Alaskan Sea-Duction
Guru
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2012
- Messages
- 8,084
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- Alaskan Sea-Duction
- Vessel Make
- 1988 M/Y Camargue YachtFisher
He wrote me up for expired portable fire extinguisher. I thought surveyors were supposed to follow USCG Regulations and/or ABYC "Recommendations? Keep in mind I hired this guy to do an in water survey.
See Below. What say you TF?
I sent the following to my surveyor:
Hi David,
This is just FYI.
I started to dig into the portable fire extinguishers and the expiration date. What I found was this.
ABYC does not address expiration dates of portable extinguishers.
USCG also does not address expiration dates.
Therefore the only one that does address expiration dates is NFPA 10, section 7.3.6.3.
According to NFPA the expiration is 12 years after the manufacture date.
None of the above requires or recommends that fire extinguishers be mounted horizontally. A USCG Auxiliary suggested it to me, which make sense if I have the room.
My fire extinguishers were manufactured in 2015, so they would expire in 2027.
It just so happens that these particular fire extinguishers had been recalled by the manufacture Kidde. They are shipping me new fire extinguishers at no cost to me.
I am not trying to criticize you or your ability to conduct a fair survey.
Have a great summer.
Tom
His Response:
Thanks. The information I received about replacing the fire extinguishers was by the pro technician at Huser fire whom weighs and certifies them. Not abyc and not nfpa. They recommend the replacement of the plastic head units because the potential of plastic degradation and failure. Metallic nozzeled units are 12 years of service before they are no longer serviceable. I don't always follow abyc standard because it doesn't always apply to real world situations, and sometimes it's flat out unreasonable. Sometimes the guide line does.
See Below. What say you TF?
I sent the following to my surveyor:
Hi David,
This is just FYI.
I started to dig into the portable fire extinguishers and the expiration date. What I found was this.
ABYC does not address expiration dates of portable extinguishers.
USCG also does not address expiration dates.
Therefore the only one that does address expiration dates is NFPA 10, section 7.3.6.3.
According to NFPA the expiration is 12 years after the manufacture date.
None of the above requires or recommends that fire extinguishers be mounted horizontally. A USCG Auxiliary suggested it to me, which make sense if I have the room.
My fire extinguishers were manufactured in 2015, so they would expire in 2027.
It just so happens that these particular fire extinguishers had been recalled by the manufacture Kidde. They are shipping me new fire extinguishers at no cost to me.
I am not trying to criticize you or your ability to conduct a fair survey.
Have a great summer.
Tom
His Response:
Thanks. The information I received about replacing the fire extinguishers was by the pro technician at Huser fire whom weighs and certifies them. Not abyc and not nfpa. They recommend the replacement of the plastic head units because the potential of plastic degradation and failure. Metallic nozzeled units are 12 years of service before they are no longer serviceable. I don't always follow abyc standard because it doesn't always apply to real world situations, and sometimes it's flat out unreasonable. Sometimes the guide line does.