Soda Acid Fire Extinguishers

Several people have asked me about these extinguishers. The Soda Acid extinguisher was the hottest thing going at the time of its emergence. The problem was that you were using acid that reacted with other chemicals to fight fire. This is crazy by today’s standards but then it was the best thing on the market. The process was simple you filled the barrel of the canister with the soda, then a glass bottle with the acid, placed a lead 'stopper' on top of it the screwed on the lid and hung it on a wall to wait for someone to come along and use it. When a fire broke out someone would remove the extinguisher from its bracket and turn it upside down to grasp the handle. The upside down action would cause the lead stopper to fall from the bottle releasing the acid into the soda for mixing causing it to expand and discharge from a rubber hose attached to the side. In the normal fashion a sweeping motion would be used to cover the fire with the solution smothering it out.

There were several variations of these extinguishers including miniature versions. Mostly they were constructed of brass, but could be found in stainless steel variations towards the end of their use. People have wondered how to restore one of these historical extinguishers. My advice it to pay someone that knows how to restore antique brass, because the process is long and can go very wrong if you aren't careful. Most people have (and I myself have used this technique, and it works) gathered the brass parts and placed them into a large watertight container. The next step is to get a large amount of vinegar, enough to completely cover the brass, and fill the container just enough to cover the brass parts.

Depending on the condition of the brass the soaking required could take anywhere from hours to days. But, eventually the vinegar will cut the crude off of the brass and restore a semi-luster to the brass. After the vinegar has been wiped from the brass, use Brasso or some other marketed polishing agent to put a shine on it.

The only problem with this process is that eventually the dull nature of brass from being exposed to air will return unless you seal it. This is the problem that people run into. If you apply the sealant or glaze incorrectly you will ruin the brass, as it is very hard to remove even with chemicals which will permanently alter the brass's shine, this is why I suggest using a professional. If done right, this will be the best-looking extinguisher around, if done wrong, it's scrap.

Posted above are photos of some of my Soda Acid extinguishers in varying stages of restoration, one of which you can see is in need of a good polishing. There is a series of shots showing the Bottle, the Carriage for the bottle, the plug, and the handle to help show the workings of the extinguisher.