Products Index
Why do I need a fire extinguisher?
Principles of Fire
Methods of Extinguishing Fires
These are the cheapest of the portable fire extinguishers and are for use on Class A, solids such as wood, paper, leaves, sugar, straw, plastic, etc. Also available are the water spray and water with additive extinguishers, these both have the advantage of being smaller and electrically non-conductive over the standard 9Ltr water jet extinguisher.
Fire extinguishers within commercial buildings, churches, stadiums, etc are required by law and in most circumstances, your insurance
will stipulate that they are both installed and maintain within your building. Further to this, they are installed to give the
occupier a chance to extinguish or control small fires, remember most fires start small and can be extinguished with a portable fire
extinguisher.
Fire extinguishers come in various types, sizes, and versions, it is important that the correct extinguisher are installed
to cover the risks present. The extinguisher types are
Foam extinguishers are for use on the same Class A solids as water extinguishers, but can also be used on Class B flammable liquids
such as petrol, diesel, paraffin, white spirit, paint and includes liquefiable solids such as wax, grease, margarine,
and shoe polish. Also available are the foam spray extinguishers, these both have the advantages of being smaller, lighter
and electrically non-conductive over the standard 9Ltr branch pipe type extinguisher. Foam is not recommended for cooking fat/oil
fires.
ABC Dry Powder extinguishers are for use on the same Class A, Class B fires as defines above but can also be used on gas fires such
as propane, butane, acetylene, hydrogen, ammonia, methane, and ethylene. It is a versatile extinguisher but is not ideal in
confined spaces or in buildings as it reduces visibility and can cause damage from its messy extinguishing agent. There
are special powder extinguishers on the market to cover class D, metal fires. These include magnesium, aluminium, titanium, sodium,
lithium, caesium, manganese, cobalt, cadmium and potassium.
The Wet Chemical or Class F fire extinguisher is the only extinguishers designed for fires involving cooking fats and oils. The extinguisher
has a low velocity applicator come lance, this means the operator is kept away from the fire and the risk of splashing the oil about
when applying the foam solution is reduced. These extinguishers are electrically non-conductive and have been designed
with chip shops, restaurants, and fast-food outlets in mind.
Co2 extinguisher provides suburb fire fighting properties when dealing with fires involving electricity. As the extinguishing
agent is a gas it can cases and cabinets containing electrical items very quickly and easily. Ideal for fires within photocopiers,
computers, electrical switchgear, and computer screens. It is a very clean extinguishing agent. Co2 can be used on flammable
liquid, Class B fires. Extreme caution must be taken not to put the discharge horn too close to the burning liquid, they also
have no post fire security and the liquid could burst back into flames.
Starving is not always practice but can be the preferred method.
Cooling and smothering are methods that are most widely used.
Some
fire extinguishers such as Dry Powder interrupt the chain reactions of combustion of Class B and C Fires and extinguish Class
A fires by chemical and physical reactions of the various ingredients of the Dry Powder extinguishing media.