what extiguisher is needed?

[nitronovice]

hi everyone. i don't have a heli yet, but i'm one of those people that seem to worry too much. my question here is what class extiguisher is needed if a lipo suddenly bursts while charging or just sitting there? what i learned from my tech courses is that i need a class d extinguisher cause there's lithium in the batteries, but when i ask my teachers this question (one used to be involved in rc cars), they seem as baffled as me.
thanks,
kenny

[ZwergNase]

Keep a reasonably sized bag of sand nearby. Should be enough to put out a LiPo-Fire (pouring the sand over the fire, not smacking the bag on it ;) ).

[va3sax]

depending on the size. A friend of mine said for the small battery provided it isn't damging anything else just let the thing burn itself out. it's already too late to save the battery

[Skiddz]

LiPo fires will require a Class D extinguisher. Smallest I've seen is around $400. (yes, 4 HUNDRED) As was mentioned above, a bag of sand will do the trick and you can probably buy a hundred bags for the cost of the extinguisher. :)

[nitronovice]

wow...never saw the $400 coming...
anyways, thanks guys! that's kinda one less thing i have to worry so much about

[Mercuriell]

A CO2 extinguisher will put out the fire and spare the electrics which power, foam or water will ruin - you can get one here for around AUS$100

[gencollon]

Why would a CO2 extinguisher put out the fire? all that does is cool down the area..... the only problem is that lipos catch on fire because they are either shorting out (which obviously can't be stopped by just making it cold for a few seconds) or they are punctured, with creates a high-energy chemical reaction.... which isn't going to be stopped by a Co2, (actually, I wonder if you got a giant Co2 extinguisher that ran for a few minutes, maybe you could actually freeze the battery, and the chemicals would be too frozen to interact) as a large one runs for 10-15 seconds.

A class D extnguisher is used on flammable metals.... but, there are many differet tupes of class D , and one that puts out a magnesium fire may only increas the size of a lithium fire.

I might say that a class C extinguisher is best, as it is wht is commonly used in areas such as computer labs across the country, because it puts out electrical fires, without damaging electrical circuitry.

[Windbreaker]

Charge the battery in a small can or bucket. Only the battery goes into the bucket. The charger stays outside.

If it bursts into flames, fill the bucket with sand. That way, even if it explodes the sand will retain the flaming bits.

A C02 extinguisher works by depriving the fire of oxygen not by cooling it down.

No oxygen, no fire. Halon and even dry chemical extinguishers work the same way. And that includes sand.

[Gary JP4]

Charge in a small bucket, or better yet inside one of the holes in a cinder block with the opening pointing up and the other end on a concrete floor. Cover the cinder block with a gallon plastic baggie filled with dry sand. Put the bag over the hole in the cinder block (or the top of a small bucket) with the charger outside and wires running in like you say. If the battery catches on fire it will melt the baggie and auto dump the sand on top of the Lipo. You don't have to do anything it is automatic. If it doesn't catch on fire there is no mess. I saw it on a video here a while back in the Trex 450 forum.

[Windbreaker]

Charge in a small bucket, or better yet inside one of the holes in a cinder block with the opening pointing up and the other end on a concrete floor. Cover the cinder block with a gallon plastic baggie filled with dry sand. Put the bag over the hole in the cinder block (or the top of a small bucket) with the charger outside and wires running in like you say. If the battery catches on fire it will melt the baggie and auto dump the sand on top of the Lipo. You don't have to do anything it is automatic. If it doesn't catch on fire there is no mess. I saw it on a video here a while back in the Trex 450 forum.

Now that's ingenious!

[cbdane]

Why would a CO2 extinguisher put out the fire? all that does is cool down the area..... the only problem is that lipos catch on fire because they are either shorting out (which obviously can't be stopped by just making it cold for a few seconds) or they are punctured, with creates a high-energy chemical reaction...

CO2 doesn't function to cool down a fire. It works by displacing oxygen needed to sustain conventional fires. A Class C, although designed for energized equipment, won't cut it either. As you suggest, a LiPo battery fire is self-sustaining, fueled entirely by the chemicals inside the battery. No oxygen needed. Class D metal fire extinguishers are specialized and often contain salts or other metal powders (copper).

Bottom line: a LiPo fire is quick and violent. You're not going to be able to put out the burning battery; period. However, the goal is to keep everything in the vicinity (eg. sad remains of your heli, important bits of your house, etc.) from lighting up. In this case, most conventional fire extinguishers would be effective.

[Gary JP4]

Covering it with sand in a space only a few times bigger then the battery like the cinder block, an ammo can, or a small bucket can completely contain it though and prevent it from spewing burning chemicals onto other things and starting fires. It even stops the majority of the smoke. It is still going to smell bad though.

[b3rndtt0ast]

PKP would be a decent, fairly cheap soloution. only downfall would be it is VERY corrosive. the dust will get all over, and anything electronic it comes in contact with... probably wont last very long.

[r40734]

It's not going to put out a Li-Po fire, but it's still a good idea to keep a class C fire extinguisher around to put out anything else in the area that catches on fire after the Li-Po goes up in flames.

As far as the Li-Po fire goes, containment BEFORE it self destructs is your best and cheapest option. Li-Po bags may seem pricey at $30 each, but they do a decent job of containing the worst of it, and some Li-Po bag manufacturers will replace it after a fire if you send the damaged one back to them with details of what happened.

Also, think ahead. Don't charge your Li-Po between you and your only exit. Keep your fire extinguisher by the exit door; this will force you to be near your escape route in case the fire gets out of hand.

[Pinecone]

Actually you want a nice ABC extinguisher to put out the other things burning. By the time you can grab the extinguisher the lipo fire is pretty much out, but other things that were nearby may be burning.

In a shop area, the best would a Halotron (replacement for Halon) for most fires as it makes less of a mess. And a water version for any Class A materials.

[r40734]

Oops... Good catch. I meant ABC... typo error when I erased it the first time to retype it in all caps. Sorry for any confusion.

[b3rndtt0ast]

just remember, halon doesnt cool. for a household, i would just use a Co2, cools and puts out. no mess.
If you use halon, it becomes toxic when exposed to fire.

[r40734]

just remember, halon doesnt cool. for a household, i would just use a Co2, cools and puts out. no mess.
If you use halon, it becomes toxic when exposed to fire.

Well that sucks... the Army never mentioned that any time we popped the bottles in one of our M1's. :DOH