Fire!


 
M

Mike Taylor

TVWBB Member
A neighbor had a grease fire in his Weber gas grill, panicked and used up a whole fire extinguisher to put it out. He wants to junk the grill since the inside is covered with extinguisher chemical which believes is toxic. Other than the chemical residue, it look perfect. I offered to take the grill of his hands, clean it up and give it to my son. He refuses. Do you think it would be safe after a thorough cleaning.
 
I'm no expert but I have seen what those dry chemicals can do to automotive paint and it's not pretty. If it etched into the metal in the firebox like it does to car paint you might never get it all out.
I wouldn't take the chance.
 
Ask to see his fire extinguisher then Google the contents for clean up.
Most cases it can be cleaned up .
A mask is not required when using it on a fire so that should tell you something.
 
Depends on the type of extinguisher, but a good power wash should make it right as rain.
Most dry fire extinguishers use compressed nitrogen gas to propel a yellow fire-suppressing powder over the flames. This powder is made from sodium bicarbonate, also known as baking soda, a chemical closely related to potassium bicarbonate and monoammonium phosphate. Of these, only monoammonium phosphate has the potential to irritate skin. As of 2014, the National Fire Prevention Association has assigned monoammonium phosphate a health hazard rating of "1," the lowest level given.
 
per the Wiki...

"It uses a specially fluidized and siliconized monoammonium phosphate powder. ABC dry chemical is usually a mix of monoammonium phosphate and ammonium sulfate, the former being the active one."

monoammonium phosphate "The compound is also a component of the ABC powder in some dry chemical fire extinguishers. This substance is also supplied in an emerald green, amethyst, or aquamarine crystal growing box kit for children."

Ammonium sulfate "The most common use is as a soil fertilizer."

Might want to NOT use water when cleaning the grill due to explosive nature of Hydrogen and Oxygen ! <j/k>
 
The chemical is harmless. I had to use an extinguisher ONCE on my Genesis not long after I bought it. Did not realize it needed to have the grease funnel cleaned not just the throw away aluminum cup. I took it apart scrubbed out all the dry chemical and am still using the grill almost 25 years later. Tell him you'll sign a hold harmless document
 
Clean it with lots of water and if you're paranoid scrub the inside down with some acetone, then isopropanol, then water again. The water will take out all of the salts mentioned above. The acetone will clean up any organics and the isopropanol will clean that last part, then flush it with lots of water again, and you may come out with a sparkling grill interior! You just need to physically remove the residue from the fire extinguisher chemical, which will be 99% complete after the first water flush. The acetone, isopropanol and final water flush will provide peace of mind. Then just fire that sucker for a while and get it back to glory.

Two cents from some dude with a couple degrees in chemistry.

Slainte!
 
By the way, if you're mom ain't home, it ain't my concern. So don't play with me, and you won't get burned. I have only one burning desire.
 
The first and last time I had a grease fire was on a Genesis Gold C that was left with the house we were renting from the in laws. I turned it up to high to clean the grates and came out a huge grease fire. I mean big. The flames were licking up over the handle. Having no fire extinguisher I doused it with a garden hose from 20 feet away. Got the flames down low enough to get close and turn off the gas. Then I put the rest out by flooding the fire box with water. I know this doesn't have to do with your question, but reading your story made me think of that fire. Not the smartest thing I've ever done. But, that old Gold C lives on my deck now and is still working well to this day. LOL.
 
We had some people in the neighborhood that had one get so out of hand they called the FD. It had burned through the aluminum fire box. But I got the red head off it when I saw it on the street (we have no curbs LOL)
 
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