blazecut - does anyone have bad experience?

[shugon29]

Hello to you all fox
I want to buy a blazecut automatic extinguisher system to my FI 2 liter bus.
I have two questions:
1. The operating temperature is 248 F - isn't it too close to the engine compartment temperature?
2. From those who had this system - what is the length we need?
Thanks,

[WildIdea]

Me and my buddies run the 6 foot in our Bays. I've seen longer but I think the 6 fits great along firewall and looping around to compartment opening. Cheap insurance.

[aeromech]

I doubt your engine compartment comes anywhere close to being that hot.
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[KentABQ]

Buy the 6' length. I bought the 12', and it's too long and bulky. It fits, but is overkill.
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1976 Riviera, 1.8l FI chrome yellow VAN - "Chloe"

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[Abscate]

And you still need a fire extinguisher on board!!
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[TDCTDI]

[Abscate]

You also need a fire extinguisher after Blazecut snuffs the first fire, to use on the rekindling
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[Magion]

Bringing this back to life...

I just noticed today that my about 4 years old Blazecut is empty / pressure sits at 0 bars.

Is that it? Anybody have any experience with life expectancy? Their website says up to 10 years. Well 4 is not quite even half way there. Its little disappointing to say the least
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[RalphWiggam]

[Abscate]

I think the have shipped for 7-8 years at most?
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[CanStan]

[mikedjames]

If the Blazecut triggers a fuel shutoff valve to close, and you have a separate fire extinguisher to put out the possible burning puddle of fuel under the vehicle, then it will help save the vehicle.

Otherwise you run the risk of the fire in the engine bay being extinguished while the fuel running out of a broken pipe in the engine bay into the fire below keeps on burning.

Me ? I fitted stainless braided motorsport fuel line and a metal bodied solenoid valve in the fuel line.
That was after a fire where the solenoid valve saved the vehicle, by only releasing a small amount of fuel before I shutoff the ignition and the valve. A 2lb dry powder hand held extinguisher put out the engine bay and the puddle underneath.

The rubber fuel line was charred under the vehicle but it did not break downstream of the solenoid valve.

Two days later after some rewiring and cleaning up, the camper was back on the road.
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[Magion]

I think I would follow up,

I received a response from Blazecut US regarding to my question.

Martin- 0 bar is normal. The system is very low pressure at normal temps, building as heat increases. to check the condition of your T series you do not use the gauge. To check you need to look for an air bubble in the line. if there is an air bubble that means there is liquid, and if there is liquid the unit is good. I hope that clears things up, if you determine that the unit has in fact lost its liquid then yes, it has gone bad and we will determine what went wrong, please let me know. Thanks!

Josh Andersen
Owner - BlazeCutUSA
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1995 Westfalia in Caribbean Green

[Kiwi1966]

Hey , thats good to know, thanks for making the enquiry

[raygreenwood]

I have had some questions about the blazecut system for years. I am not saying it does not work but it has some design features that I see as "iffy".

I see these types of fire suppression systems all over factories I go to...inventory rooms, mechanical spaces...server systems etc. And by "these types"...I mean chemically.

The blazecut system you guys are using...which the T series for small enclosures...uses HFC227ea or HFC236fa chemical. This is technically the same as FM200.

I see what they are getting at with not worrying about pressure...kind of....but it makes me think it would not be as effective as it could be.

The chemical is VERY effective. But it does not absorb or displace oxygen. This is what makes it....mostly..."people safe".

It is a liquified gas. As such...it only needs limited head pressure to keep it from sublimating into gaseous form.

However...most systems that use HFC227ea or HFC236fa or FM200....run bottle pressures of 360 psi average. This is so when teh spray seal is punctured....there is enough force to REALLY spray the liquid which then flashes off into gas/vapor.

In the blazecut...yes the HFC will turn from liquid to gas when its freed from head pressure...but the spray pattern may not be that effective. It would be much better with actual head pressure.

So yes....what they are saying with the bubble thing.... is that if you can still see that its filled with LIQUID....its still operable.

What I would do is weigh it when its new and mark that on the unit. Once a year weigh it again. Keep track of it.

I am sure they want it low pressure because its in a plastic tube. That plastic tube will degrade with time and heat cycling. Thats why these things cannot last forever. But not having actual pressurization means that it spray pattern is totally dependent on how fast it can sublimate from liquid to gas.

Not saying its bad...just that it could be better.

This system has been talked about a lot. A couple of years back I was thinking...why could we not just get a chemical fire bottle HFC or FM200 or even C02....and put in one spot, plumb it to a valve wit ha T-handle under the dash...plumbed to several nozzles in the engine bay.....and then get a fire sensor for the bay with a warning light and alarm...just like airliners.

But....come to find out ...and you can easily think through this issue....that...to steal a quote from a white paper on this issue...."with high volumes of moving air, dust and combustion particulates, widely varying surface geometry and surface temperatures".......these are very complex, take computing power and software and are expensive and have to be replaced/rebuilt/recalibrated on a regular basis.

Its not as simple as a smoke alarm.

Personally I think blazcut should also install an air or gas valve to be able to even put something like 50 psi of head pressure on the unit. Yes it will go up as it heats.....but not a huge amount. Then the valve can have a simple "loss of pressure" switch screwed to it....going to a warning light on the dash.

You could also have a 10lb bottle as mentioned earlier of FM200 or HFC.....so that when the blazecut pops....its the first line of defense but has very little spray time. When the blzecut alarm went off you could wait five seconds and then pull the bottle...insuring whatever lit on fire...stays out. Ray
Ray

[nemobuscaptain]

[nemobuscaptain]

[Abscate]

The pain of an invalidated purchase decision is a Blazecut catheter, sans lubricant
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[jtauxe]

[nemobuscaptain]

[quote="jtauxe"]