Yes, do not use Halon in an habitable enclosed area. The fire may go out, and your house not burn down, but you will be dead anyway. Since there are so many varied materials in most layouts, an ABC type extinguisher is the best option.
Many years ago there was a web site wher ethey did variou burn tests of blue and pink foam. A hot soldering iron for example, cause the foam to melt back until the space around the heat source was enough that the edges were no longer above the melting point of the foam. They tried setting it on fire and failed in most any way tried. Even exposing the foam to the flame of a torch just metled a big hole in it. I no longer have a link to it, or even know if the site still exists, but whem foam first got popular (probably 5 years or so after the MR articles by Bill Darnaby) there were almost as many posts here about how the foam will burn up and kill you are there are hobby is dying posts. Especially after seeing the results of experiments from that site, the foam on my layout catching fire was the least of my worries.
Plus I do use a master power switch. NOTHING in the layout room stays powered up when no one is there. There are some people who constantly leave their DCC system turned on - I have no idea why you would do this. Shut everything off when you leave and the only worry you will have is the same as any other home wiring - in other words, there's no greater likelihood of the layout catching fire as any other place in your home.
ANd have smoke detectors. That are tested known working.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
A Co2 extinguisher is a better bet because you'll know to get out of there because you'll start choking and yawning but for maximum safety I'd use a blanket or a CO2 bomb for fire extinguishing, in the event of fire toss it towards the fire and run!
Steve
If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!
Uhh, has anyone considered having a MAIN SWITCH that cuts all power to the layout and it's associated power draws, when you're not there cut the power ergo no fire risk as to if you're there and a fire happens is there a respirator that would filter the halon? (Edit: you would need an actual oxygen tank not a respirator, think of halon like water you put water in an empty bucket it displaces the air same with halon so a respirator doesn't work underwater or in halon.) Otherwise may I suggest a fire blanket? Use it to smother the flames?
And don't forget your hard hat for when the sky falls
I also think it would have to be an airtight room, that the system is in. And if your in that room when it goes off, good night.
Mike.
My You Tube
Oh dear God people, you're going to use Halon for basement layouts? Better get the old will up to date; fire a Halon system off in a confined space and you will lose consciousness and asphyxiate before you can think about feeling strange. That probably applies even to handheld systems of sufficient capacity.
Situation a bit different if you can arm the system to actuate only when no one is in the basement or otherwise in a place where they might be suffocated by heavier-than-air vapors blanketing them. But be VERY sure you can't be surprised in any reasonably foreseeable circumstance.
There may be caveats to using some kinds of dry chemical extinguishing in confined spaces with low assured ventilation. Do the research before implementing any 'technology'.
The foam in a layout is different then if on the wall. Same foam, different use, different codes or none at all. Walls and upright things are easier to start on fire and will burn faster and hotter then foam layed down.
Well, if your really worried about it, get the halon extinguisher that Ed links to.
Good greif, there have been many threads on here about the dangerous, life threatening chemicals that some use for track cleaning, etc.
So now, those of us that have used ridgid foam for our base, should now loose sleep over worrying about a sudden catastrophic fire.
Then I would say, use something else, that you feel safe with, for your layout.
So what would a "fire inspector" have to say about what's in YOUR garage, and basement, besides your layout with foam ?
EDIT: And, if your truly worried about it, what happens if your not there? OMG. Get a halon fire extingusher system installed.
PEDOther than killing the power, what type of fire extinguisher would be appropriate to keep handy around a layout?
Halon*: (Halotron)
https://amerexfireextinguishers.com/collections/halon-1211
From people I know in the electronics and computer fields, halon* is the recommended type.
*Or its "clean agent" recommended derivatives.
Good Luck, Ed
Am running a N scale layout with Digitrax components and Kato track on a blue foam base. My command station is a (DCS240) and I have short circuit protection via several PM42's. However, I know that murphy is always lurking nearby and I am concerned if I have some major failure that leads to an overheated situation on my layout such that I do not notice it right away.
I checked on flammability of blue foam (my situation) and reports imply that an electrical fire will melt the foam but not trigger a fire. For my safety sake, I am going to assume that a fire can be triggered by an electrical hot spot. Other than killing the power, what type of fire extinguisher would be appropriate to keep handy around a layout?
Also, in my checking, I noted that bare foam such as used in layouts is not allowed by most building codes. Must be covered by some flame retardant material such as sheetrock. My layout is not in my home so I am not violating code but I will bet that more than a few people here would not want the fire inspector to visit their layout.
Paul D
N scale Washita and Santa Fe RailroadSouthern Oklahoma circa late 70's