Frozen Fire Arrest System??


S

summersled

New member
Unfortunately Summer Sled is already sleeping in her best winter shrink...and we had a frigid night in the 20s.
When I arrived at my shop, were she sleeps on the hard, I found her wide awake and alarming. I'd left the engine room fire suppression system engaged and it was reading "discharged" with a red light and the source of the sound. I turned it to override which stopped the alarm.
Do you feel it froze and was giving a false reading of discharge as a result? I opened the hatch and there wasn't a room full of fire retardant.
On a related note how often do you all have those systems recharged?
 
Typically, the engine room suppression system is charged with a gas. It used to be Halon but since it's a CFC it was outlawed in 1994. It has been replaced with Halotron (available under different brand names). Because it's a gas, it will not leave a residue. One of two things happened. Either your extinguisher was low on pressure and dropped below the alarm state when cold or it did discharge. In either case, it will have to be removed and weighed. If your cylinder is refillable, it can be refilled, unless it was still Halon. If it can't be refilled or if it was Halon it will have to be replaced. According to the Coast Guard, it should be checked annually.
 
I had this issue in the spring when I hooked the batteries back up. There is a gauge on the bottle and mine was in the green so I assumed it was a bad gauge. A few days later I went back and took it off of bypass and all was good. I wouldn't be surprised if it is a result of the cold weather. The cost for a recharge is extremely high, if I remember correctly it's around $600.
 
Hmmm...interesting. I'll have to remember to take a closer look in the Spring. And $600 will assure I remember...thanks.
 
As a side note, GAS does "lose volume" when cold, just like when you take a balloon outside on a cold day.

So PERHAPS the gauge is just reflecting that, and in the spring when things warm up you will be ok ?

Although I am not expert and NOT SURE how/what those gauges are reading.
 
The gauges only read pressure and are only accurate when the tank is empty :p. The only correct way to determine if the unit is fully charged is to weight it. It's weight (tare, chemical and full) are listed either on the label or stamped onto the cylinder, based upon the brand of tank purchased.
 
Group27 said:
The gauges only read pressure and are only accurate when the tank is empty :p. The only correct way to determine if the unit is fully charged is to weight it. It's weight (tare, chemical and full) are listed either on the label or stamped onto the cylinder, based upon the brand of tank purchased.
Click to expand...

Well then...it must have been mighty cold or he has issues - bummer.
 
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