Class D fire extinguishers

[schluterdude]

anyone out there have a class D extinguisher for their LiPo's? other types of extinguishers may work, but, with lithium being considered a flammable metal, Class D is the official way to go...

i've been looking around and all i can find are 30 pounders. way to big! and way to expensive! cheapest i found was around $450.

i was thinking of a 10 pound unit for the house (worth more thus willing to spend more...) and a 5 pounder for the field (less to burn, less to spend...).

any ideas? or, what else are you guys using? i was thinking about an ABC extinguisher, but, with how hot metals burn, ABC is often not enough. my local supply store was trying to sell me some AFFF (aqueous film forming foam) to use, but, i don't have a fire truck to put it in and a hand line with aerator nozzle to make it work...(but i wish i did!)

thanks...

[Dood]

Have you ever actually SEEN a LiPo fire?
They extinguish themselves in a matter of seconds.
Your "Class D" fire will be out before you have a chance to react to it.

You'd really have nothing to worry about if you charge your batteries in a fire proof container.

Worst case scenario they start something else on fire, which that "something else" is most likely a Class A, or maybe a Class C if your charger decides to go up in flames.

Regardless, it's nothing a CO2 can't extinguish.

And there is a such thing as a portable AFFF fire extinguisher, you don't need one of those, though. Besides, I think it would be useless against a D.

[schluterdude]

i've never seen a batt catch fire, but, i have seen other flamable metals light off (i used to be a firefighter), and while cool to see, glad it wasn't my stuff getting torched. metals are HOT!!!!

very true an ABC dry chem would take care of everything else, and, i do charge my batteries in a heavy ceramic container.

also, your charger goes from class C to a class A once power has been cut... class C only applies to "live" electronics. once power has been cut, they change class.

foams are iffy with metals. with enough application, they work, kinda... but the heat given off by metals is what reduces their effectiveness.

maybe just a bucket of sand would be a better choice.

[blax1]

Hi Dood................ :)

I take a 1Kg Dry Chem with me mainly for a potential grass fire......God forbid

[schluterdude]

those wild fires down in aussie are nuts.

man, that would be a detractor from the hobby

"Wild fire sparked by model helicopter"

that would suck....

[ticedoff8]

Have you ever actually SEEN a LiPo fire?
They extinguish themselves in a matter of seconds.
Your "Class D" fire will be out before you have a chance to react to it.

You'd really have nothing to worry about if you charge your batteries in a fire proof container.

Worst case scenario they start something else on fire, which that "something else" is most likely a Class A, or maybe a Class C if your charger decides to go up in flames.

Regardless, it's nothing a CO2 can't extinguish.

And there is a such thing as a portable AFFF fire extinguisher, you don't need one of those, though. Besides, I think it would be useless against a D.

I agree 99% - 1% off because of the the CO2.
CO2 isn't going to do a very good job against a wood fire (work bench?) or a grass fire outdoors.
I'd go with a typical dry chem or a bucket of water.
By the time you get your wits about you (after the batteries have flared up), they have started a secondary fire and the batteries are burned out - so it doesn't really matter what you use to put it out. Heck, a blanket might be okay too.

Interesting note: There is a HUGE RC Flying club near here. We were at the golf course that is about 1 mile "downwind" and we start smelling grass fire smoke. A few minutes later, here comes the CDF Chopper (nice Huey) with the water bucket - headed to their flying site. Seems someone crashed an RC jet and started a grass fire. 3rd time this year.
No LiPo batteries here - just a smoking crater and jet fuel.