So a careful balance has to be struck between the generally quite cheap but powerful powder extinguishers and the cleaner, but less powerful and sometimes more expensive foam / water (with additive) extinguishers.įor a household, be careful not to buy just BC rated powder fire extinguishers, as they generally are not suitable for burning solids. The clean up after applying a powder extinguisher is also very difficult and the powder causes damage to soft furnishing, carpets and computer drives etc. In fact the British Standard does not allow powder extinguishers in offices and living accommodations any longer. Powder extinguishers should therefore not be used in small, confined spaces where there is a risk of inhaling the powder. Care must be taken when using powder extinguishers that you do not inhale the powder. This can result in the fire re-igniting, if it is not properly extinguished. ABC powder extinguishers have a very good fire fighting capacity, but the powder does not soak into materials and does not have a good cooling effect on the fire. Powder Fire Extinguishers, such as ABC powder extinguishers or dry powder extinguishers, are suitable for fighting class A,B and C fires. CO2 extinguishers are NOT suitable for deep fat fryers, as the strong jet from the extinguisher carries the burning fat out of the fryer and into the room! Always select CO2 extinguishers with frost-free horns. Please be aware that CO2 extinguishers that are not fitted with double-lined swivel horns may cause your fingers to freeze to the horn during the deployment of the extinguisher. It is important to remember that when using CO2 extinguishers there is a possibility that once the smothering CO2 gas has floated away the fire may re-ignite if the source of the fire is not removed (eg switching off the power supply) or if the materials are still very hot. This type of extinguisher is suitable for use on fires involving burning liquids (Class B fires), but is also a good solution for quenching fires involving computer equipment and other electrical appliances, as it does not cause damage to the electrical items and does not cause the system to short circuit. The electrical equipment will of course be damaged by the liquid.ĬO2 (Carbon Dioxide) Fire Extinguishers contain only pressurised CO2 gas and therefore leave no residue. Foam extinguishers are safe for use with electrical equipment if they had a successful dielectric test and are used at a safety distance of 1 meter. As the foam creates a foam carpet on burning liquids like petrol, foam extinguishers are also suitable for flammable liquids and areas where man-made fibres in soft furnishings and carpets might liquidise under the influence of heat. The foam also penetrates porous materials and cools the fire through evaporation of the water content in the foam. As they are mostly free of harmful substances, water fire extinguishers are especially suitable in households where children have access to the extinguishers and an accidental discharge is possible.įoam Fire Extinguishers, also called AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foam) create a smothering film of foam over the fire, which starves the fire of oxygen. To make sure that they are safe make sure that they have been dielectrically tested. Many water extinguishers with additive are also safe for accidental use on electricity. Water extinguishers with additives have a higher firefighting rating which, therefore, allows the use of smaller and lighter extinguishers. However, both the weight and the conductivity problems can be overcome by using water extinguishers with environmentally friendly additives. Care must therefore be taken with regards to accidental use on exposed power cables. It is also important to remember that water is an electrolyte and conducts electricity. Due to this, water fire extinguishers are usually large and heavy to overcome their lack in firefighting power. This type of extinguisher does not contain harmful chemicals but has a low firefighting rating. Water Fire Extinguishers are good for tackling fires involving burning paper, wood and soft furnishing (Class A fires), as the water soaks into the materials and cools them, while extinguishing the fire. Five main types of extinguisher for home use are:Īlso, with the emergence of smaller wet chemical fire extinguishers, households are starting to use these for deep fat fryer fires etc, although wet chemical fire extinguishers were originally used only in a professional kitchen environment. So before buying a fire extinguisher, it is vital to look carefully at what type of fire it has to be used on. No single type of extinguisher is totally effective on every kind of fire.
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