CO2 fire extinguiser spitting

[sg1009]

I sourced a fire extinguisher and refill agreement from a very local fire safety place which is really convenient. I'm just on my first refill.

From what I've read a fire extinguisher is a 'bottom feeder' for want of a better description. I've found leaving it connected all the time it sometimes seems to 'spit' and the regulators and release valves go a bit mad before it calms down.

I'm thinking what's happening is the CO2 is ejecting in liquid form and expanding in the tube and or hitting the prv and wasting CO2.

I wondered if anyone else has this situation and if turning the fire extinguisher upside down or lowering it beneath the regulator board might help? At the moment its outlet is a couple of inches above the board.

 

[Andynewbrew]

i always use my extinguisher upside down for the first couple of kegs then turn it the right way and ive never had any problems yet (touch wood) :pray:

 

[sg1009]

I knew I'd read it somewhere:
http://www.teamonslaught.fsnet.co.uk/co2_info.htm

'Gas cylinders stand upright and releases gas from the evaporation liquid when the valve is opened - this type of cylinder must be turned
upside down in order to obtain liquid CO2 to refill any cylinder.

Siphon cylinders have a tube from the valve to the bottom of the cylinder so that when the valve is opened liquid CO2 comes out without
having to invert the bottle.

Fire extinguishers are of the Siphon type and Pub Beer Gas Cylinders are of the Gas type.'

So it seems logical to invert the fire extinguisher at all times. Providing this information isn't different in the UK.

I think I might try this later. I hang my extinguisher from a luggage weight scale so I can see how fast it goes down. I've got to find a method to harness it if possible. Keeping it upside down could save me some money by the sound of things?

 

[simon12]

The guys refilling it may be able to remove the dip tube for you so it takes the gas from the top. So I have read anyway.

 

[sg1009]

That's an interesting idea. I think this place can only fill them. They said they send them away after the 10 years and they get stripped down and completely remade. I would have thought that the fitting at the top has got to screw in somehow though so will ask at my next refill.

I've still not got around to inverting it but I'm sure I will this weekend.