Old ball style fire extinguishers

[opposedtwin]

What’s the history of these older style fire extinguishers? Were they made for the boating industry specifically? It seems a number of them are “us coast guard approved” and that’s what makes me wonder if they’re marine related.

Also, what does “dry chemical” mean? Are these chemically different from the ones available on the market today?

And finally why the round ball shape? What was the advantage there and why are most extinguishers cylindrical today?

I think I’d like to get one of these older ball style ones if they could still be made to be serviceable today.

Also, how do we dispose of expired fire extinguishers? Are they re-fillable? I had to buy a new one for this boating season last spring because the needle on mine moved to “replace” over the winter. I’d rather re-fill and re-use it than throw it away.

Thanks for your thoughts!
Scott

[Buccaneer]

Many of the old fire extinguishers have service tags on them when they were
serviced / recharged last. I know years ago I took one of mine to the local
hardware store where a guy would come around occasionally to pick up
and service extinguishers……… no idea if anyone does that anymore.
Pretty sure the A/B/C extinguishers are all dry chemicals yet today.
Can’t remember, but D may have been liquid / water extinguishers.
You’re suppose to invert the dry chemical units upside down and wrap
with a rubber mallet occasionally, and shake it all about, to keep the
power chemicals “loosened up”.

Prepare to be boarded!

[terriblecj]

Our local fire station fills them for us. We have a service as well that comes around and checks/fills extinguishers and fire suppression systems “FirePros”

[opposedtwin]

So one of these old ball style extinguishers could potentially be re-charged and made to be serviceable again? Pretty amazing!

[The Boat House]

[sydinnj]

To be legal for a boat it must be USCG approved and you have to be able to read the approval number. Yes any extinguisher that is in good usable condition and is USCG approved and when you read the approval part it usually says only when used with part number (then has a number) this other part is the bracket it came with. and it has to be mounted in a readily available spot and not in the engine compartment
For the classes

A wood paper, anything that leaves an ash
B gas, oil grease burning liquids
C electrical fires
D burning metal

[need2fish]

To the best of my knowledge, some of those liquid-only globes are filled with carbon tetrachloride — very nasty stuff — a couple of whiffs of the stuff can damage your internals.

Before the days of consumer protection groups.

Not to be played with .

[Author]

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