halon system

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Bud

Bud

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2017
Messages
374
Location
United States
Vessel Name
Izzy Rose
Vessel Make
Grand Banks 49
I am trying to decide what to do with an existing halon fire system in the engine room. the gauge say its empty. Any thoughts ?
Bud
 
Bud said:
I am trying to decide what to do with an existing halon fire system in the engine room. the gauge say its empty. Any thoughts ?
Bud
Click to expand...

Find a local company/tech that can evaluate the system and hopefully get it back in operation condition. You will find out if it just need serviced and refilled or if there are bigger issues and can then decide where to go with it.
 
As far as I know halon was outlawed years ago.
 
Halon is not legal to manufacture anymore in the US, but is still legal to have and use. You can buy halon fire extinguishers easily enough. Not sure about automatic fire systems with the same gas. I actually thought he was just referring to an auto fire system and didn’t take the “halon” literally. Either way, I would check with a fire systems company to find out what is there and if it is still useful.
 
It may very well be halon. If it is and it is empty then there isnt any refilling of halon anymore and you will have to buy an new system. Did you weigh the halon bottle? That is the way to verify if it is full or not.
 
Yes it is Halon. It does not look like an easy task to remove bottle. Looks like any halon left could leak out. Probably a shut off on bottle that I am not seeing. Any alternatives to halon thats engine freindly?
Bud
 
" Any alternatives to halon thats engine freindly?"


CO-2, but the bottles are heavy.
 
I don't think the extra weight will be an issue. I am concerned that it is an old system and if it was to go off by mistake while engines and generator are running I do not want to damage them. 2- 3208's and a lugger 16 kw. The system is plumbed with what looks like a melt away over each engine and generator.
Bud
 
"if it was to go off by mistake while engines and generator are running I do not want to damage them."

No harm, tho the engines will probably stop.

Restart as soon as the Halon is gone , no big deal.

DRY powder units is a big deal and an expensive clean up.
 
Keep the Halon if you can. Contact a local fire extinguisher company (maybe 2 if you don’t get the answer that you want from the 1st) They will inspect and advise.
 
Bud said:
Yes it is Halon. It does not look like an easy task to remove bottle. Looks like any halon left could leak out. Probably a shut off on bottle that I am not seeing. Any alternatives to halon thats engine freindly?
Bud
Click to expand...

You should be able to reuse much of the system and refill the system with heptafluoropropane or FM200 since they are both similar gasses and FM200 is legal and "safe" as well as effective on fires. You won't suffocate like halon, but you should get out of the ER as quick as possible if it goes off.

Co2 has problems since it tends to freeze up around valves and emitters which can limit the effectiveness if either one seals itself shut.
 
Water mist fire systems are where the technology is now in the big ship engine rooms. Forget about Halon, you cant buy any, and if you could, the price would be very high. The mist knocks down the fire and then you can hit it with a handheld extinguisher if needed.
I suppose this system is way beyond most of you.


 
Last edited:
Give Fire Equipment Services in Key West a call. They service boat systems. Did a great job for some friends of ours a few years back. (772) 461-6845
 
Comodave said:
It may very well be halon. If it is and it is empty then there isnt any refilling of halon anymore and you will have to buy an new system. Did you weigh the halon bottle? That is the way to verify if it is full or not.
Click to expand...

That is simply not true. You can recharge existing Halon systems. You just can't buy new ones.
 
My 2001 Great Harbour 37 has twin Yanmar 4JH3E 56hp diesels, kept company by a 8kW Northern Lights Gen that has a Luger – Shibaura 13h Diesel Engine at its core. When new, a Fireboy engine room extinguishing system was an option on GH37’s. The Fireboy can be triggered by high ER temp or pulling an activation trigger in the pilothouse. My (1y new to me) boat has this option, but the tank is expired and I was told cannot be further recertified. So it sits, charge and (probably) ready.

My understand is that diesel, as opposed to gasoline, does not pose significant shipboard fire risk. Diesel does not have a low flash point in fumes or liquid form; gasoline is very risky in these concerns. Correct?

So, do we need a robust, automatic engine room fire extinguisher system in a diesel trawler?

Early in my ownership I replaced the 5 hand-held fire extinguishers and replaced the CO detector. My boat did not have any fire/smoke detectors! I installed Home Depot 10y battery smoke detectors in the pilot house and passageway between galley and stateroom. I have not installed one Engine Room! My reasoning is if it went off, I am not sure what I would do. Would I open the large saloon floor hatch to the engine room to see why the alarm is going off, and in the process flood the engine room with fresh air to fuel a fire? I don’t have a good answer. My plan is to install an inexpensive outdoor infrared video camera in the engine room, to be viewed from my tablet in the pilot house. When that is operational, then I will install a smoke detector.

I searched some other threads. How do others deal with this?
 
Halon.... if you have it and it passes inspection, keep it.

It's intent is to shut down the engines and smother the engines. Some folks do not have it connected to the generator engine, why? I dont know or understand their decision.
 
So, do we need a robust, automatic engine room fire extinguisher system in a diesel trawler?
Click to expand...

Yes, you should, 1) diesel is not totally inflammable 2) you have a variety of electrical connections and devices in an engine room to get it all started.
 
Two points: Firstly, the Fireboy system is designed/installed such that in automatic mode it will shut down the engine(s) when heat (not smoke) causes the unit to discharge. The reason for automatically shutting down the engine is that the Halon or equivalent gas will be sucked out by the running engine, probably before it has extinguished the fire. Secondly, regarding refilling etc, I believe the Fireboy canisters have a designated life span (similar to propane tanks or compressed air cylinders. I think (?) this requires them to be pressure tested and recertified (for insurance purposes) every 10 years. In the event there is rusting, dentiing etc, they may not qualify for recertification. Not sure if there is designated finite lifespan or just the need for pressure testing. I would guess that any vessel built after 1995 would not have Halon since it was outlawed in 1994. And, if a vessel still has Halon, it probably has an out of date system - 25 years old!
 
caltexflanc said:
Yes, you should, 1) diesel is not totally inflammable 2) you have a variety of electrical connections and devices in an engine room to get it all started.
Click to expand...

Not to mention that fiberglass burns like a torch once ignited. My guess would be that many more boats burn from electrical ratherthan fuel induced fires. (No data to back that up)
 
OldDan1943 said:
Halon.... if you have it and it passes inspection, keep it.

It's intent is to shut down the engines and smother the engines. Some folks do not have it connected to the generator engine, why? I dont know or understand their decision.
Click to expand...

I will also admit to disabling the FireBoy, at the switch, when entering a rough/difficult inlet. Once inside I flick the switch back to normal. One does not need to lose power when rocking and rolling. I would guess it is disabled less than 3 minutes.
 
I installed my go pro camera down in the engine room and can watch it on any device that uses apps like a smart TV, phone or tablet. That provides a higher level of comfort while underway. We just traveled 220 miles in three daytimes at 7 knots and like I said seeing the engine room on a device is a game changer, whether it is a noise, a change in pitch or just curiosity that prompts me to look, it instantly brings comfort.
Bud
 
The glass fibers don't really burn but melt and drip off. The resins are plastics which readily burn on fiberglass boats.
 
So with all the discussion about fires and halon, how many members actually get their fire inspections done annually? For relatively short money we used to get the Fireboy and several fire extinguishers tested and tagged every Spring. Made me feel more comfortable and I figured it would help the insurance company feel better as well. An inspection can also be a requirement for an insurance survey.
 
Annually, Fine Fire calls me for my inspection. I have been using him for many years. It is cheap insurance considering my Fire Boy and 4 hand held extinguishers are my first line of defense.
They are not the minimum size. One step up..... 5 pounds???
 
Chrisjs said:
So with all the discussion about fires and halon, how many members actually get their fire inspections done annually? For relatively short money we used to get the Fireboy and several fire extinguishers tested and tagged every Spring. Made me feel more comfortable and I figured it would help the insurance company feel better as well. An inspection can also be a requirement for an insurance survey.
Click to expand...

Religiously. You do some tests yourself, but I like having tags on all of them.
 
How do you find an inspector who will come out to your boat? Portland OR?
 
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