Selecting the Right Fire Extinguishers
Frequently, somebody who needs a fire extinguisher may purchase an ABC fire extinguisher without giving much consideration to the true fire hazards they need to protect against. While buying fire extinguishers, you have to know several things about extinguishers so as to make an educated decision, specifically, the fire class you want to safeguard against and special conditions you need to contemplate (computer electronics, by way of example).
Classes of fire extinguishers
If it comes to fire extinguishers, there are five types of fires: A, B, C, D, and K.
Class A — Fire extinguishers rated for Class A fires possess a green triangle with an”A” at the center in addition to a pictogram of a garbage can and wood burning. These extinguishers are utilized to put fires out for frequent combustibles like paper, fabric, rubber, and some plastics (substances that leave ashes when burnt, hence, the”A”).
Class B — Fire extinguishers rated for Class B fires have a red square with a”B” at the center in addition to a pictogram of a gas can with a burning puddle. These extinguishers are utilized to extinguish fires for flammable fluids such as gasoline, lubricating oil, gas, and many organic solvents found in laboratories (things found in barrels, and therefore”B”).
Class C — Fire extinguishers rated for Class C fires have a blue circle with a”C” at the center in addition to a pictogram of an electric plug in with a burning outlet. These extinguishers are used to extinguish electrical fires for energized electrical equipment, electrical motors, circuit panels, switches, and tools (“C” for current-electrical).
Class D — Fire extinguishers rated for Class D fires have a yellow pentagram (star) using a”D” in the center as well as a pictogram of a burning equipment and bearing. These extinguishers are used to extinguish flames from metals and metal alloys like magnesium, titanium, and magnesium.
Class K — Class K fire extinguishers are used specifically for cooking fires from grease, fat, and cooking oil (“K” for kitchen).
You can get fire extinguishers with just one class score or multiple fire class ratings (ABC or BC, by way of instance ).
Fire extinguishing materials
Fire extinguishers utilize various substances for extinguishing fires. When choosing your extinguisher, you have to ascertain which type of fire you might be fighting and then choose the best extinguishing material for the own application.
Water: Water, or APW, extinguishers use pressurized water to extinguish fires. APW extinguishers can only be used for Class A fires (combustibles such as paper, cloth, etc.); they cannot be used for placing out other classes of fires.
Dry chemical: Dry chemicals are used to extinguish A-, B-, C-, or even D-type fires. They work by putting a nice layer of chemical dust on the substance that’s burning. Dry chemical extinguishers are extremely effective at putting out fires. However, dry chemical extinguishers may be abrasive and resistant to electronics and certain other substances.
Carbon dioxide: Carbon dioxide works by removing oxygen in the immediate vicinity of the flame. Carbon dioxide extinguishers are only used for B (flammable liquid) and C (electric fires) extinguishers. For computer, scientific and medical equipment, and aircraft electronics, carbon dioxide are a better option than dry chemical extinguishers because a carbon dioxide extinguisher leaves no residue.
Metal/sand: Some type D fire extinguishers use metal or sand, for example sodium chloride (NaCl) or powdered copper metal, to smother fires from metals and metal alloys.
Special applications
Some fire dangers need technical extinguishers. Here are a couple examples of these programs.
Metal or sand extinguishers are Utilized to put out course D (metal and metal alloy) fires:
Salt (sodium chloride — NaCl) is the most commonly used material in metal/sand extinguishers. NaCl extinguishers work well with fires between magnesium, magnesium, potassium, alloys of potassium and sodium, uranium, and powdered aluminum.
Sodium carbonate extinguishers can also be used on fires involving potassium, sodium, and metals of potassium and sodium. Where stress corrosion of stainless steel is a consideration, this type of fire extinguisher are a much better choice than an NaCl extinguisher.
Powdered copper (Cu) metal is used for fires involving lithium and lithium alloys.
Graphite powder extinguishers are used on lithium fires as well as fires that involve high-melting-point metals like titanium and zirconium.
Sodium-bicarbonate-based extinguishers are used on fires involving metal alkyls and pyrophoric liquids.
Halotron I is a clean agent replacement for Halon 1211, that was banned from use due to its ozone depleting properties. Halotron I extinguishers are used for extinguishing fires in computer rooms, clean rooms, and in which telecommunications equipment or electronics are found. Halotron leaves no residue and can be nonconducting but is significantly more expensive than carbon dioxide. It must be mentioned that Halotron I will no longer be produced after 2015.
FE-36 (CleanGuard) extinguishers are another clean agent replacement for Halon 1211. FE-36 extinguishers are somewhat less poisonous than Halon 1211 and Halotron I and allegedly have no ozone-depleting potential. FE-36 is also used for fires in computer rooms, clean rooms, and where telecommunications equipment or electronics are present. Unlike Halotron I, FE-36 isn’t intended for phase-out.
Nonmagnetic fire extinguishers: Wherever strong magnets are in use, by way of instance, close magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers (NMRSs), nonmagnetic fire extinguishers must be selected. The powerful magnetic fields created by this kind of equipment can cause steel cylinder fire extinguishers to fly round a room with deadly force.
It’s important to ensure you have the right fire extinguishers to your environment or potential fire risks. It may be the difference between if your fire is eliminated or causes a catastrophy.
