Recommendations for fire extinguishers that are safe for coins & albums?
AlbumNerd
Posts: 264 ✭✭✭✭
I was looking at Amazon for fire extinguishers to protect my home and collection, but then I remembered that some extinguishers spray a ton of powder and leave a lot of residue. I read online that many of these powders are highly corrosive to coins, paper, and albums.
It looks like extinguishers that use Halon or Halotro are rated as safe for use on electronics, as they leave zero residue that could damage. But this is a new world for me. Any recommendations for fire extinguishers for fellow numismatists?
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I have a sdb for starts but the question here is a valid one. I'd love to read more here as well
So I did some research, and I see that there are two best paths for me as a coin album collector. My goal was to avoid any fire extinguisher that uses dry powder, as they can get into all spaces, and the powder can be highly corrosive to paper and coins.
Option 1
A Halotron extinguisher but it must have the Class A designation. Halotron uses an inert gas to extinguish fires, but it will still leave things smoldering unless you get the 11 lb version that sprays enough to also extinguish smoldering. That one has enough material to have a Class A designation. A warning, though, the 11 lb version is very expensive. More than $1,000 on average.
Option 2
A Water Mist extinguisher. You can fill it with deionized water and find a local Nitrogen tire fill business that can pressurize the tank with nitrogen [though you can use a regular air pump at a gas station if you want to cheap out on your fire extinguisher]. The downside is that water will get everywhere and possibly damage my collection more. However, they are significantly cheaper. The cheapest one I could find for a 2.5 gallon water mist extinguisher was $159 on Amazon.
To add to the complexity, I also wanted an extinguisher to cover kitchen fires. Neither Halotron nor Water Mist is rated for the kitchen [don't put water on a grease fire!]
I ended up getting a Water Mist extinguisher for my library and a separate dry powder extinguisher for my kitchen. I couldn't justify the expense of a $1000 Halotron when a $159 water mist extinguisher works nearly as well and is rechargeable.
I hope this helps folks out. Please share your thoughts and any advice on a better option.
Problem I see is that you have to be there when the fire occurs. Most of us remember a forum member who lost everything in that nasty California fire a few years ago. His slabs were melted but the coins were conserved and regraded at little or no charge if I remember correctly. I currently have a small self contained Halon extinguisher with a sprinkler head valve I acquired many years ago that hangs in a bracket. I think it covers about 8 or 10 cubic feet ?
I have 48 years in the fire service. My thoughts.... in order of preference. Worst to first. 4 - Dry chemical. Is very corrosive and a mess to clean up. 3 - Halon and its various off shoots are very expensive to buy and refill. Displaces oxygen. No O2, no fire but can be dangerous to use in a small space. 2 - Pressurized water can will work on Class A ( wood, paper, etc. ) fires only. Can be a little messy to clean up. 1 - My recommendation is C02. Pressurized carbon dioxide. Works by lowering the temperature. Very little cleanup. Inexpensive to refill.
How safe is deploying a C02 extinguisher in an enclosed space? My library is in a converted garage but one wall knocked down. Is it also safe to use around electronics?
Excellent point about having to be there! It sounds like you found a way to set up effectively your own sprinkler system with tubes and a sprinkler head?
Didn't realize this small canister covers 60 cu ft. Purchased in the 90's it still has a charge.
This was not on my 2025 bingo card.
Update: I ended up cancelling my water mist extinguisher as my home office is also combined with my library of coin albums. Chances are a fire starts from a power outlet or my computer, so water would do nothing. And chances are my albums won't spontaneously combust.
I went with a co2 extinguisher instead to safely cover both my albums and electronics. Thanks for the insights @Tom147
A non-issue