Small vs big fire extinguisher

So I was inspecting all our fire extinguishers at the construction site I work at, my boss said afterwards I could take home whichever extinguisher I wanted, but only one! As you can see there's really only 2 sizes but there's many to choose from

 

grab the biggest one and mount it in the truck bed, then get a 2.5 pound one, mount it in a place where the driver and passenger can reach it without undoing seatbelts. the bigger one is for exterior and other people vehicles, the 2.5lb is for "oh shit theres a fire in my face get me out of the truck"

 

I would go for at least a 5lb if you can. The 2.5lbs are a joke in a car fire. We went through 6-7 5lbs before the FD showed up on a fire at work a few years ago. Where are you planning on mounting it?

 

Not to thread jack but since we're on the topic of fire extinguishers, if I were to buy one to keep on the truck probably a medium to large one, should I consider a co2 unit? I've never had to use one of either type for real. Anyone have a suggestion?

 

Those are probably not worth it for a few reasons.

I put a 5lb ABC right here. I want to get a pair of Halotron ones for the inside but haven't yet due to price.

 

ABC, BC, or Purple K.
5lb or bigger easily accessible.

 

Could you explain the reasons? Just curious. What's the best all around type if you had to choose one?

 

If you're in a particularly breezy area a CO2 extinguisher could just blow right away without actually affecting the flame. Additionally: price, and you typically need a large one as the CO2 does not sit still after you've sprayed it. An ABC will stay where you blast it due to its dry powder.

 

Right on, thanks!

 

Searchin around it seems dry powder is the most versatile. Is there one that covers A B C and D? I haven't found one yet. D is for flammable metals like magnesium or lithium, I think it's possible you may run across them in a vehicle fire.

 

A class D fire extinguisher is different from an ABC for a handful of reasons that would make them not very compatible. See here : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_extinguisher#Class_D

 

Thanks man! I also was just reading this

http://www.fire-extinguisher101.com/

Good info. Class D is a separate type completely.

I really should have one on the truck, gonna keep my eyes peeled for one.

 

D is overkill, I've only seen them around the weld shop at work.

 

http://www.racesafe.com/html/fire-extinguisher-info.html

Poke around here a little for some interesting reading.

 

Are you ever worried about someone stealing that?

 

Some of this is neat reading. I can't imagine what it costs to refill a copper powder type extinguisher! Or what a mess can be made with the graphite powder kind!

The fire extinguishing grenades sound interesting...

 

@big_jarv just about every day, yeah. If it's a sketchy area I usually just pull it off and put it in the cab. I've had it there now for maybe a few months and so far not a single person has ever messed with it. I've kind of looked at it from a perspective of: how often do you really see people messing with a fire extinguisher? In the majority of cases they're generally just kind of left by most people.

It's a leap of faith, sure, but it's worked out so far.

 

@digitaLbraVo how is that mounted? Quickfists?

 

Actually no I used

$11 Kidde Fire Extinguisher Mount, Metal Strap Bracket, Heavy Duty, Compatible 5-Pound Fire Extinguishers, Black

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001U0PFIQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 two of these end to end. If for some reason the fire extinguisher flies away from the cab: it is contained by 1 of the L shaped brackets if it tries to go towards the cab the other L bracket is waiting for it. Both straps hold the bottle quite well I've shaken the living fuck out of it and am thoroughly confident it is not coming out now.

 

@digitaLbraVo I like that, now that I think of it, I think the quickfists would have their screws shaken out + all that weight on the left side would mean even more bro lean. I'll probably mount right side but this is a good idea