ALOT of us mod our FJ's. We all know there are risks, but we still do it. One of the most important pieces of equipment you can stuff in your FJ, in my opinion, is a fire extinguisher.
Whether you've added lights, modified the dome lights, upgraded your system, installed a CB, or even if you carry gas or cooking fuel in/on your FJ, a fire extinguisher is one of those things you don't want to NEED, but if you do, you'll be very glad you had it.
Electrical mods can potentially cause a fire. If done properly the risk is slim, but there is always a RISK. It may not be your fault, it could be a short in your CB that overheats the wires, but when it all boils down to it, YOU installed the CB and you watched your FJ burn down because you didn't have an extinguisher on board. It's not worth the risk of not having one, if you ask me.
Before we get to the extinguishers, there are a few things you should know about fires in general to help understand how an extinguisher works.
FIRES
There are three things needed to cause a fire, often referred to as the "fire triangle."
FUEL,
OXYGEN,
HEAT. Without one of these things, a fire can not occur.
FUEL: In order for a fire to occur, there must be something available to burn, or oxidize (more on this later). Without fuel, you can have all the heat and oxygen you want, but no fire is going to occur.
OXYGEN: Fire is technically an exothermic reaction (meaning it expells thermal energy). This happens when a combustible material is rapidly oxidized. Oxidization is another way of describing a chemical reaction where oxygen molecules react and join the molecules of the combustible material to form new by products. In the case of fire, this reaction is very fast and lets out alot of heat as by product as well. If you remove the oxygen, the fire goes out (this is the principal most extinguinshers work on). It's hard to oxidize something without oxygen.
(FYI: rust is a slow form of oxidization. In the formation of rust, oxygen reacts with iron to produce iron oxide. This reaction is a much slower process, but is essentially the same sans fire).
HEAT: In order to start the reaction that is fire, a certain amount of energy is required. This is thermal energy, or heat. A common misconception is that an actual spark is required to ignite something. This is not the case. If you get a combustible material hot enough it will burn! Think sunny day with a magnifying glass and some paper on the sidewalk. (Stop replacing paper with ants you big meanie
). Or a hot wire melting it's insulation would do the trick. Not good if it's in your FJ, and I hope it never happens to you.
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS:
The purpose of the fire extinguisher is to remove one of these elements of the fire triangle, in order to stop combustion. Whether it be removing the heat element with water, or removing the oxygen with CO2 as two examples. Be careful though! Water is not suited to an electrical fire, as it conducts electricity, and throwing water on some materials like liquids or burning metals usually only makes the problem worse! This is why it is important to have the correct fire extinguisher for the application.
The following definitions are from this website:
Staying Alive: Fire Extinguishers
Quote:
Class A - This class deals with ordinary combustibles, such as wood, clothe, paper, many plastics, and other common materials that burn easily. This class can be identified as the letter "A" with a green triangle around it. There is also another new symbol.
Class B - Class B deals with flammable liquids, such as gasoline, oil, grease, tar, oil-based paint, lacquer, and flammable gas. The symbol for this class of fire is the letter "B" with a red box around it. There is also a new symbol for this type as well.
Class C - This class is primarily concerned with electrical equipment, such as computers, wiring fuse boxes, circuit breakers, machinery and appliances. The symbol for this class of fire is the letter "C" surrounded by a blue circle. There is also a new symbol.
Class D - This class is very rarely something you will very rarely deal with. It is concerned with combustible metals such as magnesium, aluminum, lithium, and other combustible metals or metal dust. The symbol to indicate this type of fire is the letter "D" and surrounded by a yellow star.
Class K - This class deals with the commercial cooking industry because it is concerned with combustible cooking oils or fats.
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I strongly suggest reading the original link if you have the time, as it explains in more detail why you can and can't use certain fire extinguishers on certain types of fires. For example, putting water on a sodium fire (burning metal) will cause an explosion and only make matters worse!!! Some burning metals can even create their own oxygen which is why fireworks continue to burn and bubble under water. In this case a class D must be used. For the most part you don't have fireworks in your FJ, or any other combustible metals, so a D is not normally necessary.
A good all around fire extinguisher is an ABC, and all fire extinguishers are available in different sizes. You should get the largest one you can afford to fit in your FJ (in my case, without upsetting my dog). Almost all fire extinguishers are rechargeable, and they should be recharged immediately after use. Having a discharged fire extinguisher is as bad as not having one. Also, many extinguishers are not designed to be stored with a partial charge, and you should seek professional service even if you didn't use the whole thing!
USING A FIRE EXTINGUISHER:
If you remember one thing, remember this: PASS.
P - Pull
A - Aim
S - Squeeze
S - Sweep
Pull the pin, aim the extinguisher at the BASE of the fire (fighting flames does nothing, it is the source you are after), squeeze the trigger, and sweep at the base of the fire. Unless you have more than one fire to fight, it is advisable to use the whole canister! No cheaping out! Some fires may retain enough heat to re-ignite!!!
I hope this helps, and if you don't have an extinguisher: GET ONE! It may save yours, or somebody elses life. Maybe even your FJ!!!! If you have any questions please post them up. That's what the forum is for.
2007 FJ, 5AT, Sun Fusion Yellow, CQ, UP, GY, RB, 2Q, EL, VS.
"Enjoying the Journey"
Linear Mode
