Fire in your shop?

[DocStram]

KingBubbaTruck posted an interesting story about his dust collector catching on fire. It seems that this might be a good time for all of us to stop and think about the ever present danger of having a fire.

If you have just only one fire extinguisher near in your shop ... it's not enough.

I once had a small fire in my house. I couldn't believe how quickly I emptied that fire extinguisher. I ran upstairs and grabbed another one. I emptied that second one just as the firemen arrived. Fortunately, my wife and three kids were safely outside the house. The damage was minimal ... but an important lesson was learned.

Have several fire extinguishers placed safely near exit doors around your house and shop.
Make a plan with your family for everybody to get out fast and meet at a prearranged location away from the house.
If you have children, plan some fire drills. Schools do it all the time, so should families.
And, the next time you see a fireman or firewoman, thank 'em.

Fire extinguishers may seem expensive, but think about the alternative.

 

[cd18524]

Al,

As a fireman let me say great post and thanks. Everything you said was right on the money.

One more thing I would recommend would be a "Fire safe" storage cabinet for all your flammable products. Not only is it safer for you but it also helps us(fireman) to stay safe.

Chris

 

[DWK5150]

I actually bought a fire proof cabinet for all my paints and stuff but they are not cheap but better then having then start a fire or something lus if one leaks its contanied in the cabinet.

 

[jhop]

Originally posted by DWK5150
<br />I actually bought a fire proof cabinet for all my pants

i take it you wear hot pants?[]

 

[ilikewood]

I just gotta ask.....Don, why would you buy a fire proof cabinet for your pants?

 

[Ligget]

And the UK meaning of pants (underwear) makes it worse!!lol[)]

 

[huntersilver]

Thanks for the post, I think I am going to get another extinguisher[]

 

[DWK5150]

Was wondering how long it would take someone to notice that.

 

[DocStram]

About a firesafe cabinet ..... seems to me I saw plans for one in an old issue of American Woodworker. I'm certain there are plans on line for building one. If I recall correctly, it doesn't completely stop the contents from burning but slows things done so that the combustible materials stored in it do not burn immediately. I'll see if I can find the plans.

 

[DWK5150]

Originally posted by DocStram
<br />About a firesafe cabinet ..... seems to me I saw plans for one in an old issue of American Woodworker. I'm certain there are plans on line for building one. If I recall correctly, it doesn't completely stop the contents from burning but slows things done so that the combustible materials stored in it do not burn immediately. I'll see if I can find the plans.

I have that issue with the plans for the cabinet but I was able to get a 60 gallon capacity one for a good price so I bought it. No they dont stop the contents from burning but they do drastically slow it down.

 

[woodwish]

I was supervising some remodeling at work and watched a crew put up fire sprinklers. Pretty basic little devices that were not too hard to install. Thought about adding those in my shop as a little extra help in case of a fire, but I don't think the average person can even buy those. Too bad, would have been a nice addition but trying to unscrew a few from the system at work would get me extremely wet![8D]

 

[DWK5150]

Originally posted by woodwish
<br />I was supervising some remodeling at work and watched a crew put up fire sprinklers. Pretty basic little devices that were not too hard to install. Thought about adding those in my shop as a little extra help in case of a fire, but I don't think the average person can even buy those. Too bad, would have been a nice addition but trying to unscrew a few from the system at work would get me extremely wet![8D]

Actually there are a couple companys that have home systems avaliable that you can install yourself. I just cant remember the name of the company right at this moment but I do know someone who istalled a system in his shop. He first one burned to the ground so when he rebuilt it he installed a sprinkler system. They are pretty basic.

 

[Daniel]

Doc,
as I read your comment above i was wondering what size exinguishers you had. one of the first items that went into my new shop was a 20 Lb. ABC dry chemical extinguisher. it will be located right next to the door and is for fires that are verging on large. I will also ahve at least two 10 Lb ones located just a step or two away from any place in the shop. I once put out a small fire with a 5 pounder and will never own one again. they are empty almost before you start with them.
thanks for starting this thread. i don't think that safety issues can be brought up enough.

 

[MDWine]

I DID THIS ... I DID THIS....
I finally got TWO, one near each door of my small-1/2-townhouse-basement

I feel so much better!

 

[ryannmphs]

OK, I've got 2 fire extinguishers in my house, one in the garage/shop the other in the kitchen. Now a question. They are both approx 5 yrs old should I replace these? I've heard that over time the chemicals in there can settle over time and become useless, is that true?

If I should replace them I had thought about creating a small contained fire in the backyard to I can get some practice using them (one for my wife and one for me).

Thanks
Ryan

 

[huntersilver]

You should test them to see if they are still useful before
starting the small fire.

 

[DCBluesman]

The useful life of an unused fire extinguisher is 10 years, at which time the units should be replaced.

 

[Daniel]

At work they actually empty, rebuild and refill every fire extinguisher each year. there is a full time employee that does nothing but refill them and do monthly checks. not all extinguishers can be taken apart and filled etc. once you use one it is no longer any good, it must be replaced.
they also recommend that you turn the dry chemical extinguishers upside down and tap them with a mallet every 6 months or so.
I am not sure what annual maintenence would cost. my job will do it for free for me and I don't think the cost is real high.
there should be a dial on the extinguisher that indicates if it has enough pressure in it etc. this does not tell you the condition of the stuff indside though. the one problem I have heard from them setting is that the dry chemical is a very fine powder and it gets sort of packed in the bottle. then when the trigger is squeezed the gas escapes and leaves the powder still in the bottle.

 

[DWK5150]

Originally posted by Daniel
<br />At work they actually empty, rebuild and refill every fire extinguisher each year. there is a full time employee that does nothing but refill them and do monthly checks. not all extinguishers can be taken apart and filled etc. once you use one it is no longer any good, it must be replaced.
they also recommend that you turn the dry chemical extinguishers upside down and tap them with a mallet every 6 months or so.
I am not sure what annual maintenence would cost. my job will do it for free for me and I don't think the cost is real high.
there should be a dial on the extinguisher that indicates if it has enough pressure in it etc. this does not tell you the condition of the stuff indside though. the one problem I have heard from them setting is that the dry chemical is a very fine powder and it gets sort of packed in the bottle. then when the trigger is squeezed the gas escapes and leaves the powder still in the bottle.

Is very common for the dry chemical to settle in the bottom after a while. It usually gets pretty solid as well. I have rebuilt and recharged a few extinguishers and let me say it SUCKS. Very dirty and just nasty cause the powder is so fine its goes every where.

 

[jb_pratt]

I read this thread yesterday with great interest. I have a small fire extinguisher in my shop and it has probably been there for 10+ years without ever having touched it. After reading all the posts in this thread and in one from a few weeks back about a gentleman’s dust collector motor catching fire I am most definitely going to upgrade both in terms of size and quantity of fire extinguisher.

This morning I looked on the internet at what I now know to be dozens of different kinds, brands and types of fire extinguishers. What I thought would be a simple selection process now has me more confused than before. Can someone provide some guidance and recommendations as to the kind, type and size of fire extinguisher that would be appropriate for a garage wood shop? And is this something I pick up at Home Depot or am I better off ordering online?

Thanks in advance.

 

[DocStram]

I'm hoping Chris sees the questions regarding types of extinguishers. Hopefully, he can give us some expert advice.

 

[jb_pratt]

I read this thread yesterday with great interest. I have a small fire extinguisher in my shop and it has probably been there for 10+ years without ever having touched it. After reading all the posts in this thread and in one from a few weeks back about a gentleman’s dust collector motor catching fire I am most definitely going to upgrade both in terms of size and quantity of fire extinguisher.

This morning I looked on the internet at what I now know to be dozens of different kinds, brands and types of fire extinguishers. What I thought would be a simple selection process now has me more confused than before. Can someone provide some guidance and recommendations as to the kind, type and size of fire extinguisher that would be appropriate for a garage wood shop? And is this something I pick up at Home Depot or am I better off ordering online?

Thanks in advance.

 

[cd18524]

Finally, I get to offer some expert advice on something.

The extinguishers everyone should have in their shop are Tri-class Dry chemical extinguishers. Tri-class refers to the class of fire the extinguisher is good for. There are four main fire classes.
Class A -- Ordinary combustibles
Class B -- Flammable liquids and gases
Class C -- Electrical fires
Class D -- Metal fires (magnesium, sodium potassium, etc.)

The Tri-class extinguishers cover classes A, B, and C. They are the best all around extinguisher there is.

Just a few of the well known brands would be (in no particular order)
-Kiddie
-Sentry
-Amerex

For size, I would recommend the 5# size. It is small enough to be stored in easily accessiable spots and is big enough to put out (slow down) most small fires. I would also say you should have at least two (depending on the size of your shop). I have a 2 1/2 car garage for a shop and I have two 5#'s.

A couple of other quick notes if you do have a fire.
1. Remain calm
2. Your tools, shop/house, toys, etc. can all be replaced, you and your family cannot.
3. A typical fire is going to double in size every minute it is allowed to burn. A quick "knock" is necessary to keep it in control. Refer back to number 1.
4. If you cannot get the fire out with two extinguishers it is too big for you too handle and the fire dept. should be called and you and your family should get out.
5. If you have to get out, try and close the door behind you to slow the spread of the fire.

Hope this is helpful to some. Be safe.

Chris

 

[Daniel]

Great post Chris,
At work we have a saying, if the fire is big enough to need an extinguisher, it's probably better to just leave the building. I think of the extinguisher at work as something I'll carry out with me in case I am actually blocked in.
my shop well I woudl want to at least slow a fire down and save as much as I can. but it is a fine line between choosing to fight a fire and making stupid choices for replacable posessions. basically leave the fire fighting to the pros even if you have an extinguisher. you may need it just to excape a fire. once you are out you can decide if you want to take a parting shot back at it. but get to a safe place first.

 

[woodwish]

I've actually used a fire extinguisher twice at my house, once in the kitchen and once when the grill vent fan flammed up (long stupid story there). Both times I called 911 but the extinguisher did the job first and saved a lot of additional damage, I think I was lucky. I felt bad calling the FD when the fire was already out but they insisted on looking around anyway, and I was happy to let them. Evidently a lot of times the extinguisher knocks down a fire but leaves hot spots that firemen seem to spot real fast, if the hot spots are left alone they can flare back up hours later when you have gone to bed and already exhausted your extinguisher anyway.

Bottom line- if it was bad enough to use an extinguisher call 911!

 

[Texas Taco]

Originally posted by huntersilver
<br />You should test them to see if they are still useful before
starting the small fire.

In most cases I would agree with you on this one but it could lead to more problems. I teach hands on fire extinguisher training classes and I have had brand new bottles fail after they were "tested" during the class. Have a back up ready for the one you are going to use to train on should that one happen to fail.

If you are going to do a test/training fire ask the local FD if they provide this training. No better training than to get it from the "PROs" and the additional information they can give you could be very helpful. If this isn't possible ask your employer if they can provide it for the employees and their families. At each of my classes I would have a spouse or two and a few of their kids.

If you still want to do it on your own.........remember to P.A.S.S.

<b>P</b>ull the pin
<b>A</b>im the nozzle at the base of the fire
<b>S</b>queeze the trigger
<b>S</b>weep the nozzle across the base.

I stongly recommend each and everyone of us along with our family members, practice using a fire extinguisher yearly. The best way to stay calm in an emergency is to practice.

 

[jb_pratt]

I wanted to thank Chris and everyone else who pitched in on this thread over the past few weeks. After Chris’ post I went to a local supply house that sells commercial fire suppression systems and equipment and purchased two Ansul A05’s for my shop. They are now mounted in strategic locations in my shop. Thanks for the heads up and the education on what type of extinguishers are best suited for a workshop.

 

[huntersilver]

Thanks for all of the info. I have added 2 extinguishers to my shop!