Fire Extinguishers

Three Facts About Fire Extinguishers

A fire extinguisher is an active fire control device to protect property and lives against fire damages and is intended to be used in emergency situations. There are also many types of fire extinguishers manufactured today, such as the class A, class B fire extinguishers, class C, class D, and class K. Probably you’re wondering if there are more things to know about fire extinguishers, and in case you are unfamiliar with them. Let us give you the facts you’ll need to know before buying a fire extinguisher:

It’s Advised to Always Recharge After Using

Spray

Let’s say you just doused a small kitchen fire at home or work, and you feel like you’ve only used the fire extinguisher for a short time, normally if you’re using other equipment, you wouldn’t bother too much and just put it back where you found them, right? But that won’t be the case when dealing with fire extinguishers. Experts say we need to always top them up for every time we use them because the active compound inside can diminish quickly after being released upon the fire, and the content inside can dissipate over time, which will be dangerous if we run out when dealing with a fire outbreak in the future.

It Can Expire

Did you know that fire extinguishers can expire too? Yes, just like foods and medications, they too have a shelf life that you can find on the back of the tool. Typically, they can last up to 12 years, depending on how well you keep them. One thing for sure is they don’t last forever, and you should always keep that in mind whenever you see a fire extinguisher.

There Are Plenty of Types

The five main types of fire extinguishers that you should know have been mentioned above, and they are classified as water, foam, CO2, ABC powder, and wet chemicals. They are manufactured differently because there are different types of fires, such as:

Types of Fire Extinguishers

  • Flammable materials (wood, paper, textiles)
  • Flammable liquids (oil, grease, paint, gasoline)
  • Flammable metals (sodium, uranium, potassium, plutonium)
  • Gaseous fires
  • Kitchen combustibles (cooking oils and animal or vegetable fats)
  • Electrical fires

It is important to know which fire extinguishers to use depending on which type of fire you are dealing with.

The Takeaway

Remember that there are different types of fire extinguishers for different types of fires, and it will do you good to do a bit of research before making a purchase. We hope that you have enjoyed reading this as much as we enjoyed making it. Please don’t forget to share this article with your friends and family if you find it useful and informative.…

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