24/7 Automatic Fire Protection: Fire Suppression Innovation for Boats
Fire Balls
A very interesting substitute for outlawed Halon fire extinguishers is now on the market. They are dry powder “fire balls” that activate when they come in contact with a flame for several seconds. At that point, these automatically extinguish the fire.
They can put out A, B, C, sometimes even E, and F fires, and most are usable for five years. Some even sound an alert.
They come in different sizes. Red is for dry indoor locations and blue for more humid marine environments like engine room or bilge.
Elide Fire Balls are sold on Amazon.
Bracket or Thrown
These “fire balls” could be a great option in space where other fire extinguishers are not located. They are “safe” to breathe, and contain a non-toxic ecofriendly dry chemical.
Not only could they be useful in an engine room, but also in the galley or other areas on board, like near the chart table where people often charge electronics.
Dry fire balls can be mounted on a bracket, or even thrown into a fire. There are some interesting videos available online that demonstrate their capabilities.
Watch This Video!
A friend sent a link to this video to me: Reduce the chances of an electrical fire getting out of control on your boat! | My Boat DIY.
The video leads off by saying that fires are the fifth leading cause of boat loss, and half of those fires are caused by electrical systems.
Overloaded circuits may not trip the breaker, a wire might heat up, and a fire occur. It’s worth watching this video just to see the Elide Fire Ball in action!
Halon Outlawed
Halon fire suppression extinguishers cause damage to the Earth’s ozone layer, so they have been banned for use in boats for many years in most countries. In some countries, the extinguishers themselves are illegal to possess or use. They have been replaced with water sprinklers, dry chemical, and carbon dioxide extinguishers.
Used for fighting class B and C fires, and sometimes A, Halon extinguishers were filled with liquefied gas pressurized with nitrogen. The benefit was that they discharged a vapor that did not cause cold or static shock.
I have read that if you have existing halon extinguishers, they can be refilled with reclaimed halon, though I’ve not heard of anyone actually successfully doing that.
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