A Brand Buying Guide
So, you’re planning on buying a boat fire suppression system for your vessel. Good choice. These clean agent systems are designed to save your life (and your vessel) in the event of a fire at sea. So, which brand will you choose?
Some consumers are happy to leave the choice to their boat manufacturer or if they have bought their boat from a previous owner, their fire suppression system technician. These are fine choices – but clearly, you are a bit more. The main manufacturers of marine suppression systems are Ansul, Fireboy-Xintex, Kidde, and Sea-Fire. Let’s compare these four brands to determine what is right for you.
Industry Experience Ansul began in 1915. They specialized in refrigeration until they created a fire school for employees in 1940 and came out with new dry chemical fire extinguisher protection. They have since branched into fire suppression systems for restaurants, mining systems, and the marine industry. Fireboy-Xintex began about 50 years ago, as a branch of the Darley corporation.
Fireboy-Xintex specializes only in marine fire suppression systems. Its parent company, Darley, was founded in 1908. Darley began in Chicago as a manufacturer of fire pumps and apparatus for firefighters. The Kidde brand was founded by Walter Kidde in 1917. At this time, Kidde took ownership of the Rich patent, for carbon dioxide fire suppression. The next year, they produced smoke detection and fire suppression systems for ships and the navy. Lastly, Sea-Fire is the marine division of Metalcraft. Metalcraft has been in the fire extinguisher and suppression business for about 45 years. Though they have the least history, they pride themselves on being industry leaders. They focus on fire detection and suppression systems. They have worked with US government and defense agencies, and NASA.
American Made
All of these companies have manufacturing plants in the United States. They positively impact the U.S. economy and employment rate. However, only Sea-Fire manufacturers all of their products in the U.S. This explains why Sea-Fire Marine received the Presidential E-award as an American exporting company.
System Operations
Boat owners need to consider the type of boat they’ll be purchasing, as well as the areas they’ll be boating to choose a fire suppression system.
For example, if you own a yacht with a diesel engine, you are required to have an engine shutdown system installed. Or, if you spend lots of time in international or foreign waters, you’ll need to have a manual-only fire suppression system installed. Maybe you are not restricted and want an automatic system. What types of fire suppression systems do each brand offer?
System Discharge | Ansul | Fireboy-Xintex | Kidde | Sea-Fire |
Manual Only | X | | X | X |
Auto/Manual | X | X | X | X |
Automatic Only | X | X | X | |
To be clear, a manual-only system will discharge only when activated by the user. This is usually via a pull station, located away from the engine compartment. An automatic/manual system can be discharged by the user or the heat sensor. It affords more options. An automatic-only system will only be activated by the sensor attached to the system.
Clean Agents
The chemical agent that suppresses or extinguishes the fire without making a mess is known as the clean agent. It is housed in the cylinder and discharged through the piping or tubing and exits the system through the nozzle(s). There are several on the market to choose from – but don’t be surprised if the market changes. As we learn more about science, some clean agents that were considered safe are now being phased down by the Environmental Protection Agency. Manufacturers race to create newer, safer, and widely used clean agents constantly.
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