Often, somebody who needs a fire extinguisher will purchase an ABC fire extinguisher without offering much idea

to the real fire threats they need to safeguard against. When purchasing fire extinguishers, you have to
understand several things about extinguishers in order to make an informed choice, particularly, the fire class you
have to secure against and unique conditions you have to think about (computer electronics, for instance).

Classes of fire extinguishers

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

Class A - Fire extinguishers rated for Class A fires have a green triangle with an "A" in the center in addition to a
pictogram of a garbage can and wood burning. These extinguishers are utilized to put out fires for common
combustibles like paper, fabric, rubber, and some plastics (materials that leave ash when burnt, thus, the "A").

Class B - Fire extinguishers rated for Class B fires have a red square with a "B" in the center along with a pictogram
of a gasoline can with a burning puddle. These extinguishers are utilized to snuff out fires for flammable liquids
like gasoline, lubing oil, diesel fuel, and numerous organic solvents discovered in laboratories (things found in
barrels, hence "B").

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

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

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 example).

Fire extinguishing products

Fire extinguishers use various products for snuffing out fires. When selecting your extinguisher, you need to
identify what kind of fire you may be fighting and after that pick the very best extinguishing product for your
application.

Water: Water, or APW, extinguishers use pressurized water to snuff out fires. APW extinguishers can just be used
for Class A fires (combustibles such as paper, cloth, and so on); they can not be utilized for putting out other
classes of fires.
Dry chemical: Dry chemicals are utilized to snuff out A-, B-, C-, or D-type fires. They work by putting a great layer
of chemical dust on the material that is burning. Dry chemical extinguishers are extremely efficient at putting out
fires. Dry chemical extinguishers can be abrasive and corrosive to electronics and specific other products.

Co2: Carbon dioxide works by removing oxygen from the instant vicinity of the fire. Carbon dioxide extinguishers
are just ever used for B (combustible liquid) and C (electrical fires) extinguishers. For computer, medical and
scientific equipment, and airplane electronics, co2 would be a much better option 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 dangers require specialized 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 salt, uranium,
and powdered aluminum.

Sodium carbonate extinguishers are also used on fires involving sodium, potassium, and alloys of potassium and
sodium. Where stress deterioration of stainless-steel is a consideration, this type of fire extinguisher would be a
better option than an NaCl extinguisher.

Powdered copper (Cu) metal is used for fires including lithium and lithium alloys.

Graphite powder extinguishers are utilized 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 including metal alkyls and pyrophoric liquids.

Halotron I is a tidy agent replacement for Halon 1211, which was prohibited from use due to its ozone diminishing
properties. Halotron I extinguishers are utilized for extinguishing fires in computer rooms, clean rooms, and where
telecommunications devices or fire hose reels nz electronic devices are present. Halotron leaves no residue and is
nonconducting however is more pricey than carbon dioxide. It needs to be kept in mind that Halotron I will not be
produced after 2015.

FE-36 extinguishers are less harmful than Halon 1211 and Halotron I and reportedly have no ozone-depleting
capacity. FE-36 is also used for fires in computer rooms, tidy rooms, and where telecom equipment or electronics
are present.
Nonmagnetic fire extinguishers: Wherever strong magnets are in use, for instance, near magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) or nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers (NMRSs), nonmagnetic fire extinguishers must be
picked. The strong electromagnetic fields produced by this kind of devices can cause steel cylinder fire
extinguishers to fly across a room with fatal force.

It is necessary to make sure that you have the appropriate fire extinguishers for your environment or possible fire
dangers. It can be the difference between whether your fire is gotten rid of or triggers a catastrophy.

Dry chemical: Dry chemicals are used to snuff out A-, B-, C-, or D-type fires. Dry chemical extinguishers are really
reliable at putting out fires. Carbon dioxide extinguishers are just ever utilized for B (flammable liquid) and C
(electrical fires) extinguishers. Halotron I extinguishers are used for extinguishing fires in computer system rooms,
clean spaces, and where telecom devices or electronic devices are present. FE-36 is likewise utilized for fires in
computer rooms, tidy spaces, and where telecommunications equipment or electronic devices are present.