Red Comet Fire Extinguishers

[SamMarlowPI]

Hey all, i was going through my cousins storage about a month ago and happened upon some intact vintage Red Comet Fire Extinguishers he had...they are both red (im having problems with my uploading and pictures arent working), one sits in a wall stand that can puncture when the temp gets hot enough or can be a grenade and the other is a hanging sprinker with the red bulb fixed inside...there are a couple on ebay if u want to get an idea...they are really neat and my dad remembers seeing some in his old elementary school auditorium back in the 50's and busting them for the hell of it! theyre a great find, figured i'd share

 

[Smyat]

Hey all, i was going through my cousins storage about a month ago and happened upon some intact vintage Red Comet Fire Extinguishers he had...

I grew up in a house that had an outbuilding with one on the wall. A big glass globe with a neck pointing down and tipped in red (film or glass?), in a wire frame with a little widget that I assume was a temperature-activated plunger.

Fascinated me for years, and I think my sister still has it, but even as a kid I couldn't see how something less than a gallon of water was going to do much if any good. I guess if a small fire started right under it...

 

[Harry Pierpont]

Fascinated me for years, and I think my sister still has it, but even as a kid I couldn't see how something less than a gallon of water was going to do much if any good. I guess if a small fire started right under it...

It's not water, it's carbon-tetrachloride. Good stain remover also, although it's a carcinogenic. My friend has quite an extensive collection, wall hung, ceiling hung and they also made "grenades" or throw-able versions.

 

[Teekay44]

Carbon-tet has not been used for firefighting for 40 years or so. It produces Phosgine Gas when it contacts the fire. (Stuff used in WWI) Worked great but gassed out the firefighters! No one knew untill much later. I was polishing one for our departments parade pieces extinguisher and the thing leaked on me. Got quite a rash from it even though I washed off right away. So be careful with the stuff.

 

[KilroyCD]

...there are a couple on ebay if u want to get an idea...

I recently saw a metal box (wall mount, I believe) holding six of the grenades sell at an auction in Nickel Mines, PA, and it brought over $200. That might give you an idea of the collector value.

 

[Teekay44]

Some of those boxes were mounted on the running board of the fire truck. When I first got on the FD an old Chief Officer (who used them from the 30's) told me that the first guy would take that, get behind a door or something and lob the things at the fire while the other part of the crew would set the pumper up and run the line in. They would sometimes carry the first guy out and then fight the fire with the hoses. This was done without airpacks and the like. Tough guys back then. You didn't have all the plastics you do now but still. What a heck of a job!