Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Fire extinguisher.

I believe Halon is hard to get in Europe - it used to be used in fixed installations in computer rooms and data centres but was outlawed around the time I left Gent in December 1999 - we used to manufacture and install the control systems.

Correct as I remember it is a CFC & not good for the ozone layer which is why ice breakers don't get stuck now in the artic in summer

Yes, in the EU Halon 1211 and Halon 1301 are banned, despite being possibly the best fire extinguisher material available.

In North America it is legal to use and you can still buy halon containing extinguishers. It is illegal to discharge one other than to extinguish a fire and out of date extinguishers must be re-cycled. A far more sensible solution as it is very difficult to dispose of Halon, the stuff will not burn!

Aldermog is protected in the garage by a 1974 Firesnow Halon "area flood" unit containing 12lbs of Halon that is released if the temperature should exceed 165 C. Whilst the Halon remains in the device it cannot damage the ozone layer and if it puts out a fire I will not care.

I think it's worth carrying one simply because if you don't and your car burns out, you'll regret not having one to at least try.

But if it's electrical, it won't stop until the short breaks and by then, something else will be on fire.
If it's fuel - get out and run.

Normally you can squirt the extinguisher under a hardly open bonnet edge, but open the bonnet and it will go WHOOSH!
Morgan louvres though......... no chance - it will get all the oxygen it needs.

I've seen two car fires. The first one was local and it was me who rang 999 from a call box - long time ago. I then drove back to watch. They lifted his bonnet and dumped a massive amount of foam which enveloped half the car. And amazingly put it out with minimal external damage.
The second was at Torquay - a Chevette. It was well alight when the brigade arrived, and the fuel pipes had melted, so the fire was running towards the tank. Despite several minutes, it kept relighting with the heat, so although they kept the tank cool, the rest of that car was burnt out.

The thing is, have a fire and you won't be driving home that day, unless you're really lucky.

Serves them jolly well right! It reminds me of something else re "green" topics. I was chatting to a guy who was involved in wind farms last week. We were out walking on a windless day and a local turbine's blades were turning. He told me that apart from getting huge subsidies when the turbines can't run, some also power the blades up thus burning off power! Weird!! He cynically said that it was so the public didn't complain that turbines didn't work in little or no wind...didn't know whether to believe him or not!

Ben Duncan was telling me about a chap who was hit in the rear a while ago his brake rod went into his petrol tank and there was one hell of a blaze . He was able to get out and run but the car was a right off . Ben fitted a metal plate over that area on my petrol tank .

I used 2 full sized extinguishers to put out the fire in my last Roadster. It was caused by the battery positive cable shorting on the battery cradle clamp bolt & every time we put out the fire, it re-ignited until the battery was flat. When I looked at it later, I found the rear brake hose burnt through ( so that's why the brakes didn't work!) & resting against the fuel tank

A small car type extinguisher wouldn't have been any use.
Ian

?
Disco 3

Paul, you're not changing Morgan are you?

Yes Graham - we are between Morgans. Will hopefully replace the ? with some details towards the end of January.

Ooooh,
Thought that was a forever car!
Mind you, I thought that about RTA too! Still miss it a bit