Tundra Extinguishers - Any experience them?

[Greg Richardson]

Bought a couple from Costco. According to manufacture they spray four times longer. Not sure if that means they are effective though just because of longer spray time is the amount of material more?

I do like the simplicity of them.

In a fire situation I sure don't want my kids nor myself to panic forgetting how to do the other ones this seems so much faster knowing every second counts if these are good I'll probably load up on them through out the house and vehicles.

I suppose I should just build a fire outside and test one of these but thought it be good to get some opinions also.

 

[fossil]

Four times longer than what? Rick

 

[Greg Richardson]

Here you go...........

(broken link removed to http://www.firstalert.com/tundra_what_is.php)

Found this page............

What Is The Tundra™ Fire Extinguishing Spray?


Tundra™ Fire Extinguishing Spray is powerful and effective and easy to use, just point and spray.

It works on household fires including those involving paper, fabric, wood, cooking oils, electrical appliances and equipment.

Tundra™ Extinguishing Spray is compact and lightweight and can be stored right on your countertop, in every room of your home or taken with you. Having it close by saves valuable seconds.

Power You Already Know How To Use.

Tundra™ Fire Extinguishing Spray is more effective than traditional fire extinguishers on common household fires.*

Tundra™ Fire Extinguishing Spray's discharge time is four times** greater than household fire extinguishers allowing the user to react more quickly.

Tundra™ Fire Extinguishing Spray's unique, patent-pending design is as easy to use as other familiar household products and covers a wider surface area-up to three times*** greater than a typical actuator.

Tundra™ Fire Extinguishing Spray cleanup is easy-simply wipe it away with a damp cloth.


*Tundra™ Fire Extinguishing Spray has been tested to the qualified performance requirements of UL 711, UL 711A and KOFEIC 0108 by an independent Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL).

**Four times greater than 2-B:C or 5-B:C kitchen fire extinguisher; minimum of approximately 32 seconds vs. approximately eight seconds.

***Three times wider surface area; typical actuator-14 in2 vs. the Tundra™ Fire Extinguishing Spray actuator-48 in2.

 

[madrone]

I guess the hole is 4 times smaller.

 

[firefighterjake]

Bought a couple from Costco. According to manufacture they spray four times longer. Not sure if that means they are effective though just because of longer spray time is the amount of material more?

I do like the simplicity of them.

In a fire situation I sure don't want my kids nor myself to panic forgetting how to do the other ones this seems so much faster knowing every second counts if these are good I'll probably load up on them through out the house and vehicles.

I suppose I should just build a fire outside and test one of these but thought it be good to get some opinions also.

I did a bit of research on these this morning . . . spurred mainly by your thread, but also because it's my job to know about these types of things and I have had a few questions about them myself.

From talking with a rep with First Alert and checking out the MSRP it appears as though these are a potassium-based fire extinguisher which is similar to the extinguishers used in commercial kitchens (K class extinguishers). While these extinguishers have a limited range (4 feet) and cannot be used in below freezing conditions they do appear to have some appealing characteristics (which may also be why they are now First Alert's number 2 selling product behind smoke detectors.)

The ease of use, easy clean up and simplicity are perfect for the casual user who may need to deal with a small fire, such as a flaming grease fire (although even simpler and cheaper is to cover the grease fire with a pot cover), toaster fire, etc. I think anyone expecting these to work the same as a fire extinguisher which has a greater range in most cases and will last about the same amount of time (First Alert says the Tundra lasts 32 seconds and a 5 lb. fire extinguisher -- typical size for a home -- will only last 13 seconds which seems a bit on the short end . . . I suspect the Tundra lasts longer because of a smaller nozzle orifice vs. amount of extinguishing agent) may not get what they expect.

Firefighterjake's personal take on this product. For the non-experienced person I'm thinking this would be good for very small fires as it is simple and intuitive to use. However, anyone who has even a passing knowledge of fire extinguishers would most likely find the comparable cost and benefits of the longer range of a conventional extinguisher more useful for larger fires.