Ages ago someone on Freecycle gave me a couple of fire extinguishers
and one of them was a water filled one . It was empty so I took the
top off and filled it with water . It didn't work when I squeezed the
handle . Today I was clearing out a spare room and picked up this
extinguisher and squeezed the handle and water spurted forth so I took
it in to the bathroom and directed the hose in to the bath and
operated it and water gushed out of the hose . .
Does anyone know what it is that makes these things work .There must
be more than just water in them . Is ther some sort of tablet you put
in before or after filling with water .
I'd love to know .

I was going to give it away on Freecycle but as it seems to be working
I'll keep it but I need to know more about it .

Stuart

"Stuart B" wrote in message
...
Ages ago someone on Freecycle gave me a couple of fire extinguishers
and one of them was a water filled one . It was empty so I took the
top off and filled it with water . It didn't work when I squeezed
the
handle . Today I was clearing out a spare room and picked up this
extinguisher and squeezed the handle and water spurted forth so I
took
it in to the bathroom and directed the hose in to the bath and
operated it and water gushed out of the hose . .
Does anyone know what it is that makes these things work .There must
be more than just water in them . Is ther some sort of tablet you
put
in before or after filling with water .
I'd love to know .

I was going to give it away on Freecycle but as it seems to be
working
I'll keep it but I need to know more about it .

Stuart

The water is actually laced to be alkaline, and in the knob on the top
there is an acid capsule. "Invert and bang knob on ground" always gave
us fits at school, but what it does is to infuse the acid into the
alkaline and release loads of CO2 which forces the water out of the
spout. If yours was empty it has probably been used and the acid
capsule is toast.

AWEM

On Thu, 11 Oct 2007 17:26:25 +0100, "Andrew Mawson"
wrote:


"Stuart B" wrote in message
.. .
Ages ago someone on Freecycle gave me a couple of fire extinguishers
and one of them was a water filled one . It was empty so I took the
top off and filled it with water . It didn't work when I squeezed
the
handle . Today I was clearing out a spare room and picked up this
extinguisher and squeezed the handle and water spurted forth so I
took
it in to the bathroom and directed the hose in to the bath and
operated it and water gushed out of the hose . .
Does anyone know what it is that makes these things work .There must
be more than just water in them . Is ther some sort of tablet you
put
in before or after filling with water .
I'd love to know .

I was going to give it away on Freecycle but as it seems to be
working
I'll keep it but I need to know more about it .

Stuart

The water is actually laced to be alkaline, and in the knob on the top
there is an acid capsule. "Invert and bang knob on ground" always gave
us fits at school, but what it does is to infuse the acid into the
alkaline and release loads of CO2 which forces the water out of the
spout. If yours was empty it has probably been used and the acid
capsule is toast.

AWEM

There is no "knob on the top "to bang on the ground .It's just a
squeezable pair of handles built in to the part that screws on to the
container .
I have tried to Google for info with little success but what info I
did find seems to suggest that a capsule of CO2 is under the handles
and when the handles are squeezed the CO2 gets released and that
pressurises the conatiner and forces the water out .

Quite why it didn't work when I first filled it but does work now is
anyones guess . Once it is empty again I'll remove the top and have
another look

Stuart

On Thu, 11 Oct 2007 18:26:16 +0100, Stuart B
wrote:

On Thu, 11 Oct 2007 17:26:25 +0100, "Andrew Mawson"
wrote:


"Stuart B" wrote in message
. ..
Ages ago someone on Freecycle gave me a couple of fire extinguishers
and one of them was a water filled one . It was empty so I took the
top off and filled it with water . It didn't work when I squeezed
the
handle . Today I was clearing out a spare room and picked up this
extinguisher and squeezed the handle and water spurted forth so I
took
it in to the bathroom and directed the hose in to the bath and
operated it and water gushed out of the hose . .
Does anyone know what it is that makes these things work .There must
be more than just water in them . Is ther some sort of tablet you
put
in before or after filling with water .
I'd love to know .

I was going to give it away on Freecycle but as it seems to be
working
I'll keep it but I need to know more about it .

Stuart

The water is actually laced to be alkaline, and in the knob on the top
there is an acid capsule. "Invert and bang knob on ground" always gave
us fits at school, but what it does is to infuse the acid into the
alkaline and release loads of CO2 which forces the water out of the
spout. If yours was empty it has probably been used and the acid
capsule is toast.

AWEM

There is no "knob on the top "to bang on the ground .It's just a
squeezable pair of handles built in to the part that screws on to the
container .
I have tried to Google for info with little success but what info I
did find seems to suggest that a capsule of CO2 is under the handles
and when the handles are squeezed the CO2 gets released and that
pressurises the conatiner and forces the water out .

Quite why it didn't work when I first filled it but does work now is
anyones guess . Once it is empty again I'll remove the top and have
another look

Stuart

It looks like this one ( on the right )


http://www.safetyshop.co.uk/products...uctCode=PS59ZX

"Stuart B" wrote in message
news
On Thu, 11 Oct 2007 18:26:16 +0100, Stuart B
wrote:

On Thu, 11 Oct 2007 17:26:25 +0100, "Andrew Mawson"
wrote:


"Stuart B" wrote in message
. ..
Ages ago someone on Freecycle gave me a couple of fire
extinguishers
and one of them was a water filled one . It was empty so I took
the
top off and filled it with water . It didn't work when I
squeezed
the
handle . Today I was clearing out a spare room and picked up
this
extinguisher and squeezed the handle and water spurted forth so
I
took
it in to the bathroom and directed the hose in to the bath and
operated it and water gushed out of the hose . .
Does anyone know what it is that makes these things work .There
must
be more than just water in them . Is ther some sort of tablet
you
put
in before or after filling with water .
I'd love to know .

I was going to give it away on Freecycle but as it seems to be
working
I'll keep it but I need to know more about it .

Stuart

The water is actually laced to be alkaline, and in the knob on the
top
there is an acid capsule. "Invert and bang knob on ground" always
gave
us fits at school, but what it does is to infuse the acid into the
alkaline and release loads of CO2 which forces the water out of
the
spout. If yours was empty it has probably been used and the acid
capsule is toast.

AWEM

There is no "knob on the top "to bang on the ground .It's just a
squeezable pair of handles built in to the part that screws on to
the
container .
I have tried to Google for info with little success but what info I
did find seems to suggest that a capsule of CO2 is under the
handles
and when the handles are squeezed the CO2 gets released and that
pressurises the conatiner and forces the water out .

Quite why it didn't work when I first filled it but does work now
is
anyones guess . Once it is empty again I'll remove the top and have
another look

Stuart

It looks like this one ( on the right )



http://www.safetyshop.co.uk/products...uctCode=PS59ZX


Ah - far too modern !

AWEM

In article ,
says...
The water is actually laced to be alkaline, and in the knob on the top
there is an acid capsule. "Invert and bang knob on ground" always gave
us fits at school, but what it does is to infuse the acid into the
alkaline and release loads of CO2 which forces the water out of the
spout. If yours was empty it has probably been used and the acid
capsule is toast.


They went out with the ark!

Modern extinguishers have a CO2 cartridge, like a giant Sparklets thing
fitted to the underside of the screw-on lid. Squeeze the handles and the
metal film lid is pierced and the CO2 pressurises the main chamber,
forcing the water out of the nozzle.

As for why it didn't work the first time, I'd expect you didn't squeeze
the handles together sufficiently.
--
Skipweasel.
Never knowingly understood.

Stuart B wrote in message
...
Ages ago someone on Freecycle gave me a couple of fire extinguishers
and one of them was a water filled one . It was empty so I took the
top off and filled it with water .


I was going to give it away on Freecycle but as it seems to be working
I'll keep it but I need to know more about it .

Stuart

Err
But now the Co2 cartridge has been used, so if you ever have a fire to use
it on in the future..... not a lot will happen.



-

On Thu, 11 Oct 2007 22:44:47 GMT, "Mark" wrote:


Stuart B wrote in message
.. .
Ages ago someone on Freecycle gave me a couple of fire extinguishers
and one of them was a water filled one . It was empty so I took the
top off and filled it with water .


I was going to give it away on Freecycle but as it seems to be working
I'll keep it but I need to know more about it .

Stuart

Err
But now the Co2 cartridge has been used, so if you ever have a fire to use
it on in the future..... not a lot will happen.



-


Well I presume that they are replaceable ..No ?

Stuart B wrote in message
...
On Thu, 11 Oct 2007 22:44:47 GMT, "Mark" wrote:


Stuart B wrote in message
.. .
Ages ago someone on Freecycle gave me a couple of fire extinguishers
and one of them was a water filled one . It was empty so I took the
top off and filled it with water .


I was going to give it away on Freecycle but as it seems to be working
I'll keep it but I need to know more about it .

Stuart

Err
But now the Co2 cartridge has been used, so if you ever have a fire to
use
it on in the future..... not a lot will happen.


Well I presume that they are replaceable ..No ?

Yes they are a one shot device and must be replaced after use.
The cartridge is exchanged, if it's not an obsolete type.



-