A Guide To Different Types Of Fire Extinguishers

By Author: Nationwide Fire Extinguishers
Total Articles: 6
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Fire is something that can catch us unawares anywhere and lead to a great destruction of both lives and property. To ensure that the damage caused by it is minimal, the most important rescue tool that we need handy is the fire extinguisher. Now since fire can be caused by various reasons like gas, petrol, inflammable material, heat, chemicals, etc, one method of fire extinguisher would not do the job. Hence one has to opt for the fire extinguisher that would be most appropriate for him in the given environment. To help you better grasp the subject and make an educated choice, we present below the various types of fire extinguishers below –

Water fire extinguishers

This works best for fires arising out of organic solid materials like wood, paper, plastic, cloth, etc. It is not fit to be used on burning fat or oil or fire arising out of electrical appliances. It works on the principle that water has a terrific collect effect on fuel surfaces like and reduces the pyrolysis rate of the fuel.

Water spray extinguishers

It is also terrific for all scenarios where the previous extinguisher type works. ...
... They just improve upon the fire fighting capability of the water fire extinguishers. Here, a spray nozzle is used instead of the jet nozzle used in water extinguishers. This creates a higher pressure and a fine spray which considerably increases the surface area in which it gets spread and thus it controls and extinguishes the fire much better and faster. These also have some surfactants added to them which help the water to penetrate inside the material which is burning and thus help in dousing it more effectively.

Water mist extinguisher

It is a broad spectrum extinguisher which can easily tackle A, B, and C rated risks. It can also tackle fire arising out of deep fat fryers (Class-F) as well as electric fires of up to 1000Volt at a safety distance of 1 m. The reason for its varied use is that it forms a mist of de-ionised water which does not conduct electricity nor form puddles which are prone to carry electricity. Here, through its supersonic nozzle, the water is turned into microscopic particles which form a mist and cools the fire by suffocating it. It also forms a safety barrier between the user and fire and blocks the heat from reaching the user.

Powder extinguisher

It is best for fires involving organic solids and liquids like petrol, paint, grease, fats, oils, etc. and even gas fires. However, it is not suitable for fat pan fires. While it is safe on live electrical equipment, it does not penetrate its space easily, which heightens the possibility of the fire re-igniting. They do not cool the fire very well and thus need precaution and checking to see that fire does not re-start. They also pose danger of inhalation if used within buildings. These are used at the base of the flames with a rapid sweeping motion till all flames get doused. It should be re-used if flames are seen again. Its powder act as thermal ballast and cools the flames enough to stop the chemical reactions. Few powders also provide a minor chemical inhibition. While they provide rapid knockdown of the flame fronts, powder extinguisher are not always successful in suppressing the fire.

Dry Powder Extinguisher (Special Powders)

The previous one’s improved version is those carrying special powders based on graphite, copper and sodium chloride. These have a completely different methodology of working and require training for proper use. These are terrific to douse fires arising out of combustible metals like aluminium, sodium, magnesium, lithium, etc.
Apart from the above mentioned, there are various other types of fire extinguishers like the foam extinguisher, carbon dioxide extinguisher, wet chemical, fire blanket, hose reel, fire buckets, etc. Based on one’s requirement, the correct one must be selected to contain the fire from becoming a major catastrophe.