More fire safety ( fire suppresion systems)

[1tonyj]

looking at putting a manual/auto fire suppression system in my new build like the ones Stroud and Safecraft makes. Any of you guys have one of these in your buggy or have any advice as to which system?

 

[CHASMAN9]

I have specialty equipment here at work suited with these systems and like the Cold fire products.

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Cold-Fire-Suppression-System-Complete-1-Liter-System,57527.html




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[The-Boss]

looking at putting a manual/auto fire suppression system in my new build like the ones Stroud and Safecraft makes. Any of you guys have one of these in your buggy or have any advice as to which system?

Same here.

I like the one Greg posted except I am going to look into the 2 liter and at least two nozzles pointed in the engine bay and not at myself.

 

[1tonyj]

Yeah I want two nozzles as well ….I do like the size of the cold fire unit though. I figure for 5-600 bucks its cheap insurance for protecting the rig and buying some time to get out of the damn thing should the worst happen.

 

[CHASMAN9]

Let me know what you want and I will check with my distributor and see if they can cut a deal. John G had this system on one of his buggies and was a good piece of mind. I carry two preloaded Cold fire extinguishers on my buggy at all times. They work...Period
THat was just a listing that was internet friendly




ADMINISTRATOR

 

[1tonyj]

I'd be interested in the two liter system with the two nozzels....thxs Greg thumb.gif

 

[CHASMAN9]

I'd be interested in the two liter system with the two nozzels....thxs Greg thumb.gif

Give me a couple of days and I'll get back to you Ray. thumb.gif




ADMINISTRATOR

 

[The-Boss]

I'd be interested in the two liter system with the two nozzels....thxs Greg thumb.gif

Same here Greg.

 

[CHASMAN9]

Same here Greg.

thumb.gif




ADMINISTRATOR

 

[1tonyj]

Give me a couple of days and I'll get back to you Ray. thumb.gif


Thank you




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[CHASMAN9]

I spoke with Justin yesterday and he is working me up a deal. I'll get back to you as soon as he lets me know. thumb.gif




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[Bebop]

Curious as well, lmk when you get a pricing figured out.

Thx

 

[slravenel]

Nozzle based suppression systems have their place...but please please do NOT think that they are a replacement for a fire extinguisher. In our applications, they are even sometimes sub par when compared to a handheld unit. There arent enough nozzles to really protect the entirety of the engine compartment in enough scenarios to make them worth while. Not to mention the fact that on most buggies (especially a bouncer) there is no hood, no real firewalls, no front radiator, etc etc to contain the chemical. It will simply fog out and dissipate into atmosphere or on the ground almost instantly. They do not spray a cloud like an extinguisher does, and the chemical will fall to the ground, so if you are upside down (when a fire is more likely one could argue) the chemical wont even get to the motor unless you put the nozzles on the bottom of the compartment (which would then negate any benefit of them if the buggy caught fire while it was on all 4s).

These suppression systems are way more adequate as, and in reality are designed to be, a driver safety item and NOT a vehicle saving item. That is what an extinguisher is for. Point the nozzles at you and your nuts to give you the few seconds that they will spray to get the hell out of the death trap and grab your actual extinguisher to put the fire out. In order to have one be a really effective system to kill a major engine fluid fire, you would need a massive bottle with a ton of nozzles and it would start to not make sense pretty quickly.

In the end, they are really better suited for spraying into an enclosed space (like under the hood in a normal race car), they wont be super effective in a wide open engine bay with no hood or firewalls, fenders, cowl, radiator support, etc around things to keep the chemical contained. Use them as a safety item and keep the handhelds for putting out the fire...you can at least get right up on the source and spray the **** out of it with a handheld...cant really do that with a nozzle.

 

[1tonyj]

Thanks for the input … I totally agree. I look at this as just another addition to safety and definitely not a replacement for handheld extinguishers. A good point you brought up in a bouncer style buggy is the amount of open tube and lack of containment for the agent. In my case we are running a hood and somewhat of a firewall so I feel it to be a worthy addition. The buggy will still have two hand held extinquishers...one inside the cockpit and one external rear.

 

[The-Boss]

Nozzle based suppression systems have their place...but please please do NOT think that they are a replacement for a fire extinguisher. In our applications, they are even sometimes sub par when compared to a handheld unit. There arent enough nozzles to really protect the entirety of the engine compartment in enough scenarios to make them worth while. Use them as a safety item and keep the handhelds for putting out the fire...you can at least get right up on the source and spray the **** out of it with a handheld...cant really do that with a nozzle.

I agree for the most part. I would add please do NOT think one of these systems couldn't save your open tube buggy or you, even with handheld extinguishers on board. My thought was to point nozzles at the fuel rail and headers (most common ignition areas) to help suppress a fire until I can get out and point a extinguisher at it. I can tell you first hand a fire can gain a lot of ground before you can get a hand held out and pointed at the source. I have also seen a few buggies burn to the ground from people having too small of hand held. Basically they almost got the fire out and the bottle ran out.

 

[The-Boss]

Info on handhelds would be good to hear also. I put this HalGuard extinguisher in my rig. No firsthand experience using it though.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005JV8ZXO?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_yo_pop_mb_pd_t2

 

[DiscoDino]

Fully agree with what was posted earlier that in our application ("non-contained" environment for the fire to be suppressed) these systems are for merely buying time and minimizing damage...

My rig has 2 x 8L tanks, one under each seat, with two pull toggles behind the gear/transfer case levers. One activates to the front with 6 nozzles (two on the firewall, 2 on each side of the headers), and one activates 4 nozzles inside the cab (2 on each side for the driver/passenger) and 2 towards the rear where the radiator sits atop the fuel tank.

We also have 2 x 2L fire extinguishers within easy reach and quick disconnect, one on each side outside the cab.

We went with OMP for the system as it was on sale in our market.

 

[1tfrot]

have a Safecraft in mine. 2 nozzles. seems to work well (cousin freaked out and used one time when we ended up on our side :rolf:). also have 2 large Coldfire extinguishers in the buggy.

wouldn't run one without a sus system now.

mine is the LT series and is a halon style. no "solid" chemical to fall with gravity. https://safecraft.com/product/model-lt/

here's when it was used. gives you an idea on how it works. filled up the entire engine compartment really well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g75bb9vT3dc

and my extinguishers

 

[throttlejunkie]

for the win..

http://youtu.be/Psp99P1Wik8

 

[extremetownie]

Well i guess it is time to bring this back up. What are the recommendations now? Are there different price levels? Why is one better than the other?

 

[FlatlandFSJ]

Well i guess it is time to bring this back up. What are the recommendations now? Are there different price levels? Why is one better than the other?

I'm not sure on whats best, or whos better. I have used the safecraft 3 nozzle system on the builds I've done recently, up to the owner for the last word, but i strongly recommend if not force them to run a fire suppression system.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/saf-lt5jab
With a heavily paneled interior,boatsides/panels/hoods even getting a extinguisher pointed at a motor/trans or full exhaust can take just the right angle. I've been doing a nozzle aimed at each fuel rail and header and one down in the transmission tunnel. Im not so much looking for the fire to be extinguished by the system, but more of a time buyer so you could bail and try to get an extinguisher on it.

 

[extremetownie]

How hard is it to install?

 

[Bebop]

Can you add more nozzles to the system ? Or better to run multiple bottles ?
I'm thinking about one and would like to have inside nozzles too, in order to protect the passengers.

 

[FlatlandFSJ]

Bend some hardline, they provide AN style flare nuts to match the nozzles/fittings. Pull cable is bout like a fancy manual choke cable

I'm not sure how many nozzles you could run on the 5lb bottle, it comes with 3 so thats what I use. Ill try to make the trans run longer or have a loop so it would kinda even out the spray with the 2 fuel rail nozzles that are in a tee'd line.

I remember seeing something somewhere bout a passenger safe system, not sure on the company but it was designed to be pointed at you and not a header.

 

[The-Boss]

Dillon,
Do you like the Cold Fire kit any better than the Safecraft? I got the 2 liter Cold Fire kit and I thought Ray did as well from the guy Gregg knows. Just curious since you might have experience with both. I have two nozzles but would have liked to have one in the trans tunnel as well. I might add one.

I will call the company before adding one though. Better to have the ones it came with working well than a bunch working poorly.

 

[Bebop]

Good video. Not everything applies to us but there are plenty of good info.

I think I'd like more than 5 or 2 lbs if I'd ever install something like that.

 

[FlatlandFSJ]

Dillon,
Do you like the Cold Fire kit any better than the Safecraft? I got the 2 liter Cold Fire kit and I thought Ray did as well from the guy Gregg knows. Just curious since you might have experience with both. I have two nozzles but would have liked to have one in the trans tunnel as well. I might add one.

I will call the company before adding one though. Better to have the ones it came with working well than a bunch working poorly.

We never went with the coldfire kit, Ray ordered the safecraft LT when it came time to get the parts here. We talked bout the coldfire, it was fairly new at the time, and ol Gregg took to long to respondmolaugh
Im sure the coldfire agent works great, I didnt see it approved by any major racing series at the time, while safecraft was on every race car I saw so we went that route. The whole having to refill/charge the bottle brought up a few concerns of "what ifs". After installing Rays and seeing how nice the safecraft kit was, it just became my go to suggestion.

 

[FlatlandFSJ]

Good video. Not everything applies to us but there are plenty of good info.

I think I'd like more than 5 or 2 lbs if I'd ever install something like that.

I didn't have room for anything more then a 5lb in the bottom of Rays buggy, its stashed under a seat next to the atlas. Just enough space to peek under the seat to check the gauge from time to time.

 

[extremetownie]

Thats what i was wondering. I am trying to figure out where i can even put a 5lb bottle.

 

[squeak12]

It is really just a matter of how important it is to you and your risk tolerance. I'm sure some make sure they have room for a 40qt cooler, spare tire, tools, stereo, etc. Seems like a shoe box sized insurance policy isn't too crazy of thing to prioritize.