I have an old never used fire extinguisher that is filled with Halon gas. I think it is from the late 1990s. It is my understanding that Halon should not be used. Is it possible to have it discharged and refilled with the newer stuff?

Halon is fantastic for electronic equipment as there is no residual crap to pollute your equipment. I have halon units in my computer room. I do not think I would use one for general use, however. Not sure if the nozzles are the same so not sure if you can refill with different compound.

You don't want to be in a confined space because you can have oxygen deprivation and it's considered bad for the environment. Otherwise it's the best stuff.

Halotron is the next nearest thing that one can get for a decent price.

I have a couple of them for my cars/garage.

(Amerex)

Halon has several different formulations in extinguishers. You have no need to replace the halon, so long as the weight of the extinguisher doesn't change. Halon extinguishers are measured by weight when checked, and will be good as long as the weight remains the same.

Halon interrupts the fire process by breaking the "fire tetrahedron," preventing the chemical reaction in a fire by preventing the fuel from oxidizing. In an enclosed room, if you remain in the room, you need to be aware that oxygen is displaced by the extinguisher. This isn't a bad thing, but you should ventilate after discharging, after the fire is controlled.

You should also be aware that a by product of discharging halon into a flame is the production of phosgene gas, which is toxic. Phosgene was responsible for most chemical weapons deaths during the first world war, and it's produced in a structure fire when halon or halotron or freon is exposed to flame.

Halon is a common component in extinguishers used in light aircraft, and a common extinguisher for aircraft engine fires. I've had them discharged inside an aircraft cabin, but did vent fairly quickly, after.

Exposure to phosgene as a fire byproduct for freon or halon can cause death some time after exposure; a week to two weeks to cardiac arrest or pulmonary problems leading to death.

Halon is hard to get these days ,and if you've got halon extinguishers, I'd keep them, or sell them and get a dry chemical extinguisher for home use. I'd have no problem keeping a halon extinguisher for emergency use at home.

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Originally posted by sns3guppy:
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Well somebody stayed at Holiday Inn last night!

Those need to be checked by a service provider occasionally to make sure they will still work.
The commercial operations we inspect we want them serviced annually.
For personal use I don't think that I'd do it that often but I'd also be suspect of something with a 28 year old date.
The dry powder types can compact and then not work properly when they have been sitting too long.

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Originally posted by ffips:

quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:
Snip

Well somebody stayed at Holiday Inn last night!

Firefighter who's worked with a lot of Halon, actually. Inspecting and servicing as an aircraft mechanic. I've worked with Halon on the ground doing fire, and in the air, and in the shop. It's ubiquitous in aviation.

Halon is an excellent firefighting agent. We have cargo compartments that are fought in flight by discharging one bottle into the compartment and sealing it, shutting off ventilation and airflow, and then firing another bottle three hours later (assumes unable to get to a landing site right away, such as an oceanic flight). Halon is also used in the cabin and cockpit of a number of aircraft. It works in a similar manner to CO2, but is more effective, and lasts longer if the area isn't vented. It's more effective when direct access to the fire isn't available, too.

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Originally posted by sns3guppy:
Firefighter who's worked with a lot of Halon, actually.
....

Thank you for running towards the trouble.

Thank you for all of the imput.