic of having them "checked out" be forewarned that that can be
a really expensive proposition. Had the extinguisher in my office
checked out (was overdue for "inspection") and was only three years or
so old. Grabbed the guy in the truck who happened to be at the business
next door doing theirs. Asked if he could check out and tag the near
new, never used, dry chemical extinguisher.

Sure can! He did his quicky inspection, tagged it and handed me a bill
for $45. Brand new, comparable unit will run about $90 if I shop
carefully. If/when the fire inspectors come in from the city and demand
a reinspection, I'll just buy a new one and take the other home for my shop.

On Sun, 15 Sep 2013 19:20:42 -0400, Stormin Mormon
wrote:

I heard about a part time employee who absentmindedly
leaned on a dry chem unit that was hanging on the
wall. The resulting discharge shut down the fast food
restaurant for the rest of the day for cleaning.

I know a guy who set off the Ansul system in his restaurant. In the
process of cleaning up the mess, he threw out all of the food in his
walk-in and freezer. The next day he found out that the "chemical"
was baking soda. D'oh!

The opposite; a cow-orker had a kitchen fire and used a dry-chemical
FW to put out the fire. The chemical ruined every switch and piece of
electronics in the house. When the insurance agent found out what
happened, he said it would have been better to do nothing.

On Sun, 15 Sep 2013 19:23:41 -0400, Stormin Mormon
wrote:

The one time I had to run for FE, I'd lit my
lawn mower on fire. Gas, air, spark. And off
it went. I'd just drained some gas out of the
carb, to drain off any water. Pulled the spark
plug and pull the rip cord to check for spark.

I did something like that with my brother's car.

It wouldn't start, parked face first in a garage, going to be hard to
jump the battery so I was trying to same battery time. Sprayed ether
in the carb to help it start at the same time I used a jumper wire to
crank the engine, with a spark plug wire off and a screwdriver in the
connector to see if there was a spark.

The thing exploded in my face. But I didn't move a bit. Good thing
or I would have driven the edge of the hood into the back my neck. Or
banged my head on the inside of the hood. No injuries, no burns.

I was fine but the valve cover near me had lifted up from the head in
5 or 6 places, between bolts. A couple of the bolt holes in the
valve cover were ripped open.

Maybe I should have tried the Ford dealer. Or I did and they had to
order it. Ordering parts too much longer in those days (1973) and I
couldn't tell my brother that his car wasn't ready. All I tried were
auto-parts stores and they didn't sell original-quality valve covers.
In NYC auto junk yards are far away, I think. I didn't know of any,
still don't.

So I bought a pair of chrome valve covers, and only put on one of
them. I'm glad my brother is an understanding guy. Especially since
I didn't get his car started for him iirc.


Well, I find out that I had air, gasoline, gas-
air mix, and spark, all in the same place.

One of those moments where it all made sense,
later, how that happened.

.
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

On Sunday, September 15, 2013 4:22:25 PM UTC-7, WW wrote:
"Higgs Boson" wrote in message

...



The hread about freon, etc. was very educational.



Brought up a question bothering me: How can one tell if FE is still OK?



Mine is a very old Kidde, big red puppy; A.B.C. Indicator is still in the

green, albeit leaning toward the left (recharge).



Has never been used(thank goodness!)



However, I don't want to find out the hard way that it is over the hill.



Can I squeeze the lever a little, to see if it works? Don't hit me; I'm just

ignorant!



The new ones that size range from $40+ on up. I'm not trying to nickel &

dime my home's safety; just want to know if there's a way to test this.

If the test shows it's still good, fine. If it shows no good, at least I

know what to do, $$ notwithstanding.



Any help appreciated.



HB





After reading all the replies, I will check mine with the balance then shake

and recheck balance. I keep one in each vehicle. One in kitchen. One in

garage and two in basement and work shop area. Thanks for all the answers

found here. WW

Me Three! Stuff I did not know, like upending and shaking to loosen up possibly caked powder!

Think I will get another for the kitchen.

Inspection, sounds like that would be for business, not private home. Interesting thought: Would fire insurance not pay or pay less if homeowner hadn't had any FEs in the house?

OK, this has been wunderbar. You guys may have saved somebody's *** among the AHRrs who are reading this exchange.

HB

On Sunday, September 15, 2013 2:06:17 PM UTC-7, bob haller wrote:
I heard about a school teacher who opened the valve just a bit, and filled the entire room with white powder



He was replaced before the next year.....



another funny from that school, they caught the students printing bogus 20s......



their printing equiptement was excellent

Are they in Congress now? Much easier way to steal. No equipment needed.

HB

On Sun, 15 Sep 2013 12:23:40 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson
wrote:

Mine is a very old Kidde, big red puppy; A.B.C. Indicator is still in the green, albeit leaning toward the left (recharge).

I think the guy who gave me my first FE also recommended a thing that
looks like a vinyl ketchup bottle, all red, with a screw on pointed
cap with a hole in it and something inside. He keeps it in his
kitchen to sprinkle on small fires.

Also the CO2 extinguishers are probably testable. IIUC a short
squeeze of the handle only puts out a little, and CO2 ones are bigger
in the first place. But I've never had one. For one thing,
they're more money, take up more space and they aren't ABC.

I forget which letter is missing, but it seemed important.

Most fires, the ordinary citizen is the first
on the scene. A home owner with a FE will do
more good for the world than fire trucks after
a ten minute response time. I applaud you for
having a FE, and also for caring about your
self and others.

..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On 9/15/2013 8:05 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
Me Three! Stuff I did not know, like upending
and shaking to loosen up possibly caked powder!

Think I will get another for the kitchen.

Inspection, sounds like that would be for
business, not private home. Interesting thought:
Would fire insurance not pay or pay less if homeowner
hadn't had any FEs in the house?

OK, this has been wunderbar. You guys may have
saved somebody's *** among the AHRrs who are reading
this exchange.

HB

The bottle of stuff is probably dry chem powder.

Carbon dioxide units are BC rated. And the don't
do very well on either of those. Carbon dioxide
units are checked for fill, by weight. The tag
should say the empty and full weights.

Their only advantage is that they are relatively
clean. No powder to sweep and mop up.

Disadvantages include heavy, noisy, and might not
put out the fire. So, no powder to clean up and
also no vehicle or building cause it burned down.

..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On 9/15/2013 8:11 PM, micky wrote:

I think the guy who gave me my first FE also recommended a thing that
looks like a vinyl ketchup bottle, all red, with a screw on pointed
cap with a hole in it and something inside. He keeps it in his
kitchen to sprinkle on small fires.

Also the CO2 extinguishers are probably testable. IIUC a short
squeeze of the handle only puts out a little, and CO2 ones are bigger
in the first place. But I've never had one. For one thing,
they're more money, take up more space and they aren't ABC.

I forget which letter is missing, but it seemed important.

On Sun, 15 Sep 2013 19:59:11 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 15 Sep 2013 19:20:42 -0400, Stormin Mormon
wrote:

I heard about a part time employee who absentmindedly
leaned on a dry chem unit that was hanging on the
wall. The resulting discharge shut down the fast food
restaurant for the rest of the day for cleaning.

I know a guy who set off the Ansul system in his restaurant. In the
process of cleaning up the mess, he threw out all of the food in his
walk-in and freezer. The next day he found out that the "chemical"
was baking soda. D'oh!

After I used my ABC FE on my oven, and days before the window in front
of the oven broke, I realized I could not possibly clean well a
continuously cleaning oven. So I called an FE company and asked what
if some of the powder fell on the food, and he said, Not a problem.

The opposite; a cow-orker had a kitchen fire and used a dry-chemical
FW to put out the fire. The chemical ruined every switch and piece of
electronics in the house. When the insurance agent found out what
happened, he said it would have been better to do nothing.

Huh. I wonder what that was. My cheap kidde ABC, about as big as a
small propane gas tank for a hand held torch, that sprays powder was
used on the top of the oven too, but didn't damage anything. The
range hood is still fine, the radios in the room, the tv.

On Sun, 15 Sep 2013 17:05:15 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson
wrote:

On Sunday, September 15, 2013 4:22:25 PM UTC-7, WW wrote:
"Higgs Boson" wrote in message

...



The hread about freon, etc. was very educational.



Brought up a question bothering me: How can one tell if FE is still OK?



Mine is a very old Kidde, big red puppy; A.B.C. Indicator is still in the

green, albeit leaning toward the left (recharge).



Has never been used(thank goodness!)



However, I don't want to find out the hard way that it is over the hill.



Can I squeeze the lever a little, to see if it works? Don't hit me; I'm just

ignorant!



The new ones that size range from $40+ on up. I'm not trying to nickel &

dime my home's safety; just want to know if there's a way to test this.

If the test shows it's still good, fine. If it shows no good, at least I

know what to do, $$ notwithstanding.



Any help appreciated.



HB





After reading all the replies, I will check mine with the balance then shake

and recheck balance. I keep one in each vehicle. One in kitchen. One in

garage and two in basement and work shop area. Thanks for all the answers

found here. WW

Me Three! Stuff I did not know, like upending and shaking to loosen up possibly caked powder!

Didn't he miss the point here, guys? I suppose it's hard to tell
without being inside, but one isn't supposeed to have to shake so hard
he loosens caked powder. If the powder is caked when you start
shaking it, it will be caked again within a month, I presume is what
was meant.


Think I will get another for the kitchen.

Inspection, sounds like that would be for business, not private home. Interesting thought: Would fire insurance not pay or pay less if homeowner hadn't had any FEs in the house?

OK, this has been wunderbar. You guys may have saved somebody's *** among the AHRrs who are reading this exchange.

HB

On Sun, 15 Sep 2013 20:48:56 -0400, micky
wrote:

On Sun, 15 Sep 2013 19:59:11 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 15 Sep 2013 19:20:42 -0400, Stormin Mormon
wrote:

I heard about a part time employee who absentmindedly
leaned on a dry chem unit that was hanging on the
wall. The resulting discharge shut down the fast food
restaurant for the rest of the day for cleaning.

I know a guy who set off the Ansul system in his restaurant. In the
process of cleaning up the mess, he threw out all of the food in his
walk-in and freezer. The next day he found out that the "chemical"
was baking soda. D'oh!

After I used my ABC FE on my oven, and days before the window in front
of the oven broke, I realized I could not possibly clean well a
continuously cleaning oven. So I called an FE company and asked what
if some of the powder fell on the food, and he said, Not a problem.

The opposite; a cow-orker had a kitchen fire and used a dry-chemical
FW to put out the fire. The chemical ruined every switch and piece of
electronics in the house. When the insurance agent found out what
happened, he said it would have been better to do nothing.

Huh. I wonder what that was. My cheap kidde ABC, about as big as a
small propane gas tank for a hand held torch, that sprays powder was
used on the top of the oven too, but didn't damage anything. The
range hood is still fine, the radios in the room, the tv.

It was a fairly common dry fire extinguisher at the time. The blue
powder got into everything and was highly corrosive.

On Sun, 15 Sep 2013 20:20:33 -0400, Stormin Mormon
wrote:

Most fires, the ordinary citizen is the first
on the scene. A home owner with a FE will do
more good for the world than fire trucks after
a ten minute response time. I applaud you for
having a FE, and also for caring about your
self and others.

OTOH, a FE likely to be seen in a home has one purpose in life; to get
your ass out.

micky wrote:
On Sun, 15 Sep 2013 17:05:15 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson
wrote:

On Sunday, September 15, 2013 4:22:25 PM UTC-7, WW wrote:
"Higgs Boson" wrote in message

...



The hread about freon, etc. was very educational.



Brought up a question bothering me: How can one tell if FE is still OK?



Mine is a very old Kidde, big red puppy; A.B.C. Indicator is still in the

green, albeit leaning toward the left (recharge).



Has never been used(thank goodness!)



However, I don't want to find out the hard way that it is over the hill.



Can I squeeze the lever a little, to see if it works? Don't hit me; I'm just

ignorant!



The new ones that size range from $40+ on up. I'm not trying to nickel &

dime my home's safety; just want to know if there's a way to test this.

If the test shows it's still good, fine. If it shows no good, at least I

know what to do, $$ notwithstanding.



Any help appreciated.



HB





After reading all the replies, I will check mine with the balance then shake

and recheck balance. I keep one in each vehicle. One in kitchen. One in

garage and two in basement and work shop area. Thanks for all the answers

found here. WW

Me Three! Stuff I did not know, like upending and shaking to loosen up possibly caked powder!

Didn't he miss the point here, guys? I suppose it's hard to tell
without being inside, but one isn't supposeed to have to shake so hard
he loosens caked powder. If the powder is caked when you start
shaking it, it will be caked again within a month, I presume is what
was meant.


Think I will get another for the kitchen.

Inspection, sounds like that would be for business, not private home. Interesting thought: Would fire insurance not pay or pay less if homeowner hadn't had any FEs in the house?

OK, this has been wunderbar. You guys may have saved somebody's *** among the AHRrs who are reading this exchange.

HB

Hi,
Another thing to keep in mind is todays' newly built houses burn 8 times
faster than older houses which were built with more natural materials.
They are talking about changing the code so even private residential
single houses built with sprinklers.

On 9/15/2013 8:05 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:



Inspection, sounds like that would be for business, not private home.

Right

Interesting thought: Would fire insurance not pay or pay less if homeowner hadn't had any FEs in the house?


Not a requirement so no problem.

Yes, I can see the combination of ether and spark
being a real blast. I'm glad you were not injured.
Sorry to hear there was a lot of damage to the car.


..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On 9/15/2013 8:04 PM, micky wrote:

I did something like that with my brother's car.

It wouldn't start, parked face first in a garage, going to be hard to
jump the battery so I was trying to same battery time. Sprayed ether
in the carb to help it start at the same time I used a jumper wire to
crank the engine, with a spark plug wire off and a screwdriver in the
connector to see if there was a spark.

The thing exploded in my face. But I didn't move a bit. Good thing
or I would have driven the edge of the hood into the back my neck. Or
banged my head on the inside of the hood. No injuries, no burns.

I was fine but the valve cover near me had lifted up from the head in
5 or 6 places, between bolts. A couple of the bolt holes in the
valve cover were ripped open.

Maybe I should have tried the Ford dealer. Or I did and they had to
order it. Ordering parts too much longer in those days (1973) and I
couldn't tell my brother that his car wasn't ready. All I tried were
auto-parts stores and they didn't sell original-quality valve covers.
In NYC auto junk yards are far away, I think. I didn't know of any,
still don't.

So I bought a pair of chrome valve covers, and only put on one of
them. I'm glad my brother is an understanding guy. Especially since
I didn't get his car started for him iirc.

I don't have any data, but the FE guys I talk with
seem to think that it takes many months, or years
for the powder to cake.

..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On 9/15/2013 9:43 PM, micky wrote:
On Sun, 15 Sep 2013 17:05:15 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson

Me Three! Stuff I did not know, like upending
and shaking to loosen up possibly caked powder!

Didn't he miss the point here, guys? I suppose it's hard to tell
without being inside, but one isn't supposeed to have to shake so hard
he loosens caked powder. If the powder is caked when you start
shaking it, it will be caked again within a month, I presume is what
was meant.

Yes, I've heard that from a couple sources. Youtube has
some videos about "light weight construction". The homes
of now days are loaded with plastic and truss frame
construction. They go fast, hot, and collapse earlier
than the homes of years gone by.

The home owner or passerby on the spot int he first
minutes with a FE can be the difference between a mess
and a total loss.

The fire department women and men are world's finest
people, and they are also often several minutes away,
in the days of staff shortages, volunteer departments,
and congested roads.


..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On 9/15/2013 11:12 PM, Tony Hwang wrote:
Hi,
Another thing to keep in mind is todays' newly built houses burn 8 times
faster than older houses which were built with more natural materials.
They are talking about changing the code so even private residential
single houses built with sprinklers.

Here is one such light weight construction home.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKYW6uK4vDI
Unsure how the fire started, here.

Another video, a homeowner had a fire pit on the
back deck, and left the hot coals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuA-yZsmTkk


..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On 9/16/2013 5:21 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
Yes, I've heard that from a couple sources. Youtube has
some videos about "light weight construction". The homes
of now days are loaded with plastic and truss frame
construction. They go fast, hot, and collapse earlier
than the homes of years gone by.

The home owner or passerby on the spot int he first
minutes with a FE can be the difference between a mess
and a total loss.

The fire department women and men are world's finest
people, and they are also often several minutes away,
in the days of staff shortages, volunteer departments,
and congested roads.

On Mon, 16 Sep 2013 05:08:15 -0400, Stormin Mormon
wrote:

Yes, I can see the combination of ether and spark
being a real blast. I'm glad you were not injured.
Sorry to hear there was a lot of damage to the car.


.
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

On 9/15/2013 8:04 PM, micky wrote:

I did something like that with my brother's car.

It wouldn't start, parked face first in a garage, going to be hard to
jump the battery so I was trying to same battery time. Sprayed ether
in the carb to help it start at the same time I used a jumper wire to
crank the engine, with a spark plug wire off and a screwdriver in the
connector to see if there was a spark.

The thing exploded in my face. But I didn't move a bit. Good thing
or I would have driven the edge of the hood into the back my neck. Or
banged my head on the inside of the hood. No injuries, no burns.

I was fine but the valve cover near me had lifted up from the head in
5 or 6 places, between bolts. A couple of the bolt holes in the
valve cover were ripped open.

Maybe I should have tried the Ford dealer. Or I did and they had to
order it. Ordering parts too much longer in those days (1973) and I
couldn't tell my brother that his car wasn't ready. All I tried were
auto-parts stores and they didn't sell original-quality valve covers.
In NYC auto junk yards are far away, I think. I didn't know of any,
still don't.

So I bought a pair of chrome valve covers, and only put on one of
them. I'm glad my brother is an understanding guy. Especially since
I didn't get his car started for him iirc.

Must have used an INSANE amount of ether to blow the valve covers
off. Either that or it was very badly flooded witha lot of gasoline in
the crankcase!!! It definitely wasn't because of a little spritz of
ether into the intake.

On Sunday, September 15, 2013 5:26:03 PM UTC-4, Tony Hwang wrote:
Higgs Boson wrote:

On Sunday, September 15, 2013 1:27:37 PM UTC-7, Tony Hwang wrote:

Higgs Boson wrote:



The hread about freon, etc. was very educational.







Brought up a question bothering me: How can one tell if FE is still OK?







Mine is a very old Kidde, big red puppy; A.B.C. Indicator is still in the green, albeit leaning toward the left (recharge).







Has never been used(thank goodness!)







However, I don't want to find out the hard way that it is over the hill.







Can I squeeze the lever a little, to see if it works? Don't hit me; I'm just ignorant!







The new ones that size range from $40+ on up. I'm not trying to nickel & dime my home's safety; just want to know if there's a way to test this.



If the test shows it's still good, fine. If it shows no good, at least I know what to do, $$ notwithstanding.







Any help appreciated.







HB







Hi,



I take it to service center for annual check up. If needed they'll



recharge it. Local code requirement.



Thanks everybody. I should do SOMETHING because it's hard to believe that a

FE literally DECADES old could still be good. But then what do I know?



Also, you-all are right about one is not enuff. Tx!



Kidde Web site says if in green still OK, but it's really old. No Help available on Kidde site. No local service listed. Not helpful site.



Trying to find general FE service center only one listed.



What do you mean by "local code requirement"? Who has this? Fire Department? Or City?



HB









Hi,

Local city FD fireman come around house to house to check on smoke

detectors, FE(if you do have one or more in the house) better have

annual check up tag by certified sservice center. Law does not require

you to have FE, but if you do, they want to make sure it is in good

working order.

What nonsense. If that were true, there would be millions
of illegal fire extinguishers out there.

Hey, that's racially insensitive. They are
"undocumented" fire extinguishers. Just
cause they don't have paper work proving they
are citizens, we can't call them illegal.

I bet you're racist, too? You want to talk
about illegal RED fire extinguishers? Man,
you need sensitivity training.

There ought to be a "Path to Citizenship"
for undocumented fire extinguishers, so they
can enjoy the benefits of US society.

The time is now! A call to action. Contact your
Congressman, immediately.

..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On 9/16/2013 8:44 AM, wrote:
On Sunday, September 15, 2013 5:26:03 PM UTC-4, Tony Hwang wrote:
Local city FD fireman come around house to house to check on smoke
detectors, FE(if you do have one or more in the house) better have
annual check up tag by certified sservice center. Law does not require
you to have FE, but if you do, they want to make sure it is in good
working order.

What nonsense. If that were true, there would be millions
of illegal fire extinguishers out there.