Fire!!

[anotherone]

Originally Posted by Poncho7

I am a new 1st time RV owner since July 2013 and already I am on the verge of a total loss due to a Norcold 4 dr 1200 fire. Let this be a lesson....the local Fire dept investigator and the independent fire investigator for the ins. company inquired to Norcold and discovered the unit actually had all required "Recall" work done and the unit still caught fire.

us too last sept. Trying to deal with norcold now. Very slow going.

[1985 Bounder]

I am also new to the RV scene. My 1985 Bounder has a Norcold in it. Should I replace it before I start my travels or being as it has lasted this long should I not worry?

[anotherone]

Originally Posted by 1985 Bounder

I am also new to the RV scene. My 1985 Bounder has a Norcold in it. Should I replace it before I start my travels or being as it has lasted this long should I not worry?

do a search on norcold and get educated.

[PushedAround]

Originally Posted by Dr4Film

I have an AFFF system for my diesel engine.

Richard, where do you have the bottle mounted for this system. One of the drawbacks to AFFF is that it freezes, so you have to keep the bottle in a heated area when the temps go below 32.

[spritz]

When I bought the PA it had those Small extinguishers so I had a bunch of 5 lbs @ the S&B so I replaced one behind the drivers door one in the kitchen and one in the bathroom. (30fter) 1 Smoke/carb detector in kitchen but will add the others. I never though about adding another but will after reading this. Again great info, might even save someones life. Yes we can get out of the windows
Thanks,tb

[Dr4Film]

Originally Posted by PushedAround

Richard, where do you have the bottle mounted for this system. One of the drawbacks to AFFF is that it freezes, so you have to keep the bottle in a heated area when the temps go below 32.

Larry,

It is mounted to the back of the closet on the outside wall in the engine compartment. There is a High Pressure Stainless Steel hose that travels from the tank to the nozzle which is directly over the fuel delivery side of the engine. Some people have installed two nozzles depending on the size of their engine and engine compartment.

If concerned about freezing you could mount the tank on the inside of the closet and a hole to the outside for the hose.

I don't usually worry about freezing temps as I am not in them for very long. Plus I can run my Aqua-Hot Engine Pre-Heat System and that keeps the engine block and the immediate area very warm.

I would present that question to Fire Fight 1 and/or Mac The Fire Guy to see what they say about the tank freezing.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

[PushedAround]

Thanks, nice installation. I only mention it as the auto racing crowd is well aware of the freezing problem with AFFF and it would be unfortunate if someone here were to rely on such a setup only to have it fail to work because of low temps. Specs on the foam recommend storage and usage in environments above 20 deg F.

[virginiamtns]

Fire drills!

We do them monthly. Open window, throw blanket over the ledge, back out feet first. land on the bumper, climb down. We do them in the dark, in the driveway, every month.

When a real fire comes, you don't have time to figure out the details. Know, without looking, how your door and window locks operate. Work them until you can do it blindfolded. We made the drill part of our monthly maintenance checks.

[HerbZilla]

Originally Posted by Fl_Richard

Remember with Halon - It works by removing all the oxygen which kills the fire. Never use it in the cabin. It will remove all the oxygen from the air and you will suffocate.

I used to work in the marine industry. Automatic systems have been known to kill people working in engine rooms when it is accidentally triggered. The systems should be dis-armed whenever working on anything in the bays.

I too work in the marine industry. CO2 displaces oxygen and you will suffocate if released. Halon breaks the chemical reaction of fire to put it out. Halon will not suffocate you that is why it was used in ships instead of CO2. Halon is very good at electrical and flammable liquid fires but does not work well for ordinary combustibles. The current trend away from Halon now is more due to environmental reasons (effects on ozone layer). Plus high pressure water mist systems have been found to be more effective.
I agree if you are working in an enclosed or tight space you should disconnect your fixed system to prevent from accidentally going off.

[ladagobago]

Boaters have had halon in boats for years, that is until 1994 when manufacture was stopped by the EPA. We also had it in our computer rooms back in the 70's. the nice thing about it was it would mix with air and only needed about ten percent to put out the fire with no residue and it did not displace oxygen so you would not die and had time to exit the building. the only halon avaiable today is that which is recycled.

There are new replacement alternatives which are non toxic and safe for inhabited areas and they are safe for sensitive electronics.

[Passin Thru]

One ran into trees last year S of Daytona and caught fire. Killed the driver, (only occupant) It was atandem axle and I thought it was a Monaco but it was dark and hooked to a wrecker at the time. Burned all the cabin to the tandems. It's not that common but I have seen 3 burned in 5 years and I travel about 20K ayr.

[Poncho7]

Originally Posted by anotherone

do a search on norcold and get educated.

After my experience; I'd say check your Refrig. serial number against Norcold's recall list and perhaps call to make sure they were all done if required and lastly, maybe have your system pressure tested to detect pin hole leaks that can occur and go undetected until it is to late....

[Dr4Film]

Originally Posted by Poncho7

After my experience; I'd say check your Refrig. serial number against Norcold's recall list and perhaps call to make sure they were all done if required and lastly, maybe have your system pressure tested to detect pin hole leaks that can occur and go undetected until it is to late....

Do you have any photos to post of your fire? Also, there is a Class Action Suit that has been filed by an attorney which you should contact and get your name added to the list.

Here are some photos from a Norcold fire that happened back in November 2010 after the first Norcold Recall had been done AND they had a Halon Fire Extinguisher that did NOT trigger because the fire started up too high.

It was determined that the tubing had ruptured near the back of the fridge compartment and burned upwards. The rupture allowed the gas to leak out which was ignited by the LPG burner.

They had come home really late and did not want to spend the time to empty out the RV so they left the fridge on LPG.

These are Monaco RV friends that had a coach and were members of the Monacoers Yahoo Group.

Most of the Norcold fires have happened when on 120 VAC but the point I wanted to make with this post is that you can take ALL of the precautions you think that will prevent a Norcold fire such as having a Halon FE and not using the 120 VAC BUT it still can happen regardless of the steps you take to prevent it.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

[akeyzoo]

Boy do I sleep better at nights minus my Norcold 1200. I had the recall work done (rev e) and while using my RV the "safety" triggered cutting off power to the fridge. I reached around the back of the fridge and confirmed the coils were VERY warm to the touch and the box legitimately shut the fridge down. And as HOT as the coils were, who knows how long power had been cutoff before I noticed and went and investigated. I had already read the forums on this fridge and when I told my wife the horror stories it was game over for Norcold. We used block ice in the norcold for the rest of that trip and am totally happy with my Samsung 197 now. Plus I sleep better. What a joke of a recall by Norcold.

Chris