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Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers are used in homes, schools, businesses and boats as a way to put out a small fire. Fire extinguishers come in many types for different purposes, including portable or fixed systems. This category relates to the science, origins, operation, selection and standards for fire extinguishers.
1,462 Questions
How do soda-acid fire extinguishers work?
The body of the extinguisher contains sodium bicarbonate dissolved in water. In the top, there is a bottle of acid. When someone turns the extinguisher upside down, the sodium bicarbonate and acid reacts to release carbon dioxide under pressure. The water/acid solution is then forced out of the extinguisher under pressure.
Why are some types of fire extinguishers cannot distinguish a magnesium fire?
A magnisium fire burns at a significantly higher temperature than a typical fire with other combustable materials. If a water extinguisher were to be used on a metal fire, the heat of the fire will cause the water to break down into its chemical constituants Hydrogen, and Oxygen (H2O), and instead of removing heat from the fire it will actually cause the fire to intensify due to the addition of fuel Hydrogen (H2) and an oxidizer Oxygen (O).
Other extinguishers can extinguish the fire, but again due to the extreme heat it will take significantly more agent to extinguish this type of fire than would be needed for a standard combustables fire. An extinguishing agent which is designed for use on a metal fire can withstand the extreme heat and will extinguish the fire by blanketing the burning metal and smothering the fire by depriving it of oxygen. Dry Sand for example would work well. There are other agents which could be used on this type of fire which extinguish the fire interfering with the fire's chemical reaction rather than smothering it.
What fire extinguisher for flammable liquid?
The best type of fire extinguisher for use on flammable liquid fires is a portable fire extinguisher that can extinguish every single class of fire as defined by EN3 (A-B-E-D-F), NFPA/ANSI/UL (A-B-C-D-K) standards. This class of extinguisher should also be capable of extinguishing, in the flammable liquids class (B), both polar and non-polar fuels (polar: alcohols, ethers and esters; non-pollar: gasoline, etc.). In-depth research will show that in the last 100-years only a new Technology known as FFC (Fire Fighting Catalyst) by FireStopper® has produced the only reliable, independently tested and rated, listed, all fire-class effective fire extinguisher that meets the above requirements and more. As an added bonus, this new water-based "Green" Technology is freeze resistant to -100°F (-73.3°C) without harmful anti-freeze additives usable in the harshest environments of the planet.
Which is a good technique when using a fire extinguisher?
Get the extinguisher and have a good grip on it, pull the pin out of the handle, pull the hose/pipe/tube out if it has one, aim towards the center of the fire. Also, please make sure you are using the proper extinguisher type.
What class extinguisher puts out a paper fire?
It extinguishes a paper fire by cooling...water is a cooling agent...fire is a product of heat...cool the heat=fire goes out.
How often should a powder extinguisher be checked?
Fire extinguishers should be inspected annually - by a suitably qualified person.
How often are fire extinguisher checks performed?
Depending upon what fire code is used and where the extinguisher is located, it should be checked monthly. In fact, a fire inspector can ask to see the records of the monthly tests, which are normally attached on a tag on each extinguisher.
Modern codes are beginning to require automatic electronic monitoring of fire extinguishers.
When using a fire extinguisher to fight a fire always stand feet away from the fire?
Depends upon the type of hazard, type of occupancy and type of extinguisher.
For example:
Class A fire extinguishers may be 75 feet away, depending upon what the hazard is
Class B must be within 50 ft of flammable liquids, and smaller fire extinguishers must be within 30 ft, if allowed at all (e.g., a 5-B when a 10-B is 50 ft away).
Class C extinguishers should be within range according to whether the extinguisher is a Class ABC or BC (i.e., 75 ft or 50 ft) for the surrounding fuels.
Class D extinguishers should be within 75 feet.
Class K must be within 30 feet of the kitchen frying station.
NFPA 1: 13.6.8
What chemicals can be found inside a fire extinguisher?
The content inside fire extinguisher, besides a pick-up tube and a valve, is made up of several commercially recognized and approved suppressant materials such as:
water, water with additives (such as foams like AFFF, FFFP, etc.) Dry Chemicals such as sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) or potassium bicarbonate and other salts in combination, gasses like CO2 and streaming gasses like Halon, FM 200, FE 36, etc.
For specific fire class usage such as class D (metals) and class K (cooking media, i.e., vegetable oils and fats) extinguishers may contain wet chemical compounds of potassium salt for K ratings and Dry Chemical formulations that contain mica and other salts that may suppress or control flammable metals (class D).
What is the travel distance between portable fire extinguishers in a mattress rehab facility?
For Class A hazards, not more than 75 feet from anywhere (i.e., no more than 150 feet apart) or maximum of 11,250 sq ft for a 2-A extinguisher (4-A for high-hazard).
If there are Class B hazards, the rule is either 30 ft or 50 ft, depending upon type of hazard and size of extinguisher (not more than 60 or 100 feet apart).
NFPA 1 National Fire Code (2009) 13.6.8.2.1.1, -3.1.1. Your local fire inspector may modify these criteria to account for other factors.
When was the fire extinguisher made?
The first fire extinguisher was made in 1723 by Ambrose Godfrey.
Is it dangerous to inhale chemicals from a fire extinguisher?
The dry powder in ABC fire extinguishers is non-toxic but can cause skin irritation. You can check the manufacturer's website but this info is from the Kidde user guide for their fire extinguishers and should be accurate. The chemicals used vary by model and manufacturer but if they sprayed toxic chemicals they'd never be licensed for home use. I would try to minimize your exposure using a surgical mask or at least the kind sold for yard work or painting, but unless you have respiratory problems like asthma there shouldn't be much risk if you have no mask. If you're trying to clean up after use, use a vacuum and wet cloth to remove the residue.
How should you aim a fire extinguisher's stream when extinguishing a fire?
The stream should be aimed directly at the base of the fire. This will extinguish the source of the flame. Aiming it at the flame itself will have little impact. Always use the correct type of extinguisher for the fire source
Class A - fires involving solid materials such as wood, paper or textiles.
Class B - fires involving flammable liquids such as petrol, diesel or oils.
Class C - fires involving gases.
Class D - fires involving metals.
Class E - fires involving live electrical apparatus. (Technically 'Class E' doesn't exists however this is used for convenience here)
Class F - fires involving cooking oils such as in deep-fat fryers.
Water Red
Class A Water extinguishers are used on Class A fires. They are not suitable for fires fuelled by flammable liquids or where electricity is involved.
Foam Cream
Class A and B Foam is a versatile fire extinguisher. Used for Class A and B fires.
CO2 Black
Class B and E CO2 fire extinguishers are used for fires involving electrical apparatus. They have no post fire security which means that the fire could reignite.
Dry Powder Blue
Class A, B and C Dry powder extinguishers can be used on Class A, B and C fires. Dry powder is not recommended for use inside because it can obscure vision and damage goods and machinery.
Wet Chemical
Yellow Class F Wet chemical extinguishers are for fires involving cooking fats and oils. They are most suitable for use in restaurants and kitchens.
You need firefighters who are properly trained and equipped, not to mention motivated, to respond to dangerous emergencies including structure fires, forest fires, hazardous material spills, motor vehicle accidents, swift-water rescues, industrial accidents, and just about anything else that puts peoples' lives in jeopardy. As a bonus, many firefighters are also trained in fire prevention, fire inspection and fire investigations, to assist in making everyone safer.
What extinguisher removes heat from a fire?
All of them. Heat and/or oxygen are removed by the water on the surface of the burning fuel. Water also raises the ignition temperature of the fuel, thus breaking the chain reaction when there is no longer enough heat to continue burning the wet fuel.
Consequences of incorrect use of fire extinguishers?
Water extinguishers are designed for class "A" fires which consist of ordinary combustibles such as wood, paper, etc. Class "B" fires are flammable liquid fires involving petroleum products such as gasoline. Applying water on a class "B" fire would possibly splatter and spread the burning petroleum. Class "C" fires involve energized electrical equipment and would pose a shock hazard by applying water. Class "D" fires involve combustible metals such as magnesium, titanium, potassium, etc. and can violently react when water is applied. Class "K" fires involve cooking oils and like class "B" fires, could splatter and spread with the use of a water extinguisher.
How do you put out a fire without an extinguisher?
Fire survives only as long as the chain reaction continues to heat fuel to its ignition point in an oxygen atmosphere.
To stop the fire:
- Remove the heat
- remove the fuel
- remove the oxygen
- disrupt the chemical reaction
All fire extinguishers do one or more of these. You can do the same using ordinary tools or materials.
If the fire is on a cooking stove, remove the heat. The fire may run out of fuel and stop. Or, you can carefully dump a box of baking soda on it, which smothers the fire. Or, you can place a heavy blanket over the fire to smother it in its own smoke.
In the woods, firefighters often use a "fuel separation" to stop wildfires. You can do the same with a campfire: scrape the surrounding area down to bare soil for twice the distance sparks may be thrown from the fire.
Obviously, any amount of water is going to affect a fire by removing the heat and by wetting the fuel, making it harder to ignite (more heat needed). A simple bucket of water or sand was all the "fire extinguisher" anyone had for thousands of years.
Where can you hang fire extinguisher in the house?
Any portable fire extinguisher should be placed where it is visible and accessible. Many commercial kitchens are also required to have a built-in fire extinguisher over the cooking area and inside the exhaust hood, and a portable Type K fire extinguisher within 30 feet.
A portable fire extinguisher should be located near an exit so that a person who chooses to stop and use the extinguisher can do so without becoming trapped by the fire.
Like all portable fire extinguishers, the ones in the kitchen should be mounted with the bottom at least 4 inches above the floor and the top no more than 5 feet (60 inches) from the floor, unless they are over 40 pounds. In that case, they should be on wheels or mounted with the top no more than 3 ft (36 inches) from the floor.
This information is from NFPA 1 Fire Code. Your local requirements may vary.
Why kids should not talk during a fire drill?
A fire drill is one way of preparing the inhabitants of a building or community in case of fire. This will help minimize if not totally prevent damage or loss of life and limb. The instruction of being quiet and attuning the senses to the matter at hand is to train the participants in focusing the next action to take to secure their own safety.
