out of date??

woz72 · 14 June 2013, 00:38

Hi....iv been given a container with various flares...they are dated best use by 2009.....what's the score here?? Will it be ok to take them in the boat? They are dry with no water ingress...

miccheck1516 · 14 June 2013, 00:47

Chances are they would be fine, but do you really want to have to wait until you need them to find out if they actually are fine?

I know what my answer to that question would be....

thomas · 14 June 2013, 08:25

It's the same with life jackets, I'm sure they have a date for a reason - I guess an out of date flare is better than no flare at all.

henryfreston · 14 June 2013, 08:50

Try one out and sea if it works, fire into a pond on something

gtb · 14 June 2013, 09:23

We set off a number of out of date flares on the sea survival course earlier this year. The failure rate was quite high. I had three 'duds' before picking a flare that worked ok, all that looked fine, from sealed packs (but beyond their best before date).

That said, the lesson it taught me was that you don't want to be firing off a fierce fire stick on a small boat with people nearby, vulnerable tubes, a tank of petrol, etc unless you really really need to. Things could easily go from bad to worse very quickly.

Nos4r2 · 14 June 2013, 09:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by henryfreston

Try one out and sea if it works, fire into a pond on something

Don't even joke about it. You're more than likely going to get hurt doing something like that.

m chappelow · 14 June 2013, 10:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

Don't even joke about it. You're more than likely going to get hurt doing something like that.

Remember some of our neighbours who
thought it would be ok to set off a couple of orange smoke float flares on his fairly large garden pond one misty evening ,
All went well until the next morning when he discovered his pond covered in a tarry orange mess & everyone else's lawns & gardens down wind were covered in an orange fall out including cats & dogs that were dyed orange for weeks on end .

gtb · 14 June 2013, 10:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by m chappelow

Remember some of our neighbours who
thought it would be ok to set off a couple of orange smoke float flares on his fairly large garden pond one misty evening ,
All went well until the next morning when he discovered his pond covered in a tarry orange mess & everyone else's lawns & gardens down wind were covered in an orange fall out including cats & dogs that were dyed orange for weeks on end .

but he did look cute though...

Dhf · 14 June 2013, 11:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

Don't even joke about it. You're more than likely going to get hurt doing something like that.

HUGE +1
There's a very good chance a rocket could ricochet and well.......imagine

PeterM · 14 June 2013, 11:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtb

but he did look cute though...

Good picture of whisper...

Festinghouse · 14 June 2013, 12:38

personally when ive bought new flares ive kept the old ones on board too as extras - try those first if needed.

Wightdiver · 14 June 2013, 12:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by woz72

Hi....iv been given a container with various flares...they are dated best use by 2009.....what's the score here?? Will it be ok to take them in the boat? They are dry with no water ingress...

Keep them on the boat but make sure you have the correct number of in date ones as well. Lets hope that none of ever need to use them but if it hits the fan and only one of the out of date ones work it could make all the difference.

Andy

AJ. · 14 June 2013, 12:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterM

Good picture of whisper...

Lol I hav got some Orange flares maybe we should give him a top up

steco1958 · 14 June 2013, 12:44

they "MAY" be ok, but are you willing to risk your life on them working ??

Its your call !!

gtb · 14 June 2013, 20:50

There's no guarantee that the failure mode for an expired or damaged flare is that it simply does nothing. A hand flare may fall apart as it burns, dropping burning chemicals onto you and your boat; or a rocket flare propellant may explode rather than undergo a controlled burn.

It is not recommended to keep or use expired flares. They should be turned in at a disposal site.

kerny · 14 June 2013, 21:03

Maybe we should start up the laser flare debate again. They look like the way forward to me

woz72 · 14 June 2013, 21:25

There well out of date so ill leave them alone I guess...with all the kit I'll be shocked if my sib will pull up onto the plane

john noon · 14 June 2013, 23:10

Out of date flares can either fail or work in a far more energetic state than you would be comfortable with.

This is a result of the active ingredients either separating or any liquid component gathering in the lowest point, talking in general terms here.

One thing to do with any flare type object is to rotate on a monthly basis so no settling can occur, might be semi annually for flares not 100% sure as it has been 20 years since I had to remember this kind of junk

John

ShinyShoe · 15 June 2013, 06:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Festinghouse

personally when ive bought new flares ive kept the old ones on board too as extras - try those first if needed.

If things have got bad enough that I need a flare rather than VHF I'm popping off my in-date ones first. If I'm still alive and still desperate I might pop to out of dates off.

There will be some form of cushion in the date setting... they clearly wont switch off the day they expire. But 4 years is more than twice the original life of most...

Wibs · 15 June 2013, 07:19

I've got a Muller Corner that's 3 days out of date in the fridge.....wouldn't touch that with a barge pole....

...let alone something that's years out of date and I may need to rely on saving my life one day..?

That reminds me, must get the wife to throw that out soon..