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Typically, someone who requires a fire extinguisher will buy an ABC fire extinguisher without providing much thought to the actual fire threats they have to protect against. When purchasing fire extinguishers, you need to understand a number of things about extinguishers in order to make a notified choice, specifically, the fire class you have to secure versus and unique conditions you need to think about (computer electronic devices, for example).

Classes of fire extinguishers

When it pertains to fire extinguishers, there are 5 classes of fires: A, B, C, D, and K.

Class A - Fire extinguishers ranked for Class A fires have a green triangle with an "A" in the center as well as a pictogram of a trash bin and wood burning. These extinguishers are utilized to put out fires for typical combustibles like paper, fabric, rubber, and some plastics (materials that leave ash when scorched, for this reason, the "A";).

Class B - Fire extinguishers rated for Class B fires have a red square with a "B" in the center as well as a pictogram of a gas can with a burning puddle. These extinguishers are used to snuff out fires for flammable liquids like gasoline, lubricating oil, diesel fuel, and lots of natural solvents found in laboratories (things found in barrels, for this reason "B";).

Class C - Fire extinguishers rated for Class C fires have a blue circle with a "C" in the center along with a pictogram of an electrical plug with a burning outlet. These extinguishers are used to extinguish electrical fires for stimulated electrical devices, electrical motors, circuit panels, tools, and switches (" C" for current-electrical).

Class D - Fire extinguishers rated for Class D fires have a yellow pentagram (star) with a "D" in the center as well as a pictogram of a burning gear and bearing. These extinguishers are used to extinguish fires from metals and metal alloys like magnesium, salt, and titanium.

Class K - Class K fire extinguishers are utilized particularly for cooking fires from grease, fat, and cooking oil (" K" for cooking area).

You can get fire extinguishers with a single class rating or multiple fire class scores (ABC or BC, for instance).

Fire extinguishing products

Fire extinguishers use different materials for extinguishing fires. When selecting your extinguisher, you have to determine exactly what kind of fire you might be fighting and then select the best extinguishing material for your application.

Water: Water, or APW, extinguishers use pressurized water to extinguish fires. APW extinguishers can only be utilized for Class A fires (combustibles such as paper, fabric, etc.); they can not be utilized for putting out other classes of fires.

Dry chemical: Dry chemicals are utilized to extinguish A-, B-, C-, or D-type fires. They work by putting a great layer of chemical dust on the product that is burning. Dry chemical extinguishers are very reliable at putting out fires. Dry chemical extinguishers can be corrosive and abrasive to electronic devices and certain other materials.

Carbon dioxide: Co2 works by getting rid of oxygen from the instant vicinity of the fire. Co2 extinguishers are only ever used for B (combustible liquid) and C (electrical fires) extinguishers. For computer system, clinical and medical devices, and airplane electronic devices, carbon dioxide would be a better choice than dry chemical extinguishers since a carbon dioxide extinguisher leaves no residue.

Metal/sand: Some class D fire extinguishers utilize metal or sand, such as sodium chloride (NaCl) or powdered copper metal, to smother fires from metals and metal alloys.

Special applications

Some fire hazards need specific extinguishers. Here are a couple of examples of those applications.

Metal or sand extinguishers are used to put out class D (metal and metal alloy) fires:

Salt (sodium chloride-- NaCl) is the most commonly utilized product in metal/sand extinguishers. NaCl extinguishers work well with fires including magnesium, sodium, potassium, alloys of potassium and sodium, uranium, and powdered aluminum.

Sodium carbonate extinguishers are likewise used on fires involving salt, potassium, and alloys of potassium and salt. Where stress deterioration of stainless steel is a factor to consider, this type of fire extinguisher would be a better option than an NaCl extinguisher.

Powdered copper (Cu) metal is utilized for fires involving lithium and lithium alloys.

Graphite powder extinguishers are used on lithium fires in addition to fires that involve high-melting-point metals like titanium and zirconium.

Sodium-bicarbonate-based extinguishers are utilized on fires involving metal alkyls and pyrophoric liquids.

Halotron I is a tidy representative replacement for Halon 1211, which was banned from usage due to its ozone diminishing homes. Halotron I extinguishers are used for extinguishing fires in computer system rooms, clean rooms, and where telecommunications equipment or electronics are present.

FE-36 (CleanGuard) extinguishers are another tidy agent replacement for Halon 1211. FE-36 extinguishers are less poisonous than Halon fire hose reels nz 1211 and Halotron I and reportedly have no ozone-depleting potential. FE-36 is also utilized for fires in computer rooms, tidy spaces, and where telecommunications equipment or electronics exist. Unlike Halotron I, FE-36 is not planned for phase-out.

Nonmagnetic fire extinguishers: Wherever strong magnets remain in usage, for instance, near magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers (NMRSs), nonmagnetic fire extinguishers must be chosen. The strong electromagnetic fields created by this kind of devices can cause steel cylinder fire extinguishers to fly throughout a room with fatal force.

It is necessary to make sure that you have the proper fire extinguishers for your environment or possible fire threats. It can be the difference in between whether your fire is eliminated or triggers a catastrophy.

Dry chemical: Dry chemicals are used to snuff out A-, B-, C-, or D-type fires. Dry chemical extinguishers are extremely effective at putting out fires. Carbon dioxide extinguishers are just ever used for B (combustible liquid) and C (electrical fires) extinguishers. Halotron I extinguishers are used for snuffing out fires in computer system spaces, clean rooms, and where telecom equipment or electronic devices are present. FE-36 is also used for fires in computer system spaces, tidy spaces, and where telecom devices or electronics are present.