[NA]Grenade in Attic[NA]

[Let'sgoflying!]

That home I am refurbing. In the attic was a series of these 10# plastic globes hanging from the center of the rafters about every 15'. Never seen them before. Make a sloshing sound when agitated. They claim to suppress fire, but I have my doubts - barely a quart, and I bet they have to get darn hot before they released their pitifully small amount of fluid.
Old timer thinks they contain 'not water' so I have to wonder what is in them. I am thinking of discarding them.
I wonder why they call them 'grenades', sounds a bit violent.
Pen for relative size.

 

[TangoWhiskey]

You found a cool piece of history; those might be worth something on eBay, if the contents aren't considered hazmat (probably contains carbon tetrachloride, based on the following article):

http://www.littletongov.org/history/othertopics/redcomet.asp

This link says they are considered valuable to collectors when they contain the full contents (mostly the glass ones, not sure about the Red Comet ones), but the CT contents are hazmat and should be disposed of accordingly:

http://www.thegavel.net/grenade.html

While some collectors are “drilling” out a hole in the cement-ended grenades and emptying the contents (“NOT RECOMMENDED!” said Seigal), one auctioneer who specializes in fire memorabilia said drilling and emptying a grenade renders it worth “half” the amount it would normally bring from a collector, as they want them intact. (do a search on eBay for Glass Fire Grenades, and you’ll see what we mean).

Deputy Chief Seigal, who does not collect fire grenades, mentioned that many of his colleagues do collect the glass extinguishers. He said that about the only safe way to dispose of the contents was to dispose of the entire grenade (DO NOT! Put them in the rubbish). Seigal recommended that anyone who has these items and wishes to get rid of them should wait until their local town or community has a Hazardous Waste Pick-up Day (for example, Belmont holds one the last Saturday in July), when residents can bring old batteries, paint, paint thinner, and other toxic materials.

 

[RickH]

They're called grenades because they're meant to be thrown at the base of a fire. We had 'em in our basement when I was a kid. Haven't seen any for years.

 

[TangoWhiskey]

Be careful! Bendy straw not recommended.

In the Toxicological Profile for Carbon tetrachloride, May 1994, by the Agency for Toxic Substances, Carbon tetrachloride can enter your body through your lungs if you breathe air containing it or it can also pass through the skin into the body. When you inhale carbon tetrachloride, over 30-40% of what you inhale enters your body, where most of it temporarily accumulates in body fat.

This report stated: “Most information on the health effects of carbon tetrachloride in humans comes from cases where people have been exposed to relatively high levels of carbon tetrachloride, either only once or for a short period of time.”

Your liver and kidneys, as well as your brain, are particularly susceptible to carbon tetrachloride. Kidney failure is the primary cause of death “in people who died after very high exposure to carbon tetrachloride.”

The report goes on to state: “Fortunately, if injuries to the liver and kidney are not too severe, these effects disappear after exposure stops. This is because both organs can repair damaged cells … After exposure to high levels of carbon tetrachloride, the nervous system, including the brain, is affected. Such exposure can be fatal. The immediate effects are usually signs of intoxication, including headache, dizziness, and sleepiness perhaps accompanied by nausea and vomiting. These effects usually disappear within a day or two after exposure stops.”

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

That home I am refurbing. In the attic was a series of these 10# plastic globes hanging from the center of the rafters about every 15'. Never seen them before. Make a sloshing sound when agitated. They claim to suppress fire, but I have my doubts - barely a quart, and I bet they have to get darn hot before they released their pitifully small amount of fluid.
Old timer thinks they contain 'not water' so I have to wonder what is in them. I am thinking of discarding them.
I wonder why they call them 'grenades', sounds a bit violent.
Pen for relative size.

Probably have carbon tetrachloride in them. It works pretty good, but you don't want to be around it...

They are "collectibles".

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

hmm, I need some CCl4...thanks.