Gavin Mack Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 Found this while reading an article about an exploding lipo, supposedly screw fix and other suppliers have extinguishers What is Aqueous Vermiculite Dispersion? - AVD Fire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 I was thinking of installing an automatic dry powder system in my lipo storage cupboard, but when I investigated them I found that they were for Class A,B,C fires and they weren't lithium fire specific. This looks like a good system - you are essentially covering the fire with wet clay, which forms a barrier to exclude oxygen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Harris - Moderator Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 I’d be more confident if they had tested it on lithium polymer cells. It seems odd that they have omitted them from the testing programme. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyB Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 (edited) This was discussed some time ago, but not with a conclusive outcome(ignore inital question in the tumbnail below, it soon wandered to discussion of Lipo specific fire extinguishers, including the vermiculite ones)... Edited June 26, 2023 by MattyB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Green Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 52 minutes ago, leccyflyer said: which forms a barrier to exclude oxygen. Unforch lipo fires dont need external oxygen Brian... 🙂 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Griff Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 Remember the top gear electric car fire ? Did that have the lipo chemistry we use ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 1 hour ago, MattyB said: This was discussed some time ago, but not with a conclusive outcome(ignore inital question in the tumbnail below, it soon wandered to discussion of Lipo specific fire extinguishers, including the vermiculite ones)... Hey - where did you get a picture of my charging station from? 😉 I confess I didn't follow up and purchase the vermiculite suspension fire extinguisher, but it does sound like a good idea. I'd hope that in the event of a lipo fire in storage, which appears to be a very rare event, the lipo sacks and vented steel cabinet would contain the flame front and the lack of combustibles -other than the lipos themselves - would mitigate against fire spreading. Since that thread I now know of one more person who lost his house to a lipo fire - though he left lipos charging unattended and his ancient Astro charger is suspected as being the cause in not properly terminating the charge. Anyway his garage and house were burned to the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 1 hour ago, Phil Green said: Unforch lipo fires dont need external oxygen Brian... 🙂 Aye - I remember the videos of the lipo burning fiercely underwater Phil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Walby Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 (edited) Perhaps the best policy is to contain the lipo fire and not allow other material to become involved as they will burn themselves out...in the end. Or how about using or contacting FireTrace (no personal connection) and asking the professionals how they would deal with a lipo fire?? Automatic Fire Suppression Systems by Firetrace Ltd. - Firetrace Not cheap, but piece of mind 🙂 Edited June 26, 2023 by Chris Walby 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun Walsh Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 15 minutes ago, Chris Walby said: Perhaps the best policy is to contain the lipo fire and not allow other material to become involved as they will burn themselves out...in the end. Or how about using or contacting FireTrace (no personal connection) and asking the professionals how they would deal with a lipo fire?? Automatic Fire Suppression Systems by Firetrace Ltd. - Firetrace Not cheap, but piece of mind 🙂 Don't think there is anything on their website that will touch a Lithium battery fire. I bought a Lithex extinguisher, don't know how well it would work and hope I never have to find out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Green Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 (edited) The official line seems to be to contain it, monitor it but let it burn out. When I mentioned on here a friend suffering a spontaneous lipo fire (not on charge nor recently charged) I was shouted down by a member who is (was?) a professional from the Fire Service, you can imagine my thoughts... Edited June 26, 2023 by Phil Green Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Gay Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 I purchased one of these: FireChief 500ml Lith-Ex Fire Extinguisher | Fire Protection Shop 100-1587 £32.39 seemed a cheap price for peace of mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 Could you let me know the dimensions of the 500ml version that you bought Martin? It might be a useful size to fit in the car, where I currently have a dry powder extinguisher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Gay Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 The red cylinder is 65mm diameter, and the total length, including the dispensing handle is 295mm. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilC57 Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 8 hours ago, Shaun Walsh said: Don't think there is anything on their website that will touch a Lithium battery fire. I bought a Lithex extinguisher, don't know how well it would work and hope I never have to find out. I know that a powder extinguisher will put out a lipo fire. Don’t ask me how I know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 Thanks Martin, that would fit in the space currently occupied by the dry powder extinguisher, so the 500g version looks a good bet for in the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 Have you seen the price of these items, out of the reach of most of us I think. Bas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 £32 for the one that Martin linked to - much cheaper than replacing a car. One of our club members had a fire in the back of his car a few months ago, whilst charging a small lipo - luckily it was spotted before it got out of hand and the whole ensemble of charging leads and lipos was able to be hoiked out of the back of the car -and the small fire put out with bottles of water, but one of those fire extinguishers would have been very handy if it hadn't been spotted for another minute or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Bullit Posted June 28, 2023 Share Posted June 28, 2023 An interesting video popped into my YT feed yesterday: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john davidson 1 Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 As in the above video, nothing will put out a lithium polymer fire, however lots and lots of water cools the surroundings which may or may not help depending on the close environment. Still produces plenty toxic gas though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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