Ambiguity Reigns

Here you go, anyone want to advise what will happen if I lifted this cover and threw the switch?

I think it is intended to stop release of automatic fire suppression agent in the engine room in the event you prefer to risk fire vs. losing control of your vessel's engine while underway in a tight situation,

I suspect it overrides the automatic fire shutdown, allowing you to restart the engine(s). Automatic shutdowns typically go hand in hand with an automatic fire extinguishing system in equipment space. When the fire system activates and discharges the suppressant, then engines and fans need to be shut down at the same time, otherwise they draw all the suppressant out of the equipment space rendering it useless.


But then you need to get running again, and that's where an override switch comes into play. It overrides the automatic shutdown, and you can restart.

OK, so two slightly different, but important, interpretations so far!

As an English major, of course that means...um...yeah, no idea. Ha!

Greetings,
Mr. m. For sure, that switch either turns the extinguisher on or off and THAT'S a definite maybe.

‘On’ if it fails to go off automatically.

Don't touch this, please believe me don't touch this. Our future is in your hands...




L

Just go for it. What could happen?

Better than this one on my Humvee,

But Where is the Ambiguity?

Courtesy of Monty Python:


https://www.quotes.net/mquote/802272

Also, if you have your fire extinguisher system checked professionally on a regular (annual) basis, they would instruct you in the use of that switch!!

Chrisjs said:

Also, if you have your fire extinguisher system checked professionally on a regular (annual) basis, they would instruct you in the use of that switch!!

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I have it certified at the proper certification period and it is current. But I am not at the yard when the third party does it.

So there!

Xsbank said:

‘On’ if it fails to go off automatically.

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I have a manual pull in a cockpit locker that I know does that. I have the above switch on both helms. Casually I had been assuming that it was an emergency activation switch if the auto failed or I saw a fire but it hasn't reached the temp lever to auto activate.

But when running home yesterday I looked at the wording and thought it didn't necessarily mean that. It could be that, or a small fire has started that we were fighting successfully with extinguishers and I didn't want it going off as there were people in the ER. I hadn't thought about the third scenario above - to re-establish systems after fire resolved!

They can be hooked up several ways..maybe even company dependent.

They can either allow an engine restart after an auto shutdown, or prevent a shutdown after an audio/visual alert and impending shutdown (time delay).

No clue. But it does bring up some memories...

I worked in an office with an automatic halon fire suppression system. If dust or something else set off a detector (which happened fairly regularly) we had 60 seconds to disarm it before all hell broke loose. If you've ever seen one of those go off in an office full of paperwork, you'll know what I mean.

Sometimes I'd be the only one there, working overtime or covering an off shift. To shut it off, you had to open the supervisor's desk, find the key ring, figure out which of a dozen keys was the right one, go out to the panel in the hall, open it with the key, and figure out which of the myriad buttons needed to be pressed and held for x number of seconds. All the while with alarms and flashing lights going.

Now, imagine late at night, all alone doing boring paperwork, when the alarm goes off. Talk about an adrenaline rush!

I've got a similar memory.

Back in the day the machine room in the campus computing center had such a system. One night there was a nuisance alarm. The operators on duty threw the switch to prevent the system from discharging.

What they didn't know was the alarm also flashed in the campus security building. A security person jumped in his car, raced across campus, entered the computing center and must have thought "oh god, the building is on fire and the extinguishers are disabled!" Before anyone could stop him..

Recharging that system was expensive. Cleaning up all the papers and blown-out ceiling tiles was also a joy.

twistedtree said:

I suspect it overrides the automatic fire shutdown, allowing you to restart the engine(s). Automatic shutdowns typically go hand in hand with an automatic fire extinguishing system in equipment space. When the fire system activates and discharges the suppressant, then engines and fans need to be shut down at the same time, otherwise they draw all the suppressant out of the equipment space rendering it useless.


But then you need to get running again, and that's where an override switch comes into play. It overrides the automatic shutdown, and you can restart.

Click to expand...

When all else fails... Read the instructions.... Said thoughtfully tongue in cheek...

Solly said:

When all else fails... Read the instructions.... Said thoughtfully tongue in cheek...

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The boat has a full set of docs - I only have to do two things. Have the willingness to go read up on it, and find that particular doc in the files (if its there)!

Meanwhile...

If you have the info and you haven’t read it, sounds like a Darwin event to me...

Stand outside the boat with a long boathook. Flip switch. Let us know the result.

kthoennes said:

As an English major, of course that means...um...yeah, no idea. Ha!

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Years ago, there was a can parked in my neighborhood in Boulder with a hand-lettered sign:

"Not for sale. Also a piano"

Xsbank said:

If you have the info and you haven’t read it, sounds like a Darwin event to me...

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Up until rethinking it yesterday I did know what it did!

I do not know how any switch system could stop the release of a fire suppression agent from the bottle once it has started the release of the agent. They are designed to "go for it" and get all the agent released once started. That switch does not look like something that a fire suppression system manufacturer company would be selling as part of their automatic engine/fans shutdown fire suppression system, but rather some homemade addition to ground out the switching-off system. You need to follow that switch wiring to the auto switching system and see who made it. You could then call them to get their take on the switch, if you don't find the documentation. My SeaFire system's bypass switch and agent release warning light/alarm is the round device above the orange emergency bilge alarm/switch and below the tach in this photo - broken when I bought the boat and the first thing replaced.

AlaskaProf said:

Years ago, there was a can parked in my neighborhood in Boulder with a hand-lettered sign:

"Not for sale. Also a piano"

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Wifey B: Did the can have wheels? If not, would you still consider a can parked?

Sorry, I had a hard time on the for sale and piano part as I was still hung up on the can.

BandB said:

Sorry, I had a hard time on the for sale and piano part as I was still hung up on the can.

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Constipated?

rgano said:

I , but rather some homemade addition to ground out the switching-off system.

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I very much doubt it is a "homemade addition..."

menzies said:

Constipated?

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Wifey B: No, AlaskaProf said there was a "can" parked in his neighborhood.

BandB said:

Wifey B: No, AlaskaProf said there was a "can" parked in his neighborhood.

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Sheesh, I know.