Once you get it installed behind the front passenger seat (or where ever
you'd prefer), make certain that you take if off the rack and turn it
upside-down then right-side up a few times every month.  Most extinguishers
use a gas-powder propellant/retardant mix and these separate over time and
the retardant will settle at the bottom in the space of about a month.  If
it sits there long enough some retardants will actually cake inside the
canister and even the settled condition makes the whole apparatus all but
useless should you ever need it.

And yes, cold will cause the retardant to cake/freeze much faster than it
would otherwise.  The monthly up-ending ensures that these components stay
mixed and this means that the device will be *immediately* usable when and
if you need it.

MT

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
David Beierl
Sent: Wednesday, December 15, 2010 6:56 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: OT: (slightly) fire extinguishers

I'd recommend you spend the bucks for a 3A-40BC extinguisher with a pressure
gauge  and a metal safety pin (or more specifically, *not* the Kidde models
with the thin plastic safety pin which can be accidentally pulled much too
easily - and pulling it breaks the latching tip.  I've determined this by
long experience in boats and vehicles).  Check the pressure routinely and
turn it upside down a few times once a year and it should be good for many
years.  Costco and similar often have these for good price, maybe $20.  Of
my three, the two I can lay ready hands on were made by First Alert.
Occasionally (two out of the maybe fifteen extinguishers I've bought over
the years)  one will lose pressure -- unless you've paid extra for the
refillable kind that ruins it, but you might consider using it for practice.
It's been shown that people are fifty per cent more effective the *second*
time they use a dry extinguisher, because they know what to expect.

Anything plastic becomes temporarily brittle at some temperature, but that
aside, shouldn't be a problem.

Yours,
David