You have commonly heard the word “Fire extinguisher” when you listen to news about any fire incident. What is that fire extinguisher and what is its role in fire incidents? You will get the answer to all these questions in this article.
What is a fire extinguisher?
It is a portable equipment/apparatus that is used to blow out the fire on a small scale. It can be kept at home all the time or your workplace to avoid any damage in case the fire emerges. Fire extinguisher cylinders contain the substance that is poured onto the base of the fire and it hinders the chemical reaction occurring in the flame. This substance deprives of the oxygen in the flame and the fire is blown out.
There are various categories of fire extinguishers depending upon the substance it contains to put out the fire. Before going to the type of extinguishers and their use it is necessary to understand the categories of fire.
The fire has been classified at different levels by the experts and has defined particular extinguishers to blow it out. Following are the types of fire
Class A: It involves the fire of paper, wood, plastic, and other ordinary combustibles.
Class B: it involves flammable liquids like oil, paints, petrol, diesel, and others.
Class C: It involves fire emerging due to gases like propane, butane, natural gases, and others.
Class D: In includes combustible metal like aluminum, magnesium, and others.
Class E: It involves electrical fire sources like short circuits etc.
Class F: It involves fire sources of cooking oils, fats, and other kitchen oils.
How to buy a fire extinguisher?
It certainly depends upon the place of installation that which type of extinguisher should be purchased and kept for safety purposes. Most of the business industries keep more than one type of extinguisher to meet emergency situations. Carbon dioxide extinguishers are more commonly used along with ABA extinguishers. Their purchase is not enough only but to train the staff about its usage also matters. Management staff should know how to operate the apparatus.
If you want to buy an extinguisher for your house or business; always do a consultation with a well-reputed company. It will save your cost and bring you the long term benefit. “Synergy Fire safety” is a certified company and present in the market since 2009 with highly expert staff members. They produce quality fire extinguishers to fulfill the demand of business organizations, restaurants, universities, and other places. They are the best dealers of fire extinguishers in Lahore and gained a huge clientele. Many large industries are taking the services from Synergy Fire Safety regarding fire prevention safety. Their team provides online as well as live consultation about the best extinguisher for your place. Moreover, they also provide installation services at your location. By selecting this company, you will get a complete package from consultation to installation and training about their operation.
Types of fire extinguishers
There are various agents used to put out the fire except for water in fire extinguishers. Their selection depends upon the nature of the fire and burning material.
Water and foam extinguishers
Water or foam extinguishers have a bright red label on them. They use water mist or water spray to blow out the fire. It gives the cooler effect. They are widely used for “class A” fires. These extinguishers are an important part of safety equipment kept at restaurants, hospitals, educational institutes, or houses made up of wood material.
Dry powder extinguishers
Dry powder extinguishers are also called ABC extinguishers as they are used for class A, B, and C fire categories. The fire extinguishing agent in them is a mix of mono ammonium phosphate and ammonium sulfate. They are also widely kept at public places for safety.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) extinguishers
They have carbon Dioxide as a fire extinguishing agent. These extinguishers also capture the oxygen source and the fire stops due to lack of oxygen. They are used for class B and C fires.
Wet chemical extinguishers
They are commonly used for class F fires that arise from oil and fat source. The chemical in these extinguishers removes heat and stops the chemical reaction ongoing in a fire.