Five Top Marine Fire Suppressing Systems—Part II
In Part I we looked at parameters for choosing both portable and fixed/automatic fire extinguishing systems. In this review, we’ll look at some of the best currently on the market. And remember, if your portable system is more than 12 years old, it must be replaced to meet regulations for operation on Coast Guard controlled waters.
Amerex makes portable extinguishers in both powder-coated steel and chrome models, and their ABC models cover all three types of potential fires aboard. They offer extinguishers with chrome-plated brass valve bodies and stainless steel handle/levers designed for marine duty in exposed locations as well as less expensive designs for interior mounting. Standard warranty is 6 years; https://www.amerex-fire.com.
Fireboy is one of the major players in marine fire extinguishers. When a Fireboy System discharges, the extinguisher is designed to fully empty the contents in less than 10 seconds. No cleanup is required. There is no powdery residue or water left behind. The fire is extinguished by a combination of heat reduction and chemical reaction.
Fireboy Systems are available to protect engine rooms and machinery spaces from as small as 25 cubic feet to as large as 3000 cubic feet. Each Fireboy pre-engineered fire extinguishing system includes stainless steel mounting brackets, helm station status LED panel and Owners/Installation manual. They’re backed by a 3-year limited warranty; https://www.fireboy-xintex.com.
Kidde is one of the largest makers of portable extinguishers worldwide. Mounting several of their compact portables within easy reach in various parts of your boat assures you’re always ready for immediate response in a fire emergency.
They also provide a very inexpensive route to fire protection—their basic M5G design retails for just $20 but meets most requirements for basic extinguishers on small boats. Its agent is sodium bicarbonate, range about 6 feet and it includes a basic strap-mount in the box. Warranty is 6 years; www.kidde.com.
Lithium battery banks are rapidly becoming popular on new boats, even replacing generators in some cases. The batteries have largely proven safe so far, but the rare fire can be hard to put out due to the internal chemistry.
According to the manufacturer, these manual extinguishers from LiCellFire are specifically designed to extinguish this type of fire using an aqueous vermiculite dispersion; https://www.licellfire.com.
Sea-Fire is another major provider of marine fire suppression systems. They sell pre-engineered packaged systems designed to protect areas anywhere from 25 cubic feet up to 1,800 cubic feet, designed for consumer installation.
Their custom systems for larger yachts offer options such as automatic and manual or manual only systems, 30 or 60 second time delay, alarm sirens and pressure trips for maintaining compartment integrity. They can be pressurized to 725 psi, enough pressure to send suppressant rapidly to remote areas of larger engine rooms.
Sea-Fire ESRS engine shutdown system will automatically shutdown engines, generators and powered ventilation upon discharge of the fire suppression system. Each ESRS system requires a display panel featuring a visual & audible alarm as well as shutdown override capability. Various panel displays are available, with different features, in round or rectangle design; https://sea-fire.com.