Vintage and Antique Fire Extinguishers Are Hot for Collecting
An old fire extinguisher can often be sought by collectors for its unique design or ornate beauty as much as for its functionality. With numerous, diverse incarnations to tell the story of their history, each era of antique fire extinguisher can develop its own loyal following. Fire memorabilia collectors consider these items a necessity for their agglomeration.
What types of vintage fire extinguishers are available for sale to collectors on eBay?Fire extinguishing technology has undergone several major evolutions over the last two to three centuries. Some of the styles offered through eBay include:
- Glass fire globes and grenades - These glass globes and fixtures can be delicate and rare. Some were manufactured in different colors, adding to their collectability. Common shapes are bulbous, tear-drop, round, or rolling pin.
- Water hand pumps - Hand-pumped water fire extinguishers have been around for centuries. They can be found in small, hand-held models such as the Pyrene 15-inch to sizes comparable to current full-sized extinguishers.
- Chemical fire extinguishers - In 1912, Pyrene began manufacturing CTC fire extinguishers. These consisted of a three-gallon copper vessel filled with a potassium carbonate solution under compressed air pressure.
- Other notable manufacturers - Some of these are Fyr Fyter, American LaFrance, Badger, Empire, Ansul, and American Fire Equipment. This is not an all-inclusive list, but it may help a beginning collector know where to start.
Antique fire extinguishers were manufactured from various materials over the years. Typically, they were constructed from copper and polished brass. These metals provided the strength necessary to hold any chemicals used along with providing a container that could safely withstand the heat from any fire you might encounter. The tank was often built from copper while the fire extinguisher cap and front label were made of brass.
Common chemicals used in vintage fire extinguishers for saleThe propellant inside might have been a mixture of baking soda and acid water that were typically mixed together by turning the unit upside down to mix the baking soda and acid water to produce carbon dioxide that was then shot out through the rubber hose onto the burning fire and extinguished.
Classes of antique fire extinguishersClassic fire extinguishers, much like recent ones, fall into a classification system designed to designate what type of fire each extinguisher was designed to handle. The classes and the type of fire it was rated for include:
- Class A – Solids like paper and wood
- Class B – Flammable liquids like kerosene and oil
- Class C – Electrical
- Class D – Metals like aluminum