Fire Suppression System Maintenance

298VISTA2000 · **Posted:** Sat Aug 27, 2011 6:41 am

How long do these extinquishers keep a charge? Any way to test the system to see if it even works? Thanks.

aguyindallas · **Posted:** Sat Aug 27, 2011 8:45 am

298VISTA2000 wrote:

How long do these extinquishers keep a charge? Any way to test the system to see if it even works? Thanks.

Start a fire in the engine compartment. This will let you know if its working or not.

Seriously though, thats a great question and something I had not really considered. Does the extinguisher bottle have a gauge that indicates its status like a regular over the counter extinguisher?

Cap'n Morgan · **Posted:** Sat Aug 27, 2011 10:12 am

You can have it inspected by your fire department or extinguisher recharge company. Fireboy recommends yearly checks. Most people do not have it checked that often, or ever. Another thing you can do is take the bottle out, and have it weighed. that will tell you if there is the recommended amount of Halon present.
You should also have a system monitor on your dash, it the light is green, then the system is functional. If not, have it checked. My light is always on and bright green.

aguyindallas · **Posted:** Sat Aug 27, 2011 10:16 am

Yes, I do have the green indicator on mine so I just assume it's ok. I guess because it's halon, it lasts longer than the powder type extinguishers.

GTBecker · **Posted:** Sat Aug 27, 2011 11:23 am

Cap'n Morgan wrote:

... have it weighed...

And compare that weight to what? I went looking for my Fireboy automatic Halon booklet - and, naturally can't find it - to see if there is an expressed gross weight for the bottle. My mind's eye recalls a small booklet, but I think, if I find it, it has no specifications. Maybe there is a gross bottle weight on the bottle itself. I'll check that.

Mine is now 12+ years old, still shows green on the bottle gauge and the helm LED is also green. Now that it's been brought up, I fear it is just stuck that way - providing false security - and probably needs recharge or replacement. Another thing added to the list...

ric · **Posted:** Sat Aug 27, 2011 11:40 am

GTBecker wrote:

Cap'n Morgan wrote:

... have it weighed...

And compare that weight to what? I went looking for my Fireboy automatic Halon booklet - and, naturally can't find it - to see if there is an expressed gross weight for the bottle. My mind's eye recalls a small booklet, but I think, if I find it, it has no specifications. Maybe there is a gross bottle weight on the bottle itself. I'll check that.

Mine is now 12+ years old, still shows green on the bottle gauge and the helm LED is also green. Now that it's been brought up, I fear it is just stuck that way - providing false security - and probably needs recharge or replacement. Another thing added to the list...

It should be 500+ psi, just check the pressure guage on teh bottle

GTBecker · **Posted:** Sat Aug 27, 2011 2:22 pm

Answering myself, my Fireboy model CG2-125 (post-Halon), has the gross weight of the bottle marked on its label. Mine is six pounds gross; my bathroom scale isn't terribly accurate at low weights but it showed a six-pound increase in my body weight. Holding the bottle in its middle I can both hear and feel liquid when I rock it back and forth. The pressure gauge shows about 200psi at 84F; normal (70F) is 195psi (1345kPa).

http://rightime.com/images/DSCN1560a.JPG
http://rightime.com/images/DSCN1562a.JPG
http://rightime.com/images/DSCN1563a.JPG

It is almost 13 years old but appears to still be in good condition. It's going back to the engine compartment.

A valuable thread! Thanks for reminding us.

298VISTA2000 · **Posted:** Sat Aug 27, 2011 8:20 pm

OP here. I think I will have my tech go ahead and take it out and get it serviced. They call it a "system" but I don't even know what is supposed to take place if a fire does occur. I have been in the bilge many a time and don't see the "system". Maybe Four Winns just put an over-sized fire extinguiser in the bilge and called it a day?

kp47 · **Posted:** Sat Aug 27, 2011 11:10 pm

298VISTA2000 wrote:

OP here. I think I will have my tech go ahead and take it out and get it serviced. They call it a "system" but I don't even know what is supposed to take place if a fire does occur. I have been in the bilge many a time and don't see the "system". Maybe Four Winns just put an over-sized fire extinguiser in the bilge and called it a day?

The 'system' is just a nozzle that opens at 175* F and floods the engine compartment with Halon. And a light on the dash that shows if it has pressure or not.

GTBecker · **Posted:** Sun Aug 28, 2011 7:30 am

kp47 wrote:

... floods the engine compartment with Halon...

Actually, it is a different material today. Halon was replaced with a "less-harmful (ozone-deleting)" gas in the US in 1994, apparently.

Paul I. · **Posted:** Sun Aug 28, 2011 8:21 am

GTBecker wrote:

Cap'n Morgan wrote:

... have it weighed...

And compare that weight to what? I went looking for my Fireboy automatic Halon booklet - and, naturally can't find it - to see if there is an expressed gross weight for the bottle. My mind's eye recalls a small booklet, but I think, if I find it, it has no specifications. Maybe there is a gross bottle weight on the bottle itself. I'll check that.

Mine is now 12+ years old, still shows green on the bottle gauge and the helm LED is also green. Now that it's been brought up, I fear it is just stuck that way - providing false security - and probably needs recharge or replacement. Another thing added to the list...

Check out this link, it may or may not help.

298VISTA2000 · **Posted:** Sun Aug 28, 2011 7:51 pm

Paul I. wrote:

Check out this link, it may or may not help.

What link?

kp47 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 29, 2011 12:45 am

GTBecker wrote:

kp47 wrote:

... floods the engine compartment with Halon...

Actually, it is a different material today. Halon was replaced with a "less-harmful (ozone-deleting)" gas in the US in 1994, apparently.

I know, there are several different replacement agents for Halon but I was just using it as a generic term instead of Dupont FE36, FE241 or whatever the newer marine systems use. But 'real' Halon (1301) is still available, I use it in my race car fire system. Not sure when it was phased out in marine systems but 1994 was when they stopped manufacture of it in the US.

Like R-12 its just not legal to manufacture and you need to be licensed to buy it and refill systems but it can be recovered/recycled and there is a good sized supply still out there, it is getting a little more expensive but Halon is still more effective at putting out fires than the newer replacements.

Paul I. · **Posted:** Mon Aug 29, 2011 8:40 am

298VISTA2000 wrote:

Paul I. wrote:

Check out this link, it may or may not help.

What link?

This link, for what ever reason, the link did not take. http://www.fireboy-xintex.com/manuals/Inspection.pdf

and http://www.fireboy-xintex.com/manuals/C ... onMnlE.pdf

This will also give you the wight of the tank.

GTBecker · **Posted:** Mon Aug 29, 2011 9:13 am

Paul I. wrote:

This will also give you the weight of the tank.

Do you see a gross weight there? I only found it punched on the bottle itself.

www.iFourWinns.com

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