Shouldn’t laugh but yes got be careful with compressed air !!
Has anyone repurposed an empty fire extinguisher into a tubeless inflater tank?
- Thread starter wafter
- Start date
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Shouldn’t laugh but yes got be careful with compressed air !!
johnblack
Veteran
- Location
- South Northamptonshire
I just give it to the lad at the bike shop now, not worth the hassle
alex_cycles
Veteran
- Location
- Oxfordshire
More hassle to go to the shop for something I find pretty routine, to be honest, but we're all different
johnblack
Veteran
- Location
- South Northamptonshire
More hassle to go to the shop for something I find pretty routine, to be honest, but we're all different
Crack on mate, you the man.
Nice work - mine's still sat untouched in the corner of the room..
How are you getting on with it?
Not used it to seat a tyre yet, but it holds air and discharges at a rapid rate, so should be OK.
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night cycler
Guru
- Location
- Rotherham (near town)
Looking at the price of off-the-shelf tanks got me thinking about council alternatives, before arriving at the idea of repurposing a fire extinguisher.
Unsurprisingly the internet had beaten me to it and this very much seems to be a legit and pretty straightforward process. Empty extinguishers seem to be next to worthless, however I'm currently having a job finding one locally.. I'm tempted to contact a local fire safety equipment supplier but am not sure whether they'd typically refurb old examples.
Has anyone else tried this? I'd be interested to know how you got on
Hi Wafter,
I have only read the first page of this thread.
Please excuse my lack of knowledge on this topic. Is it the intention to carry a small extinguisher on rides? I assume inflating tyres at home would be done with a decent track pump. I am guessing that the idea saves on time while out on the bike. Also, it seems to be a more economical method to the small Co2 canisters. I'm always keen to learn.
alex_cycles
Veteran
- Location
- Oxfordshire
For me it would be used to "bang up" a tubeless tyre if I had to remove or replace one while on a trip. So it would be part of the kit left in the car.
At home, I use a compressor. I don't think anyone's suggesting riding round with a fire extinguisher in case you have a puncture. Might as well carry a spare wheel if you're going to do that
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
No... The problem with tubeless is getting the tyres to seat properly. If you pump slowly with a track pump then the air can leak out as quickly as you pump it in. The idea of the pressure cylinder is to blast the air in so quickly that the tyre inflates almost instantly and seals against the rim before most of the air can escape.
On a ride, the sealant should close any small holes. If there was a puncture too bad for the sealant to cope with you have the option of putting a tube in and just pumping up with a mini-pump or CO2 inflator.
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night cycler
Guru
- Location
- Rotherham (near town)
I assume the converted extinguisher that cyclists carry with them are the small lightweight ones. Maybe not much bigger than a good sized cyclist's water bottle? Would a pressurised canister of that size have the capacity to sort & seal one tyre so the rider could continue?For me it would be used to "bang up" a tubeless tyre if I had to remove or replace one while on a trip. So it would be part of the kit left in the car.
At home, I use a compressor. I don't think anyone's suggesting riding round with a fire extinguisher in case you have a puncture. Might as well carry a spare wheel if you're going to do that
figbat
Slippery scientist
- Location
- South Oxfordshire, UK
For on-the-trail use, should it be needed, a small CO2 cartridge can do the job, but it is not often that you will be trying to seat a tyre on the rim on the trail. Punctures that the sealant can't deal with are usually repaired with the tyre in situ, and can be reinflated with a typical small hand pump. If the tyre does have to come off the rim then an inner tube is often used for emergency repair, which again can by inflated conventionally.
Should really use tyre "Worms/Plugs" rather than trying to put a tube in.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I don't (yet) ride tubeless but I have heard of those. Makes sense to give them a go and use tubes as a last resort, given how awkward (and messy!) it would be taking the tyre off to put the tube in...
I've been riding tubeless for almost 5 years now and won't have a word said against it!
In that time I've had a few punctures that I am aware of sealed by the sealant and 2 where I had to use worms.
The first time worked perfectly on a hole in the tread and stayed there until the tyre needed replacing (which is the way tubeless should operate), the second was when I hit a piece of sharp metal which put a hole in the sidewall and took three large worms to seal enough to get me home, at about 30psi with a few stops to put air in. I then binned the tyre.
In my opinion I would have needed a tyre boot as well as an inner tube if I was using inner tubes and still binned the tyre!
In that time I've had a few punctures that I am aware of sealed by the sealant and 2 where I had to use worms.
The first time worked perfectly on a hole in the tread and stayed there until the tyre needed replacing (which is the way tubeless should operate), the second was when I hit a piece of sharp metal which put a hole in the sidewall and took three large worms to seal enough to get me home, at about 30psi with a few stops to put air in. I then binned the tyre.
In my opinion I would have needed a tyre boot as well as an inner tube if I was using inner tubes and still binned the tyre!
