Daily Chuckle

[D2Cat]

Found a solution to the fires

 

[GreensvilleJay]

sadly some 'scientist' posted on FB ,you can't USE salt water to put out fires.

I'm still shaking my head having seen fireboats in salt water harbours put out fires,both ships and beach houses.. and pretter sure every ship that sails the oceans uses water from the sea to put out fires....

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

sadly some 'scientist' posted on FB ,you can't USE salt water to put out fires.

I'm still shaking my head having seen fireboats in salt water harbours put out fires,both ships and beach houses.. and pretter sure every ship that sails the oceans uses water from the sea to put out fires....

There is only a handful of planes that have the ability to load from the ocean.
Modern fire fighting equipment can not handle saltwater.
I know it sounds stupid, but the heat from the pumps moving water will corrode and destroy them very quickly.
While it seems like an easy answer to use salt water the reality is not so.

 

[Bmyers]

sadly some 'scientist' posted on FB ,you can't USE salt water to put out fires.

I'm still shaking my head having seen fireboats in salt water harbours put out fires,both ships and beach houses.. and pretter sure every ship that sails the oceans uses water from the sea to put out fires....

Not to derail this thread, but I believe the issue is the long term impact of using salt water and not that salt water can't put out fires. The more urban the area, such as downtown LA, the less impact in using salt water (except on equipment). The more rural, the more impact on long term soil health.

 

[Daren Todd]

There is only a handful of planes that have the ability to load from the ocean.
Modern fire fighting equipment can not handle saltwater.
I know it sounds stupid, but the heat from the pumps moving water will corrode and destroy them very quickly.
While it seems like an easy answer to use salt water the reality is not so.

Im a pump mechanic. So I'll elaborate on this.

The salt not only corrodes, but as it gets hot, the salt settles and binds.

I've had plenty of little trash pumps on oil field jobs where I've had them come back chock full of salt. The oil field guys were using them to pump brine from a well.

The only way to clear them out and free them up is copious amounts of vinegar

And yes, I've submitted expense reports for Walmart for 40 gallons of vinegar.

Cap off any low points, pull an inspection cover on top and fill it up.

Come in the next day and i had salt and vinegar foam all around the pump. Thats when i learned to pull the unit into the wash bay

Those fire trucks and tankers would work for a while pumping salt water. But at some point enough salt would separate from the water and gum up the works.

Then it would be super costly to fix.

 

[Henro]

I think GVJ's post was supposed to be humorous...but I find it even more humorous that you guys took it seriously...

Although all the comments following were certainly meaningful.

 

[RCW]

Irrespective of salt/fresh water, I’ve got a daughter 2-300 yards from the shore in Santa Cruz.

Dad’s are always watching out for their kids.

While many miles north of the current fires, it concerns me. They had fires close a few years ago.

Crazy thing is that the homes and businesses burned down are about the same number as all the houses in my entire County of 900 square miles.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

gee the CL415s from Quebec have no problem. odds are good he Mars could..
NO pumps ... scoop and poop tech.....simple and it works.

Coulson's has his choppers there, don't know about his modified C130s though

 

[Dead Ash]

Daren Todd....do you think there could be a way to add vinegar to the pump to neutralize the negative effects of the vinegar? Similar to adding DEF to diesel engines. Or the way we add anti slush gel in the winter months?

 

[Daren Todd]

Daren Todd....do you think there could be a way to add vinegar to the pump to neutralize the negative effects of the vinegar? Similar to adding DEF to diesel engines. Or the way we add anti slush gel in the winter months?

I haven't seen anyway. We usually rent out stainless pumps if we know they are pumping salt. And we avoid anything that has to be filled first like the little trash pumps.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Daren Todd....do you think there could be a way to add vinegar to the pump to neutralize the negative effects of the vinegar? Similar to adding DEF to diesel engines. Or the way we add anti slush gel in the winter months?

The amount of vinegar needed would make a pickle producer pucker!

 

[Moose7060]

 

[Moose7060]

 

[Moose7060]

 

[6869704x4]

 

[Daren Todd]

The amount of vinegar needed would make a pickle producer pucker!

Yeah, it sure wouldn't be practical. The salt would stick to the sides of the tank and then flake down eventually clogging something.

And then factor in the amount of water running through.

I'm not sure what a fire truck puts out for water. Figure low volume hi pressure. At 100gpm the amount of vinegar needed would be nuts. Heck, 50gpm still wouldn't be feasible.

My small pumps at work do 900gpm. I had a couple down in a quarry that did 10,000gpm and would pump it a mile

 

[L35]

Man I know some of you guys are in the pump biz, but def not in the fire boat pump biz. You would have heart palpitations if you knew we pulled sea water and never flush with fresh afterwards. They pass capacity test every year. Even fire engines pull from salt water when required but those are easier to flush afterwards.

one post mentioned heat. That’s one thing we’re trained to not let happen to our pumps. Always need to be moving water. Recirculate valves always cracked if pumps engaged and hose lines are not in operation.

 

[Daren Todd]

Man I know some of you guys are in the pump biz, but def not in the fire boat pump biz. You would have heart palpitations if you knew we pulled sea water and never flush with fresh afterwards. They pass capacity test every year. Even fire engines pull from salt water when required but those are easier to flush afterwards.

They're designed for it. It wouldn't raise my blood pressure in the least.

I work in the rental buisiness. You see next level stupid every day.

If someone uses my equipment for something other than what it's designed for, I inform them they are paying for the damages and move on

I've had pumps returned full of concrete because a person figured $300 a day is cheaper than $1200 for a pumper truck.

They get a rude awakening when they realize that Einstein move just cost the them the price of a new pump end

My favorite fraise is "Sign Here!!!"

 

[D2Cat]

California built fire fighting equipment to use salt water.

 

[mikester]

Not to derail this thread, but I believe the issue is the long term impact of using salt water and not that salt water can't put out fires. The more urban the area, such as downtown LA, the less impact in using salt water (except on equipment). The more rural, the more impact on long term soil health.

View attachment 146230

I guess that's why my local government re-paves our roads white with salt every winter. Important to save on grader blades.