Fire Supression

[O C]

I have a reloading room/ gun room that I have a fire rated door on. I was thinking about installing a fire supression system. Does anyone know what kind is available for a small area? Also, I wouldn't want water as the supressant (Because of the guns ). But, since there will be powder in the room, will a dry chemical do any good? Any thoughts? O C

[Snake River Marksman]

Look into the fire extinguishers that they use in computer rooms and in cooking hoods in resteurants. We used to have a small canister type that had a sprinkler head and was filled with Halon. Halon is no longer used because it was filled with a CFC agent and that depletes the ozone layer. Today, a CO2 system or a dry chem system would take its place. Because of the powder, and the fact that you are going to have shelving and cabinets in the room, which would prevent dry chem or water from reaching every place in the room, I'd opt for CO2. Just remember that if it ever goes off, you need to let the room cool for quite some time before allowing air back into the room, and, you need to let air back into the room before YOU can go in there.
About the water, if there is a fire in that room, your guns coming in contact with water are the least of your worries. Losing the whole house, that's the problem.

[Rhys]

CO2 won't do anything about the powder as the powder contains an oxidizer. In all reality water will be easier on your guns than the supression chemicals. If you have a fire the foam that will be used by your fire department will be abolute hell on any exposed metal. Also if you put in a sysetm you would need to do it in the entire house to have any benefit. There are some residential systems available out there, and some towns are requireing there use in all new construction.

[Francois]

fire extinguishers. They are widely used in the marine/boats industry and they could apply for your needs also on a single enclosed room.

They have different size and configurations and have both automatic and manually operated configurations. THe good part it is non-chemical with no residue.

I think that they have something similar for some forms of car racing...

See link below

Francois

http://www.fireboy-xintex.com/fire_extinguishing.html

[Don M.]

Very simple. More especially if the fire should be in the area of my office &
reloading room. "RUN", and run fast to the neighbors house & call the fire
department and tell them that there is a fire in progress like they probably
have never seen & to come quick ! Do not stop to pick up anything on your
way out, just "run quickly" several hundred yards.