Fire extinguishers have not changed much in the past 100 years. But Class's Have. This is important to know because it determines the best means and Just How to extinguish a fire.
http://www.falckproductions.com/resources/fire-safety-and-firewatch/classes-of-fire-a-b-c-d-and-k/
Classes of Fire - A, B, C, D, and K
Fires are classified by the types of fuel they burn.
Class A
Class A Fires consist of ordinary combustibles such as wood, paper, trash or anything else that leaves an ash. Water works best to extinguish a Class A fire.
Class B
Class B Fires are fueled by flammable or combustible liquids, which include oil, gasoline, and other similar materials. Smothering effects which deplete the oxygen supply work best to extinguish Class B fires.
Class C
Class C Fires. Energized Electrical Fires are known as Class C fires. Always de-energize the circuit then use a non-conductive extinguishing agent. Such as Carbon dioxide.
Class D
Class D Fires are combustible metal fires. Magnesium and Titanium are the most common types of metal fires. Once a metal ignites do not use water in an attempt to extinguish it. Only use a Dry Powder extinguishing agent. Dry powder agents work by smothering and heat absorption.
Class K
Class K Fires are fires that involve cooking oils, grease or animal fat and can be extinguished using Purple K, the typical agent found in kitchen or galley extinguishers.
Sound like a lot?
An easy way to remember these types of Fires is (beat) Class A leaves an Ash, (beat) Class B boils,(beat) Class C has current (beat), and Class D has Dense Material (beat), And don’t forget the most overlooked, Class K for Kitchen.
A large, heavy cylinder of compressed gas filled with a messy powder is an antiquated way to put out a fire.
Element uses a tested and proven technology, created for the space program, that fights fires on the molecular level.
By chemically interrupting the chain of combustion, Element safely and effectively puts out fires without the mess, toxicity, or danger associated with a traditional extinguisher.
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Imagine if you will a fire extinguisher that is 80% smaller, 1/10th the weight, discharges for 5 times as long, makes no mess, and never expires. Element is this extinguisher. Using a technology developed for the space program in fixed installations Element is a hand held unit that fights fires by emitting a gas that interrupts the chain of combustion. This results in a totally clean extinguisher that does not rob oxygen and is totally safe and non-toxic.
This one is made in Italy and carries CE and TUV certifications. In addition to being internationally patented, Element has won multiple global product and innovation awards and is used by foreign Police and Military. We are bringing this product to North America for the first time and are showing it to the car community first.
Check out our website for much more information, videos, and comparisons: www.elementfire.com
Now that's interesting !
Owning an old Airhead is easy.
Keeping an old Airhead running great is the true test.
Very interesting product, indeed!
During my thirty plus years in the Merchant Marine I never went more than two or threee years without attending some type of firefighting training but there is always more to learn. I had no idea what a class "K" fire was.... turns out to be a fire involving grease/cooking oils. (Galley fires are a nightmare on ships at sea and we drilled for them constantly. We generally classified a galley as an ABC fire.)
The Element is rated ABCK but not D.... fires involving combustible metals such as aluminum, titanium, and, most importantly, magnesium which is being used more and more in modern motorcycles. To the best of my knowledge magnesium was rarely if ever used on Airheads (any correction/update here would be helpful; fire safety is no place for incomplete or misleading information), but many after-market and replacement part utilize magnesium. One of the characteristics of any flammable metal is that it is generally hard to ignite. One of the other characteristics is that once ignited it is even harder to extinguish. If you do find yourself in a situation where there is burning metal and you haven't extinguished the fire within the first minute or so chances are your next call is going to be to your insurance agent. Burning metals also have a tendency to send off hot embers/sparks/bits of burning dross and if they make contact with you it is not pretty and not over quickly. They stick to you and are hot enough to ignite the oils in your skin. They will also burn through most riding gear with enough energy remaining when they reach the wearer to inflict major damage.
The Element extinguishes a fire by disrupting the chemical chain reaction of combustion (pyrolosis). In fixed/enclosed spaces this is usually accomplished by either Halon gas or one of the newer more eco-friendly gases (Halon was being phased out when I retired in 2015). Like the agent used in the Element, Halon is touted as non-toxic, however in the fine print it tells you that it does not support life. I would imagine this is the same with the Element but even though its use on a burning motorcycle would more than likely not be in an enclosed area it is still worth noting. Water and a bucket of sand are the only truly non-toxic fire extinguishing agents.
Still sounds like a very worthwhile product; thanks for posting it!
I have brackets or places for my E~50 Element on ALL 7 bikes. Wether they are in / attached to my Cravens, or Krausers. Mounted under my rack on the R80SS/2C or on the side of my Mighty39 Chief rack.
I have a 2 1/2lb halon in my 356 ragtop. yrs ago I bought 2 1/2lb halomites for the antiques , but since the E~50 / E~100's have come out, they are my '' GO ~ TO's '' for vehicles anymore. I can tell you ALL, because I had an engine fire in my 356 20 some odd years ago and I ALWAYS CARRY a Halon that if you don't - - - - - - You'll be sorry you didn't !
That fire lasted 30 seconds and cost $4500.oo . In todays $$ that would be closer to $24,000.oo
I watched the Cannonball a couple yrs ago where a rider had a carb fire that Took His Whole 1934 VL Harley Davidson to ashes as he stood on the side of the road.
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