In this guide we give a brief overview of the commonly available Fire Extinguisher Types and the types of fires they are designed to address.
Water fire extinguishers
Water extinguishers are only suitable for Class A fires consisting of paper, wood, straw, coal, rubber, solid plastics and soft furnishings. They are the simplest, most common, and least expensive type of extinguisher. Some have an additive to make the water more effective and reduce the required size and weight of the extinguisher – these are a little more expensive.
Water extinguishers are the easiest to maintain variety and the least hazardous, since they only contain water. They cool the fire by soaking it and the materials with water. This extinguishes the flames, absorbing heat from burning objects.
They are commonly found in offices, retail premises, schools, hotels, warehouses and domestic premises. They may have spray or jet nozzles and are usually able to put out a fire completely. A drawback is that they cannot be used on burning fat or oil (Class F), burning metals (Class D), burning liquids (Class B) or electrical appliance fires.
Water mist extinguishers
The newest type of extinguisher. These very powerful, but smaller, devices exude an ultra-fine mist of microscopic ‘dry’ demineralised water particles. They are safe and effective to use on Class A, B, C and F fires, making it unnecessary to supply more than one type of extinguisher in most premises. Some are also suitable for use on electrical fires on equipment up to 1,000 Volts, such as computers and printers.
They work by cooling the fire and reducing the oxygen supply. These devices are likely to replace wet chemical extinguishers for the extinction of deep fat fryer fires, and leave no residue or collateral damage. Like water extinguishers, they are recyclable and do not contain any chemicals. However, they cannot be used on Class D fires (metals).
Water mist extinguishers are more expensive than water extinguishers.
Water spray fire extinguishers
Available in different sizes, water spray fire extinguishers are suitable for fires involving organic solid materials such as wood, cloth, paper, plastics or coal. Use on burning fat or oil or on electrical appliances is a big no-no.
Use involves pointing the jet at the base of the flames and moving it constantly and steadily across the fire until extinguished.
A jet nozzle is eschewed in favor of a spray nozzle, which creates a fine spray courtesy of the higher pressure. Hitting a broader surface area this extracts heat more rapidly. Surfactants can be added to help the water penetrate further into burning material.
Foam extinguishers
The foam smothers the fire in solids and liquids (Class A and B), but not in burning fats or cooking oils (Class F). They can be used on some electrical fires if they have been tested and if fired from 1 meter away. Two negatives for Foam Fire Extinguishers is that they leave a residue that has to be cleaned up, and they are more expensive than water extinguishers.
Dry powder extinguishers
These are suitable for fighting burning solids, liquids and gases (Class A, B and C fires). Specialist powder extinguishers are designed to tackle type D fires involving combustible metals such as lithium, magnesium, or aluminum.
They work by the powder forming a crust which smothers the fire and stops it from spreading.
Disadvantages are that the powder does not soak into materials and does not have an effective cooling effect on the fire, which can result in the fire reigniting. The powder is hazardous if inhaled, so they should be used in well-ventilated areas and are not suitable for offices and domestic premises. The powder damages soft furnishings, machinery, etc, and needs a lot of cleaning up after use.
They are generally inexpensive and powerful.
CO2 extinguishers
These contain only pressurized carbon dioxide gas and therefore leave no residue. They are suitable for use on fires involving burning liquids (Class B), and electrical fires, such as of large computer equipment, so are practical in offices. CO2 works by suffocating the fire and does not cause damage to the electrical items or cause the system to short circuit.
However, CO2 extinguishers get very cold during discharge, and those that are not fitted with double-lined, frost-free swivel horns may cause fingers to freeze to the horn during deployment. They can asphyxiate in confined spaces, and they are not suitable for deep fat fryers, as the strong jet from the extinguisher can carry the burning fat out of the fryer. Fires can quickly re-ignite once the CO2 has dissipated into the atmosphere, so they do not offer post-fire security.
CO2 extinguishers are quite expensive.
These are the only extinguishers apart from water mist suitable for Class F fires (fats and cooking oils) and are mainly used in kitchens with fat fryers. They can also be used on Class A and some can be used on Class B fires. They consist of a pressurized solution of alkali salts in water, which, when operated, creates a fine mist, cooling the flames and preventing splashing. Wet Chemical Extinguishers are more expensive than some others types.
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