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The number on a fire extinguisher indicates the relative size of that extinguisher compared to others.

What the number means somewhat depends upon the type of fire extinguisher. The following information is specific to the USA:

Type A extinguishers are used mainly for paper and wood fires.

Number 1 indicates that the extinguisher has the fire-fighting ability of 1.25 gallons (4.7 liters) of water

Number 2 extinguisher has the fire-fighting ability of twice as much water,

number 3 has the fire-fighting ability of three times as much water, etc.

For Type B or Type B:C extinguishers, the number indicates the number of square feet of burning material that the typical user should be able to put out with the extinguisher.

Type B extinguishers are designed to put out burning liquids and gases, but not where there is electrical equipment

Type B:C extinguishers are for putting out electrical fires as well as burning liquids and gases. For example, a typical modern dry-chemical extinguisher might be rated 3-A:40-B:C. This means that on burning paper or wood, it will be as effective as 3.75 gallons (14 liters) of water. It can be used to extinguish burning liquids and gases even where there is electrical equipment present, as long as the burning area doesn't exceed 40 square feet, roughly 6 feet (2 meters) long and wide.

The bigger the number, the bigger the fire you can put out. If an entire room (or more) is burning, it's time to forget about the fire extinguishers and escape; you need professional firefighters!
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7y ago
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9y ago

What the number means depends upon the type of fire extinguisher. The following information is specific to the USA:

Type A extinguishers are used mainly for paper and wood fires.

Number 1 indicates that the extinguisher has the fire-fighting ability of 1.25 gallons (4.7 liters) of water

Number 2 extinguisher has the fire-fighting ability of twice as much water,

number 3 has the fire-fighting ability of three times as much water, etc.

For Type B or Type B:C extinguishers, the number indicates the number of square feet of burning material that the typical user should be able to put out with the extinguisher.

Type B extinguishers are designed to put out burning liquids and gases, but not where there is electrical equipment

Type B:C extinguishers are for putting out electrical fires as well as burning liquids and gases. For example, a typical modern dry-chemical extinguisher might be rated 3-A:40-B:C. This means that on burning paper or wood, it will be as effective as 3.75 gallons (14 liters) of water. It can be used to extinguish burning liquids and gases even where there is electrical equipment present, as long as the burning area doesn't exceed 40 square feet, roughly 6 feet (2 meters) long and wide.

The bigger the number, the bigger the fire you can put out. If an entire room (or more) is burning, it's time to forget about the fire extinguishers and escape; you need professional firefighters!

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11y ago

LETTER- type of fire it will extinguish

NUMBER- capacity. Higher the number, the bigger the fire it can extinguish.

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Q: What does the number on a fire extinguisher indicate since all extinguishers have a number and letter?
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What dos the number indicate on a fire extinguisher?

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What does the letter B on a B fire extinguisher indicate?

the type of fire it is designed to extinguish <><><> Extinguishers can be class A,B,C,D or K- as said- the type of fire it will extinguish. A type B fire involves burning liquids, such as gasoline, paint, etc.


What does B1 on a fire extinguisher indicate?

Class B fire extinguishers are for fires of flammable liquids (grease, gasoline, oil, propane, paints). The numerical rating of "1" signifies the the number of square feet of the flammable fire that a non-expert could expect to put out.So, a B1 extinguisher will help put a flammable material fire on only one (1) square foot before it runs dry.


What does the letter and number mean on the fire extinguisher?

LETTER- type of fire it will extinguish NUMBER- capacity. Higher the number, the bigger the fire it can extinguish.


What does the letter B on a B-1 fire extinguisher indicate?

The B determines the type of fire that can be extinguished, and in this case it would be flammable liquids such as gasoline, grease, oil, diesel fuel, and kerosene. The number indicates the approximate number of square feet the unit can extinguish, so a B-1 would be a relatively small extinguisher.


What does the b on a fire extinguisher indicate?

The B determines the type of fire that can be extinguished, and in this case it would be flammable liquids such as gasoline, grease, oil, diesel fuel, and kerosene. The number indicates the approximate number of square feet the unit can extinguish, so a B-1 would be a relatively small extinguisher.


What does the letter b indicate on a extinguish?

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What is the letter u in roman numerals?

roman numerals indicate a number not a letter as such there is no answer to that question


What type of fire extinguisher is the most commonly found on campus?

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What is frequency of carbon dioxide extinguisher refilling?

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How many fire extinguishers are required in a Log Trucking Shop?

Such a shop probably has flammable or combustible liquids and gases, meaning a Class B (ABC or BC) extinguisher is needed.The size and number varies according to the hazard level, but there should be one extinguisher within 30 feet of any point in the shop.NFPA 1 has tables for calculating the size required for each hazard level.


What does the b indicate on a b1 fire extinguisher?

The B determines the type of fire that can be extinguished, and in this case it would be flammable liquids such as gasoline, grease, oil, diesel fuel, and kerosene. The number indicates the approximate number of square feet the unit can extinguish, so a B-1 would be a relatively small extinguisher.