Prepping for Brexit thread

Blue_Doggy

I agree with the posters who have suggested putting tea lights or candles into jam jars for safety. I do this, and it means that there is less likelihood of an accidental brushing against a lit candle. However, there are still dangers:

1. The jar gets very hot after a little while: if you have to move it, extinguish the flame first and use a cloth to hold the jar. It may take a moment to relight the candle or tea light, but that’s nothing compared to the alternative.

2. Don’t use a candle taller than the jar: that will negate all the benefit of using the jar. But the jam jar method is a very good way to use up the remains of dinner/table candles. Using blue tack or similar on the bottom of the candle will help to keep it upright.

3. Heat rises, and the area above the flame is a danger zone.

Non-flimsy metal lanterns with glass panels should be safe, but there should be a barrier between any handle and the flame.

If unsure, use battery candles/tea lights or solar lights, they’re much much safer.

Blue_Doggy

AndyCF wrote: »

I think that is the most sensible bit of advice.

Mentioning "conflagration" (yes I know but I'm in an 'alt words' mood): I brought a fire-blanket for the kitchen a few years ago, thankfully its never been used. Not quite sure why I got it, it just made sense to me as I'd got a new powder extinguisher a week or two earlier. We'd at that time not had a "real" chip pan for years either!
.

I have had a fire-blanket in the kitchen for many years: it’s only been used once, when something being grilled curled up, touched the electric element and caught fire :eek::eek::eek:. The fire-blanket extinguished the fire at once and saved no end of hassle, fire-brigade time, and possibly forced deep cleaning and redecoration of the kitchen!

Blue_Doggy

DigForVictory wrote: »

I ask for a few threads, or a sliver, then ask where may folks smoke, so I can do a burn test. Most stores are understanding & supportive & the ones that aren't do not get my money/trade/recommendation if asked.

What a brilliant idea, DigForVictory :T:T:T

Blue_Doggy

A rather quaint bit of prepping on my own account yesterday: I found a copy of “Successful Wine and Beer Making (including mead, vermouth and liqueurs)” by S M Tritton in a Charity shop for 50p.

A 1960s book, with quite technical details, and should be useful, (even for making barter-goods should the need arise!).

I already have most of the necessary equipment from when a family member was decluttering.

(Enough from me for the present mo’!)

unrecordings

AndyCF wrote: »

Powder is very messy indeed however its better than a fire! I dread to think that some would panic with an oil/chip pan type fire and throw water on it , you might as well throw petrol on it given what can happen, water instantly boils = steam = expansion = oops. Soaked tea-towel (water) meant to work quite well, certainly better than nothing.

Never had a co2 one so not sure what 'effect' that would have on a chip pan type fire. No doubt Google would tell me but its not important to know (for me) although any gas based one is going to "push" the burning oil about that makes common sense reason not to try.

I think they banned the Halon ones for home/work use ? , not seen one for a long time, they apparently did work very well but the environmental impact of them was quite bad, not sure on their toxicity level but you'd not want to breathe it anyway. Come to think of it they might still be used in semi-sealed environments planes and the like perhaps.

A lot of methods of extinguishing a fire revolve around simply starving it of fuel, be that oxygen or whatever
- so a damp teatowel (not soaked such that it might be dripping) used to be recommended as it smothered the flames by preventing further oxygen fuelling the fire. In the studio back in the day we had dry powder and/or halon for electrical fires (or in the one fire we did actually have, I just chucked the offending article in the bin and poured my cup of tea in it - which worked a treat (it wasn't an electrical fire)).

There used to be some kind of 'bomb' available that when linked to a fire detection system would release enough carbon dioxide, or a noble gas to make a fire untenable, but still (just) breathable

As for halon, I found this:

https://www.fireandsafetycentre.co.uk/advice-centre/halon-fire-extinguishers/

it seems halon is a CFC

DigForVictory

The New Home Larder has arrived (withdrawn stock from Dorset libraries - I must presume Dorset is Ready for Anything) & it is fascinating stuff! I like the way it points out that sometimes the Really Good Stuff is worth having.

<putters off clutching notepad, pencil & the tome with a view to assembling a definitive list for the Dig household>

AndyCF

Blue_Doggy wrote: »

I agree with the posters who have suggested putting tea lights or candles into jam jars for safety. I do this, and it means that there is less likelihood of an accidental brushing against a lit candle. However, there are still dangers:

1. The jar gets very hot after a little while: if you have to move it, extinguish the flame first and use a cloth to hold the jar. It may take a moment to relight the candle or tea light, but that’s nothing compared to the alternative.

2. Don’t use a candle taller than the jar: that will negate all the benefit of using the jar. But the jam jar method is a very good way to use up the remains of dinner/table candles. Using blue tack or similar on the bottom of the candle will help to keep it upright.

3. Heat rises, and the area above the flame is a danger zone.

Non-flimsy metal lanterns with glass panels should be safe, but there should be a barrier between any handle and the flame.

If unsure, use battery candles/tea lights or solar lights, they’re much much safer.

An excellent post.

I'll just add that although you say a barrier between handle and flame/heat area, I'd not rely on this, I think what I am saying here is 'expect the top to be potentially quite hot'

I've got a small 'favourite' saucepan, it was only a cheapy but I do like it as its an ideal depth/size for most of my uses, the handle is not insulated at all so it does get hot over a bit of time, it only heats slowly as its riveted on however you have to be mindful not to grab it if something has been slowly heating for say 20 minutes or more. It probably is against some regulations as it came from a 'bargain shop' place but aside from that its a great pan.

Blue_Doggy wrote: »

I have had a fire-blanket in the kitchen for many years: it’s only been used once, when something being grilled curled up, touched the electric element and caught fire :eek::eek::eek:. The fire-blanket extinguished the fire at once and saved no end of hassle, fire-brigade time, and possibly forced deep cleaning and redecoration of the kitchen!

Yes they are worth the relatively small outlay I think , even for those on a very tight budget, put a £1 to one side each week and then with a bit of searching it may be possible to find one (even a small one is better than nothing, mines only a small blanket) for around £5 to £8 from a quick internet search.

unrecordings wrote: »

A lot of methods of extinguishing a fire revolve around simply starving it of fuel, be that oxygen or whatever

I do remember from 'skool' (yes I know but I said 'alt words/spelling hehe sorry!) , the 'triangle' as in to have a fire you need three things:

Fuel (something that will in effect burn)
Oxygen (or an oxidising agent to permit combustion)
Heat (as its a reaction I suppose)

Removal of any one of those will instantly stop it. I know I'm posting what you already know anyway, sorry!

unrecordings wrote: »

it seems halon is a CFC

I'd not looked into it but that does seem quite plausible. I vaguely recall they were black or darker green when they had this in them, at least the last one I saw which was likely a 70's model, it was empty anyway.

The automatic 'bomb' ones I've seen something about those too, a similar (kind of) system was used in Rally cars/racing at one point, it might still be used.

unrecordings

Halon were green, CO2 were black (water was red) - though the colour coding seems to have evolved a little, so I found this:

https://surreyfire.co.uk/types-of-fire-extinguisher/

AndyCF

Thanks. Yes the one I saw was likely well before any EU type standardisation of colour coding etc.

Mind you those 'vintage' copper type ones from the 30's look very nice purely as a decorative object or perhaps without the 'top' they might make a nice plant holder!

On a prepping thing this is not a complaint but I've noticed locally the past two weeks or so, no one appears to have (bear in mind, there are no supermarkets within my normal range, its local shops only and a BM) no one has any instant powdered mash of any description! On the positive side there is an excess of fresh potato's about and a lot more of the tinned ones than you'd usually see. I don't think there is anything actually "in this" as such, just slightly odd ?

Jazee

I don't think there's anything in it. Here, there is lots of choice on instant mash, but not a tin to be had anywhere.