0
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 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.
How are fire extinguisher distinguished?
What 'type' the fire is.
The right extinguisher must be used for any fire.
Or, more importantly - it can be very dangerous to use the wrong type of extinguisher, such as one with water should never be used on an electrical fire.
What fire extinguisher to use for a gas fire?
A Class B fire extinguisher.
Below is an article about the different types of fire extinguishers.
What type of fire extinguisher is the best to douse a computer fire?
The most common are dry chemical extinguishers, which have the drawback of contaminating the circuitry if used. However, damage from the fire will likely be greater. The same applies to CO2 extinguishers, which can damage computers and peripherals with condensation from the air, and also damage circuit boards if they cool them down.
The ideal electronics fire extinguisher is the halon gas extinguisher, which smothers the fire without doing extensive damage. The drawbacks are higher cost and the likelihood of environmental impact. Europe and Australia currently restrict or prohibit Halon use.
Where should you aim a fire extinguisher when extinguishing the fire?
My dad s a retired fire fighter and the mechanisms he used were although more olden kind, they were similar to the fire extinguisher. In a life threatening situation you must not panic and aim it in the middle up of the fire, releasing the outer burning energy and then go around it smothering the fire.
HOPE THAT HELPS!!!
When should you receive your last check after being fire?
Each State in the Union has it's own laws. Please check with your state's government or a lawyer.
Why the fire extinguishers is painted a bright colour?
So that the fire extinguisher is identified in case of need. Also for accessibility of the fire extinguisher since it can reflect.
How does a Water Extinguisher Work?
a fire extinguisher work on the rule that a fire needs 3 things to burn 1. fuel (wood ,gas) 2. heat 3. oxygen with out any of these a fire will not burn a ABC dry chem extinguisher removes the oxygen while a hydrogen extinguisher removes the heat
What should you do if you discover a small fire?
Use an ABC fire extinguisher , cover it and starve it of oxygen , or you could dump flour or baking soda on it. NOT sugar. It will burn.
What is the height requirement for fire extinguishers on a boat?
According to some fire codes, such as NFPA 1, portable fire extinguishers of up to 40 pounds must be mounted no higher than where the top is 5 feet from the floor and the bottom is no less than 4 inches from the floor. Portable extinguishers over 40 pounds (and not on wheels) may be mounted such that the top is no more than 3 and a half feet (42 inches) from the floor and the bottom no less than 4 inches from the floor.
What are the four steps for using a fire extinguisher?
Answer by Regan Morben
Step one - Check gauge to see if it is charged, you don't want to go near a fire with an empty extinguisher,
Step two - Locate and pull pin near trigger. You cannot discharge the extinguisher until the pin is out.
Step three - Test extinguisher by discharging a small burst in front of your feet, once again you don't want to go near a fire with a non functioning extinguisher.
Step four - Approach fire and and aim at base of the flames, not the flames themselves. Sweep side to side until fire is out or extinguisher is depleted.
Which type of fire is a Class B fire extinguisher is designed to put out?
The purpose of having an extinguisher rated on class B fires is so that such an extinguisher is capable of extinguishing any incipient flammable liquid as designated in the US by the NFPA or in Europe and the rest of the world by BSI or EN3 reliance.
The problem with most class B rated portable fire extinguishers is that almost all of them are not capable of extinguishing all of the subclasses of fuels defined under this category of fires. For example, in the class B definition of fuels there are 2-types: Polar and Non-Polar fuels and under the Non-Polar category there are 2-divisions that clearly require separation because of their different properties requiring different extinguishing medias to neutralized them if ignited. This is gasoline, their heavier varieties of products, and their lighter products used as solvents versus grease and cooking oil medias that exclusively and safely require them to be extinguished by their own category of chemical that are designed to qualify under the "K" fire class ratings.
The only product in the world that can extinguish all the class B fires including class K is only available by the newest Technology and steam of fire extinguisher products known as FireStopper® containing the exclusive extinguishing agent PFE-FR™, a Non-Toxic, Non-Irritant, and Non-Agressive, all fire class effective fire extinguisher and media.
How many fire extinguishers are required on 18 ft boat with installed fuel tanks?
At least one USCG-approved Class B-1 fire extinguisher is required on any powerboat, unless it is under the following exception:
- "motorboats less than 26 feet in length,
- propelled by outboard motors and
- not carrying passengers for hire, need not carry such portable fire extinguishers if
- the construction of such motorboats will not permit the entrapment of explosive or flammable gases or vapors" [bullets added]
A UL-listed 5-B:C extinguisher, with 2 pounds of dry chemical, may provide the basis for the extinguisher, but it must ALSO conform to USCG-approvals (proper corrosion protection, labeling, mounting bracket, etc).
BCF fire extinguisher means a fire extinguisher containing Halon 1211;
A Halon fire extinguisher would be used where delicate processes or electronics near the fire would be severely damaged by residue of dry chemical extinguishers. It is sometimes better to use a $10,000 fire extinguisher than destroy a $500,000 piece of equipment.
BromochlorodiflouromethaneA person may use or store a BCF fire extinguisher if-
was manufactured or imported before 1 June 1990; or
(ii) was manufactured or imported after that date by an exempt person;
and
(b) it is used only for the purposes of extinguishing a fire (not being a fire
deliberately lit for the purposes of firefighting training).
(2) Subregulation (1) ceases to apply in relation to a BCF fire extinguisher on-
(a) the day on which it is next liable to be subjected to a hydrostatic test; or
(b) 31 December 1995,
whichever is the earlier, and the person who owns or has possession of the
extinguisher must, before that day, deliver the extinguisher to an office or station
What is the role of carbon dioxide in a soda-acid fire extinguisher?
You turn it upside down or strike a plunger (depends on model), to release sulfuric acid into the water containing sodium bicarbonate, resulting in carbon dioxide gas pressure. The pressurized gas expels the water/acid solution out the hose.
Of course, under most US and Canadian fire codes, this type of fire extinguisher has been obsolete for many years and must be removed from service immediately, if any are found.
What type of fire extinguisher on-board of a PWC?
PWCs and boats up to 26 feet must carry at least one B-I fire extinguisher unless exempt (i.e., Class A or 1, open, outboard motor, not carrying passengers for hire, etc).
A B-1 extinguisher may be a 2-pound dry chem, 4-pound CO2 or 6 quart foam, if properly labelled as USCG certified.
Boats 26 to 40 feet must carry two B-I or one B-II. If there is a permanently installed fire extinguisher system only one B-I extinguisher is required. For vessels 40 to 65 feet, three B-I or one B-II and one B-I extinguishers are required. Vessels in this class with permanently installed fire extinguisher systems are required to carry two B-I or one B-II extinguishers.
Vessels without combustible fuel onboard, no gasoline engine or no areas where vapors can be trapped are not required to carry a fire extinguisher.
What is a class d extinguisher used for?
No, hence them being Class D fire extinguishers they are only used on combustible metal fires. there are different class d extinguishers as well for specific metal fires no one class d extinguisher on all metal fires mostly very specific
What is the Minimum space around a fire extinguisher?
There should be about a 1 metre (or 3 feet) clearance around any fire extinguisher. This ensures easy access in a emergency situation.
