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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
What are the different types of fire extinguishers for?
There are different fire extinguishers for different types of fires.
Fires are classified according to the material that is burning, often using A, B, C, D, and K classifications. These are fully described elsewhere, but basically refer to
- A - "ordinary combustibles",
- B - "flammable liquids and gases",
- C - "energized electrical",
- D - "combustible metals", and
- K - "cooking oils and fats".
Some fire extinguishers will work on A, B and C, or just one or two of those. Those for D and K are usually selected especially for the particular hazard.
What is the correct substance to use in putting out an electrical fire?
With a dry chemical or CO2 fire extinguisher. Anything not conductive certainly not water.
How do fire extinguishers hold so much carbon dioxide?
Yes, carbon dioxide is found in some types of fire extinguishers. In others, nitrogen gas or compressed air is used. Some expensive types contain other pressurized gases such as Halotron or similar "clean agents" that leave no residue.
The best tool to extinguish a small gasoline or diesel fire is a portable fire extinguisher?
beware you need to get one that is designed for that type of fire using the wrong type could make things a lot worse
Why is carbon dioxide used in some fire extinguishers?
Which of the following is a good technique when using a fire extinguisher?
The best technique is to let someone who knows what they're doing do it. It's surprising to many people how hard a relatively small fire is to put out. When I was in graduate school we had a required fire safety class, and they set a 4 foot square pan of gasoline on fire and let us try to put it out. About half the class was not able to do so before their extinguisher ran out, and these were chemistry graduate students who understood the whole "how fire works" thing from a theoretical standpoint pretty well. Several people wound up blowing burning gasoline out of the pan, which obviously would have been really bad if the area around the pan hadn't already been cleared of anything flammable for a considerable distance.
For the record: aim at the base of the fire and sweep from side to side, not too fast and not too slow.
Not that that will likely help much; they told us all the same thing beforehand, and only about half of us were able to make it work anyway. The point they were making is that if a fire occured in your lab, unless it was trivially small, calling the campus fire department immediately was almost certainly a better use of your time than futzing about with a fire extinguisher.
Is a fire extinguisher required on a jet ski?
Yes, under US and Canadian Coast Guard regulations, any vessel having an inboard engine (or an outboard with any closed compartments aboard) must have at least one Class B portable extinguisher, i.e., a USCG-approved B-I.
Why is water not used in controlling electrical fires?
The main reason - is risck of electrocution. Water conducts electricity pretty easily. If the person extinguishing the fire isn't insulated, they could die from electric shock.
The most suitable extinguisher for electrical fires is dry-powder.
What do fire extinguishers look like?
The first fire extinguishers were buckets filled with water or sand. In some towns, the fire warden would walk the streets at night and make sure every house had a water bucket on the front stoop, ready to be grabbed on the way to a fire.
Should a dry chemical extinguisher or a pressure water extinguisher be used on an electrical fire?
You would not want to use a pressure water extinguisher on any electrical fire due to the possibility of electricity being conducted through the water and injuring someone.
A CO2, dry chemical or "clean agent" (e.g., "Halogenated") extinguisher would be a better choice for an electrical fire, knowing that dry chemical powder will make quite a mess.
Is safety equipment like fire extinguishers and fire blankets used to prevent accidents?
No, not really. Fire extinguishers and fire blankets are used to stop fires. The "accident" would have already occurred, starting the fire.
How long did it take to put the fire out?
It matters how big, or small the fire is. Small candle fires will take a couple seconds without oxygen and one with a blow! Large wild fire can take hours and even days to put out such a big fire.
When should you inspect your fire extinguishers?
You periodically check a fire extinguisher to ensure it will be ready and functional if you need it.
What should you do if you discover fire on board?
Stop the boat and position it in such a manner that the fire is downwind.
Would shooting a fire extinguisher put out a fire?
No. Depending upon the type of fire, there are other ways. For instance, a brush fire can be put out with dirt or water, but is generally put out by removing the fuel.
An electrical fire might be put out by simply turning off the electricity.
A fire extinguisher contains water or other chemicals and you can certainly apply water or chemicals to a fire without having them come out of an extinguisher.
How to start a fire in a fire bowl?
you get paper and role it up in to balls and place at thebottom then put fire lighters and then put sticks on top then throw some coal on and light from under the paper.
Or, if you don't want to use things that you don't need to, the easiest way to do it is to build a little structure. Get some small twigs and sticks and such, and build a little square structure like the way you would with Lincoln Logs-alternating levels of parallel sticks. Then, you need something to ignite the sticks. Paper will work, but so will dry leaves. Unless you want to get your spark from flint, a lighter will work fine. The leaves or paper will burn hot and quickly, setting fire to the sticks. From there, you want to add progressively larger pieces of wood, trying to keep the original structure you started with.
What type of fire extinguisher is used on a gasoline fire?
You need to use a Class B extinguisher on flammable liquids.
How much does a fire station charge to put out a fire?
In 98% of communities.. the fire tax paid by homeowners is given to the departments for compensation for stuff such as fire trucks, gear equipment etc etc. but as far as an individual department charging that doesnt happen
What does osha say the maximum travel distance is for a class a fire extinguisher?
75 ft, depending upon what you're doing.
For Construction Projects: 29 CFR 1926.150(c)(1)(i)
"A fire extinguisher, rated not less than 2A, shall be provided for each 3,000 square feet of the protected building area, or major fraction thereof. Travel distance from any point of the protected area to the nearest fire extinguisher shall not exceed 100 feet."
For general safety: 29 CFR 1910.157(d)(2)
"The employer shall distribute portable fire extinguishers for use by employees on Class A fires so that the travel distance for employees to any extinguisher is 75 feet (22.9 m) or less."
Note: Hose stations or sprinkler systems can be used to substitute for portable extinguishers under some circumstances.
For the record, the limit for Class B extinguishes is 50 feet. 29 CFR 1910.157(d)(4).
What are the contents of a DCP fire extinguisher?
basically in DCP (dry chemical powder) fire extinguishers mono ammoniumphosphate is used. but some more chemicals compound are also used e.g. sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, pottasium chloride etc.
Yousaf Imran.
Pakistan.
Which type of fire extinguisher should be used on an oil fire?
A Class A, B, C, or ABC fire extinguisher works wonders on several different types of fires. A is good for wood, paper, etc. B is good for liquids. C is good for electrical fires. Do not use a Class D, for these are best on metals (such as magnesium).
