Element Fire Extinguisher

[David in San Antonio]

Has anyone had experience with an Element brand fire extinguisher? It looks like a road flare but sprays out some non-toxic chemical that is advertised as leaving no residue.
Jay Leno showed it.
I’m particularly interested because I recently carried a regular fire bottle in the Wretched Roadster when I had just siphoned out and replaced the fuel. It kept rolling around on the floor and hitting my ankle, very annoying. So when I was about to leave the gas station after refilling with fresh non-ethanol fuel, I reached down to push the darn thing away from the driver’s side of the floor. Sure enough, I managed to trigger it and the interior, my face, clothes and a bit of my mouth received a ten second blast of micro-ground mica dust. Just a moment prior to my impersonation of the Pillsbury Doughboy in a talcum storm I had welcomed a young couple to get behind the wheel and take pictures. As I emerged from the roadster, coughing and blinking, the young lady said, “Glad that didn’t happen when I was in there!” I drove home leaving a small cloud, though it seems most of that micro-fine powder has phenomenal clinging properties and glued itself to every surface and in every slight crevice of the interior. It even got under the floorboards.
So yeah, a non-toxic fire extinguisher that leaves no residue is of interest.
I love laughing at myself, but prefer to not go out of my way to create the opportunity.

[Kurt in NJ]

I have a piece of leather that I use to hold the extinguisher that I lift the seat bottom and tuck the ends in, it’s like a little sling but with nothing anchoring it except the weight of the seat bottom there is nothing to fumble with to get the extinguisher in a emergency.

[Gary WA]

I have Halon fire extinguishers in all my A's! No mess at all!!

[nkaminar]

David, I carry an element fire extinguisher in my Model A and my truck and have them in my house and shop. I have not had to use one and hope I never will. But it is a lot more convenient than the other kinds. I have it mounted with a magnetic clip under the gas tank where it is handy but out of the way.

The videos that show it in use are very impressive. For one thing, it lasts a lot longer than the other types.

It is not approved in the US. At least that was so a few years ago. I don't know if that has changed.

One potential problem I see is that if there is a strong wind the fumes may be blown away. But perhaps that would just require moving up wind.

It may be a good idea to start as gasoline fire in a steel tray to try one out. When I was employed they had training where they started a gasoline fire and had the employees put it out with the usual fire extinguishers.

[JayJay]

Yeah, I had to use a couple of squirts from a dry chemical fire extinguisher in my shop when some welding sparks lit off a piece of paper (yeah, I know, clear the area of all combustibles before welding). It made a huge mess, but my mess was yellow, not white. Finally cleaned up after sweeping, vacuuming and washing with soap and water.

[ModelA29]

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I think the element works the same as Halon - chokes off air to the fire with a cloud of chemicals. The downside to either if there is a breeze blowing it will be carried away from where it's needed.
Dry chemical is the old standard - and cheap. It works by smothering the fire in a cloud of dust that some have noted is hard to clean.

Halon is required in my race car but I've got dry chemical ones in my street cars.

[johnneilson]

Except Halon has been outlawed for about 10 years now
How does it pppass bi annual certification?

[bruceincam]

I have Element extinguishers everywhere. All the cars, my workshop, garage and the kitchen. My daughter actually had to use one in her 56 Chevy. Tranny fluid soaked the wrap on her header and caught fire. Worked great for her --- saved the car.

[David in San Antonio]

I hadn’t heard of the Element not being approved in the US on their website.
I did hear that halon was problematic for environmental reasons.
The idea of practicing in advance is smart. As is commonly said, I hope to never have the occasion to report on its capability in a real emergency.
Thanks to all.

[Gary WA]

Originally Posted by johnneilson

Except Halon has been outlawed for about 10 years now
How does it pppass bi annual certification?

I have no problem certified by fire extinguisher company.. No Mess removes oxygen from fire.

[johnneilson]

Just guessing it is not halon, probably fe36 or variant

[updraught]

Here is a test. Looks a bit disappointing.
Didn't do nothing.

I carry a 1 kg for easy quick starting. And an element, as you call it, to go the distance. After reading the instructions, of course.
A small trans fluid fire on a manifold takes about four 1 kg extinguishers to do anything, from experience.

https://youtu.be/WzV07iUE9eQ?si=byM99jiFI0Ixz_-p

[nkaminar]

It looks like the element extinguisher did not put out the fuel-in-the-tub fire. Disappointing. I think I need to do a test for myself. It looked like the heat was conducting the gas from the extinguisher away from the burning fuel.

When I bought my last boat the previous owner had hidden all the extinguishers in cabinets and lockers. The first thing I did was to move them to very visible places so that they could have be found in the case of a fire. The engine compartment had an automatic halogen extinguisher that could not be refilled, but the surveyor said to just keep it because it would still put out a fire.

[katy]

Originally Posted by JayJay

Yeah, I had to use a couple of squirts from a dry chemical fire extinguisher in my shop when some welding sparks lit off a piece of paper (yeah, I know, clear the area of all combustibles before welding). It made a huge mess, but my mess was yellow, not white. Finally cleaned up after sweeping, vacuuming and washing with soap and water.

That's why I prefer the CO2 fire extinguishers.

[51504bat]

Element not approved in CA

[Ray in La Mesa]

The old Halon has been replaced by the "new" Halitron & is still available, even here in California.

[updraught]

So, the plot thickens ...

Supposedly it is certified here in Oz due to certification in the UK. A lot of our laws are downloaded from there.
It is called a Fire Stryker here and an Element in the US/Canada.
https://firesafetystick.com/certifications/

"What is fire extinguisher certification?
1. Maintenance Certification: This refers to the process of a qualified technician inspecting and servicing a fire extinguisher to ensure it meets safety standards and functions properly. This typically involves a tag or sticker placed on the extinguisher indicating the date of service and the next due date."

It seems that, as it is not a traditional pressure vessel extinguisher the normal certification laws don't apply? That is my reading.

[Y-Blockhead]

Originally Posted by Ray in La Mesa

The old Halon has been replaced by the "new" Halitron & is still available, even here in California.

I carry a Halotron extinguisher in my trunk.

[nkaminar]

The sticker is a good idea. Could you get it quickly enough in an emergency?

[Y-Blockhead]

Originally Posted by nkaminar

The sticker is a good idea. Could you get it quickly enough in an emergency?

Since the extinguisher is not inside the car, Hopefully I or a member can get to it. Most that I travel with know where it is or have a similar one. The trunk is not locked.