Restrictions on Halon
For many years, Halon was recognized as the
most effective fire fighting agent available. It was
quick to extinguish all classes of fires and was particularly
safe and effective for use near expensive electronic equipment because it left no residual damage. And, it was safe for both occupied and unoccupied spaces. It was then determined that Halon posed a significant threat to the environment
by contributing to the depletion of the ozone layer,
and as of January 1, 1994, no new Halon could be made in the U.S. However, recycled or previously made Halon is still available for purchase, so you
don't have to dispose of an old Halon unit. It only poses a danger to the ozone if it is used or develops
a leak. As long as your unit is in good condition and not leaking, it's safe to keep on board. |
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The Halon Alternatives-FE-241 and FM-200
With the phase-out of Halon 1301, the search for a replacement resulted in the development of a number
of "clean" fire suppression agents. Both FE-241 and
FM-200 have been shown to be effective, safe for people and equipment, and environmentally friendly. Although both agents do pose some threat to the environment,
it is considered to be substantially less than that of Halon. Their characteristically rapid extinguishing performance
is considered by most to mitigate the detrimental effects
of fire. Both agents' relatively short atmospheric lifetime (somewhere between 7-42 years) assure minimal direct contribution to global warming. When choosing which system is best for you, keep in mind that FM-200 is considered to be safe for use in occupied spaces, whereas, FE-241 is not as safe, but is significantly
less expensive. Both require more agent by weight than
Halon 1301 did, so your storage requirements for the extinguishers may increase. Both are Factory Mutual
(FM) and USCG-approved.
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