Where do you have your fire extinguisher mounted?

[In The Ten Ring]

I want to carry an extinguisher but where do I mount it? I was thinking the trans hump as I have a column shifter and it would be easier to reach there than over on the right side by the door.....

What do you guys do?

[jjzepplin]

I have mine in the kitchen. Guess I better get it into the truck. I'm thinking just under the seat within reach while in driver seat or door open. Hope we all never need one.

[rustrunner]

Mine is mounted between the driver side window and the back window. Just behind my head. Is located there, for that is where my dad mounted it in
1970. Could never move it.

[Hook'em]

Mine is mounted under the seat on the driver's side with a small bungee cord holding it to the seat bracket.

[leftybass209]

It's important to remember that anything not secured tight becomes a projectile in an accident, and the accident doesn't need to be serious to sustain additional injuries from objects in the cab. I've seen many mounts that would not hold a fire extinguisher in even a 25mph accident.

[slomotion]

On the hump between the shift lever and the seat. My thought being it's easy to reach and use if I come on an accident, and it's just below my right arm if I am the accident.
Mounted on the kick panel won't do much good if the door is jammed, and hard to reach if you're stuck in the driver's seat. Under the seat could be hard to reach in some circumstances. Not trying to be too gruesome, but thinking through several scenario's I'd like to think I could protect myself as well as someone else.
Seems like there was an earlier thread on this as well......

[71threequarterton]

I went gung-ho on the heater box mount but I'm starting to have second thoughts about it now...

I'll probably never use my heater but something about "heater box" and "do not keep in high temperatures" in the same sentence sounds kinda funny to me, in a not so funny way.

I'm also wondering about the weight of the fire extinguisher on the box, if that will end up wearing on the box mount and make things sloppy.

Has anybody had any issues with mounting on the heater box?

Here's mine:

[In The Ten Ring]

Wow I like that! I don't think you'd have any problems with the heater box. If the box was that hot, it would melt your truck. Perhaps you could fashion up some insulator material (foam?) to go between the canister and the heater box.

[davepl]

I always thought the area where the jack goes, beside the tank, would be a good spot. No one has a mount there I can copy? Don't make me innovate, people, I just want to copy!

I actually assumed that's where most would have it!

[In The Ten Ring]

It might fit well there, but would not be easy to get to. Seconds count.

I came across a flipped over car that was on fire about 3 months ago. However, I was late to the party: traffic was extremely backed up, 5 police officers were on scene, but apparently not a single one had an extinguisher. The fire truck was just arriving also.

Now had I been 5 or 10 minutes earlier, I might could have had some impact as I carry two extinguishers in the back of my daily driver.

[davepl]

I saw a bad "semi not paying attention, crashes into stopped traffic" conflagration on the news last week. One vehicle burst into flames immediately, but something like 5 different people had extinguishers on the scene and they got it out.

[In The Ten Ring]

Originally Posted by davepl

I saw a bad "semi not paying attention, crashes into stopped traffic" conflagration on the news last week. One vehicle burst into flames immediately, but something like 5 different people had extinguishers on the scene and they got it out.

Very rare that so many people were both prepared and aggressive. Two things overcome adversity: being prepared and being aggressive.

[davepl]

Well that -was- five our of maybe 100 involved. It was a big incident, and on a major freeway.

[35boulder]

so...not to hijack, but what type extinguisher do y'all carry?

[firedemon]

I got the tall mega shifter so I'm thinking on the front of the shifter housing plenty of room right next to my hand all the time

[jeffahart]

[Overdriven]

Originally Posted by 71threequarterton

I went gung-ho on the heater box mount but I'm starting to have second thoughts about it now...

I'll probably never use my heater but something about "heater box" and "do not keep in high temperatures" in the same sentence sounds kinda funny to me, in a not so funny way.

Most Fire Extinguishers are good to at least 120F. Above that the gauge is the first thing that has problems, mostly with accuracy. You need to get the Fire Extinguisher above 200F before you have to worry about it rupturing.

Btw your mount is one of the best styles of mount available for that size of fire extinguisher. Unfortunately Amerex is the only one I know of with a dual strap mount like that.

Originally Posted by 35boulder

so...not to hijack, but what type extinguisher do y'all carry?

You want a Fire Extinguisher with at least a BC rating, A = normal combustibles like paper, wood, clothing, etc. B = Flammable Lquids, C = Rated for Electrical fires meaning you won't get shocked using it on a fire with live electrical current.

So you want an ABC, BC or Purple K (has BC rating) that holds at least 2.5lbs of chemical, I'd recommend a 5lb though. There's plenty of room under or behind the seat for a 5lb but it's a little harder to get a good vehicle bracket for one. Amerex is the only one I know of with a dual strap vehicle bracket for 5lb extinguishers. Avoid CO2 fire extinguishers, they're great for under the hood when inside the shop but outside the wind renders them basically useless. Also avoid any liquid/foam fire extinguishers, they're gimmicks and often aren't UL listed/rated and if they advertise they are they're lying. The only liquid/foam extinguishers that are decent are the 2.5 gallon ones with the stainless steel shell Fire Fighters use, not something you want to carry around.

Originally Posted by rustrunner

Mine is mounted between the driver side window and the back window. Just behind my head. Is located there, for that is where my dad mounted it in 1970. Could never move it.

Yeah I wouldn't want it there but that's up to you. Word of caution, if it's been there since 1970 chances are pretty damn good it's not going to work. Fire Extinguishers must have regular maintenance every 6 years or less in commercial applications. For personal use I tell people to not let it go any more than 10 years. Anything made before 1985 is no longer allowed to be serviced so unless you have a buddy in the business willing to do it for you plan on buying a new fire extinguisher and likely changing the bracket as they're almost never compatible between manufacturers let alone 40+ years.

Originally Posted by jeffahart

Attachment 1567472

While something is better than nothing, those are the biggest pieces of junk out there. I've had customers bring them to our shop looking to get tags put on them and they were dead as they took them out of the box in front of us. We refuse to tag them because then we become responsible for them working and they just aren't reliable. Oh and the bracket breaks when it gets cold, just snaps. Get something with a metal valve assembly and avoid Kidde if you can. First Alert has some decent metal valve assembly fire extinguishers that are inexpensive and available at big box stores and places other than a professional Fire Extinguisher service company. For those wanting better go to a Fire Extinguisher service company and get a Badger or Amerex.

[jeffahart]

Originally Posted by Overdriven

Most Fire Extinguishers are good to at least 120F. Above that the gauge is the first thing that has problems, mostly with accuracy. You need to get the Fire Extinguisher above 200F before you have to worry about it rupturing.

Btw your mount is one of the best styles of mount available for that size of fire extinguisher. Unfortunately Amerex is the only one I know of with a dual strap mount like that.



You want a Fire Extinguisher with at least a BC rating, A = normal combustibles like paper, wood, clothing, etc. B = Flammable Lquids, C = Rated for Electrical fires meaning you won't get shocked using it on a fire with live electrical current.

So you want an ABC, BC or Purple K (has BC rating) that holds at least 2.5lbs of chemical, I'd recommend a 5lb though. There's plenty of room under or behind the seat for a 5lb but it's a little harder to get a good vehicle bracket for one. Amerex is the only one I know of with a dual strap vehicle bracket for 5lb extinguishers. Avoid CO2 fire extinguishers, they're great for under the hood when inside the shop but outside the wind renders them basically useless. Also avoid any liquid/foam fire extinguishers, they're gimmicks and often aren't UL listed/rated and if they advertise they are they're lying. The only liquid/foam extinguishers that are decent are the 2.5 gallon ones with the stainless steel shell Fire Fighters use, not something you want to carry around.



Yeah I wouldn't want it there but that's up to you. Word of caution, if it's been there since 1970 chances are pretty damn good it's not going to work. Fire Extinguishers must have regular maintenance every 6 years or less in commercial applications. For personal use I tell people to not let it go any more than 10 years. Anything made before 1985 is no longer allowed to be serviced so unless you have a buddy in the business willing to do it for you plan on buying a new fire extinguisher and likely changing the bracket as they're almost never compatible between manufacturers let alone 40+ years.



While something is better than nothing, those are the biggest pieces of junk out there. I've had customers bring them to our shop looking to get tags put on them and they were dead as they took them out of the box in front of us. We refuse to tag them because then we become responsible for them working and they just aren't reliable. Oh and the bracket breaks when it gets cold, just snaps. Get something with a metal valve assembly and avoid Kidde if you can. First Alert has some decent metal valve assembly fire extinguishers that are inexpensive and available at big box stores and places other than a professional Fire Extinguisher service company. For those wanting better go to a Fire Extinguisher service company and get a Badger or Amerex.

The strap has not broken yet. The one in my pic replaced one that had probably been in there 10 plus years. On a farm owned by masons and got the crap kicked out of it regularly. But still... that plastic held in there. Wonder why? What else are you wrong about is all I can think! But I always enjoy a good google cut and paste job!

Never buy a new car.... LOTS OF PLASTIC

[Overdriven]

Originally Posted by jeffahart

The strap has not broken yet. The one in my pic replaced one that had probably been in there 10 plus years. On a farm owned by masons and got the crap kicked out of it regularly. But still... that plastic held in there. Wonder why? What else are you wrong about is all I can think! But I always enjoy a good google cut and paste job!

Never buy a new car.... LOTS OF PLASTIC

Dude its a strap. To say I'm flat out wrong, Google cut and pasted is a bit over defensive don't you think? Maybe it hasn't taken a good enough shot while cold or it hasn't gotten cold enough. I don't know.

What I do know is what I've seen over the last 17 years working in the fire extinguisher service industry. I see them mangled and broken all the time in delivery trucks at accounts where we unfortunately have to service those because they refuse to buy better quality and we don't want to lose the account. So we take a chance. Because we become liable for a fire extinguisher when servicing them we refuse to service those plastic Kidde whenever possible. And as I said I've seen plenty of them come out of the box dead, leak down in a year, etc. At one point there was a recall for a Kidde plastic valve model where the threads on the valve would break and the valve would shoot out of the head. Still feeling smart with your "Never buy a new car, lots of plastic" comment? Another plastic valve model has a clip holding the gauge in, it's not threaded, just push the gauge in and insert the paper clip thin clip and hope it holds back 195psi pushing on it. Sometimes they don't hold and the gauges shoot out. We are careful where the gauge is pointing (like you would be with a gun) especially while filling. Btw the model in your truck has the gauge held in by a paper clip, it's only 100psi though, haven't seen one of those shoot it's gauge yet.

Let me state this unequivocably. From what I've seen Kidde with plastic valve assemblies are the least reliable fire extinguishers on the market and I will continue to try and persuade others to not use and rely on them in an emergency. If you've had better luck with the strap and those plastic valve Kidde extinguishers more power to you, I sincerely hope it works when you need it.

[bruceman1968]

ITTR, Here's mine. My truck is a rust bucket, work truck, so I just screwed it into the kick panel.

Overdriven, I'm interested in anything you have to say about my fire extinguisher. Even if it's negative. Better to know now than later.

[96blazr]

I mounted mine on the hump using Velcro on the back side of the extinguisher mount. Been there for over 10 years now.

[In The Ten Ring]

This may have some value.

http://www.thebracketeer.com/

I have been told that the metal nozzle-units are the ones to buy.

I carry a 5 lbs CO2 unit in addition to my 2.5 dry chemical unit for gas station fires. Just in case I get a fume ignition at the pump....no need for a bunch of powder down into my tank.

I'm sure just about anyone with some fabrication skills could work up a suitable floor mount. I guess I'll go for on the hump unless I can attach it to the front of the seat.

Thanks for the info Overdriven!

[dirtyjim]

I have them in all of my vehicles, in my 67 its located on the floorboard at the edge of the seat on the driver side.

[Overdriven]

Originally Posted by bruceman1968

ITTR, Here's mine. My truck is a rust bucket, work truck, so I just screwed it into the kick panel.

Overdriven, I'm interested in anything you have to say about my fire extinguisher. Even if it's negative. Better to know now than later.

Attachment 1567550

Honestly this is the kind of response I expected when I posted, but I guess initially I didn't come off as someone who had experience in the field. Bruce, PyroChem is a good brand and they make a reliable fire extinguisher with a nice secure vehicle bracket. You got a good one. Little tip though, make sure the plastic discharge nozzle is tight as they tend to loosen up and fall out. Unscrew it a little and retighten giving it just a little snug with a pair of pliers so it stays put.

Originally Posted by 96blazr

I mounted mine on the hump using Velcro on the back side of the extinguisher mount. Been there for over 10 years now.

As I said previously fire extinguishers do need regular maintenence and it's required every 6 years for commercial but I usually tell those with personal up to 10 years. The 2 main reasons for regular maintenance is to verify the accuracy of the gauge and to make sure the powder inside doesn't get caked up. The powder pours like a very fine sand and has to flow up through a siphon tube so caked up is no good. Fire extinguisher gauges are cheap regardless of brand, and are just a coil of copper tube that expands when pressurized. Over time under pressure , getting knocked around and vibrated they lose accuracy, can stick and you want reliability for a fire extinguisher. So every 6 years we shoot them off, inspect inside the cylinder, the valve, o rings etc. When we recharge them the powder gets sifted to fluff it up and it gets pressurized according to a calibrated gauge to verify the accuracy of the gauge on the fire extinguisher. Doesn't match it gets replaced.

Every 12 years dry chem fire ext get what's called a hydro test. Fancy name for the cylinder gets filled with water and over pressurized to test its integrity. For little 2.5lb fre ext like those most have in trucks it's usually not worth it to do this unless it's one of those chrome jobs as the cost nears that of new. Something to be aware of if you decide to bring yours to a shop. There's always a date somewhere on the cylinder. These days many are stamped into the bottom but some are on the label somewhere. When 6yr maint or hydro is performed a sticker with the date of that is affixed to the cylinder.

One last thing, kind of important. If you use a fire ext at all it should be recharged. Dry chemical fire ext don't reseal after shooting any amount, the powder mucks up the oring seal and the pressure will leak out in a day or 2. CO2 will reseal but there's a finite amount of agent in all fire ext, you want all you can get when you need it.

[Overdriven]

Originally Posted by In The Ten Ring

This may have some value.

http://www.thebracketeer.com/

I have been told that the metal nozzle-units are the ones to buy.

I carry a 5 lbs CO2 unit in addition to my 2.5 dry chemical unit for gas station fires. Just in case I get a fume ignition at the pump....no need for a bunch of powder down into my tank.

I'm sure just about anyone with some fabrication skills could work up a suitable floor mount. I guess I'll go for on the hump unless I can attach it to the front of the seat.

Thanks for the info Overdriven!

That bracket is a good idea, I like it in front of the seat like that. Like you said though wouldn't be too hard to make something like that, even with hand tools and bolting it together from metal angle bought at Home Depot.

As far as the kind/brand of fire ext to buy. Its the valve assembly that matters, the nozzle can be any material. Kidde and First Alert are the only ones I know of making plastic valves and they are everywhere because they're cheap. I had a guy come into the shop with a 60ft ocean going sailboat who bought his plastic Kidde at a marine store and it's all they had. I'm sorry they had 2 sizes of them and this guy bought 2 of the smallest ones that are less than 2lbs for his God only knows how much it cost 60ft sailboat he takes out on the ocean. Anyway. Some stores will carry the metal valve models by Kidde and First Alert though. As I said before avoid Kidde if you can but if you can't get the metal valve ones. First Alert's metal valve fire ext are reliable though, not the most fun for us to recharge but they're reliable and many big box hardware stores carry them. Other good brands are Badger, PyroChem, Ansul, Sentry, Amerex, all of them only make good commercial grade fire ext.