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When shopping for fire extinguishers, you may find that there are many available today. Choosing the right extinguisher can sometimes be overwhelming. There should be at least one extinguisher in every home. In addition, you should have the right kind of extinguisher in your home. Yow will need at least one extinguisher in the kitchen as well as one in the garage and the workshop.
You will find the fire extinguishers are labeled with both a number and letter. The letter designates what kind of fire the extinguisher works on and the number indicates the size of fire the extinguisher can control. The larger numbers mean that the extinguisher can put out a larger fire.
A class A extinguisher is for ordinary materials that include paper, cardboard, wood. In addition, these extinguishers work with most plastic. The number rating on this device is an indication of the water held as well as the amount of fire that can be extinguished.
The class B fire involves flammable liquids. These fires can be fueled by gasoline, kerosene or other flammable liquids. The number rating of a Class B extinguisher indicates the number of square feet it can extinguish.
A class C fire extinguisher is for an electrical fire. It can be used to extinguish appliance, circuit breaker, wiring or outlet fires. You must never try to put these fires out with water, as there is a great hazard for electrical shock.
Class D extinguishers are specialty devices that are normally only found in chemical laboratories. They are to put out fires of burning metals. These extinguishers are not designed for use on any other class fire.
Some extinguishers are rated as class ABC. These multipurpose extinguishers are best for the home.
If you have a water extinguisher, also called an APW extinguisher, it is only suitable for a class A fire. It should not be used on a grease fire, an electrical fire or a class D fire. These extinguishers are filled with water and pressurized using normal air. They are silver and usually found in the hallways of older buildings. It is dangerous to use this extinguisher on the wrong type of fire.
The dry chemical extinguishers have powder or foam that is effective at stopping a fire, however the residue that is left must be cleaned immediately since it is very corrosive. In situations involving fire, however, it is better to stop the fire and have to do some clean up work than let the fire go uncontrolled.
Carbon dioxide extinguishers do not leave the sticky residue or corrosive material, but that residue is effective at keeping the fire from reigniting in paper or wood. CO2 extinguishers do not work well on class A fires. They simply do not displace enough oxygen to prevent re-ignition.
While there are many types of fire extinguishers, these are the most common. Be sure that you choose the correct fire extinguishers for your home. In addition, be sure that you know how to use the extinguisher and spend the time to train family members in the correct use before a fire extinguisher is needed. Correct use may save your home and all its contents.
You will find the fire extinguishers are labeled with both a number and letter. The letter designates what kind of fire the extinguisher works on and the number indicates the size of fire the extinguisher can control. The larger numbers mean that the extinguisher can put out a larger fire.
A class A extinguisher is for ordinary materials that include paper, cardboard, wood. In addition, these extinguishers work with most plastic. The number rating on this device is an indication of the water held as well as the amount of fire that can be extinguished.
The class B fire involves flammable liquids. These fires can be fueled by gasoline, kerosene or other flammable liquids. The number rating of a Class B extinguisher indicates the number of square feet it can extinguish.
A class C fire extinguisher is for an electrical fire. It can be used to extinguish appliance, circuit breaker, wiring or outlet fires. You must never try to put these fires out with water, as there is a great hazard for electrical shock.
Class D extinguishers are specialty devices that are normally only found in chemical laboratories. They are to put out fires of burning metals. These extinguishers are not designed for use on any other class fire.
Some extinguishers are rated as class ABC. These multipurpose extinguishers are best for the home.
If you have a water extinguisher, also called an APW extinguisher, it is only suitable for a class A fire. It should not be used on a grease fire, an electrical fire or a class D fire. These extinguishers are filled with water and pressurized using normal air. They are silver and usually found in the hallways of older buildings. It is dangerous to use this extinguisher on the wrong type of fire.
The dry chemical extinguishers have powder or foam that is effective at stopping a fire, however the residue that is left must be cleaned immediately since it is very corrosive. In situations involving fire, however, it is better to stop the fire and have to do some clean up work than let the fire go uncontrolled.
Carbon dioxide extinguishers do not leave the sticky residue or corrosive material, but that residue is effective at keeping the fire from reigniting in paper or wood. CO2 extinguishers do not work well on class A fires. They simply do not displace enough oxygen to prevent re-ignition.
While there are many types of fire extinguishers, these are the most common. Be sure that you choose the correct fire extinguishers for your home. In addition, be sure that you know how to use the extinguisher and spend the time to train family members in the correct use before a fire extinguisher is needed. Correct use may save your home and all its contents.
About the Author:
There are many different types of fire extinguishers available on the market today. Picking the correct fire extinguisher can be a rather complicated task.
1 comment:
Hi Jake, in the uk most businesses choose to use a pair of extinguishers - a water based and a CO2. I just wanted to mention with the CO2 fire extinguisher people have to be careful when discharging it as holding the horn can cause frost burns - unless the extinguisher is fitted with a frost free horn, and to be aware when using it on delicate electrical they may get frost shock - although to be honest a fire would be more severe anyway lol.
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