When most people think of fire, they think of a raging inferno. A firefighter rushing to the aid of villagers after a devastating wildfire. But what if we told you that there’s another kind of fire burning in the world that’s just as dangerous? A house fire? An oil spill? A car accident? Maybe not—but a lot more common than you’d think. These could be called “natural” or “man-made” fires — but whatever you call them, it’s something everyone should be able to manage with an extinguisher. Whether you own your home, manage a property, or are just an average joe looking to stay safe at home, knowing how to deal with an extinguisher is important. In this article, we discuss the different types of extinguishers and what each one does, as well as its potential dangers.
What do the symbols on a fire extinguisher indicate?
The symbol for a fire extinguisher is the circle with an arrow pointing to the right. The circle represents the extinguisher, and the arrow points to the right, indicating that it is used to extinguish fires. The symbol means that a fire extinguisher should be used when there is a fire in any type of property or structure, including residential and commercial buildings. The arrow points to the right, indicating that it should be used when there is a fire in a building. The circle with an arrow represents the extinguisher, which should be used to extinguish fires. The square inside of the circle represents the property or structure on which the fire is located.
What Are The Different Types Of Fire Extinguishers?
Dry Chemical
A dry chemical fire extinguisher is best used for fires that are small and that do not involve flammable materials. It consists of chemicals such as potassium bicarbonate (KOH), sodium bicarbonate (NaOH), or ammonium chloride (NH4Cl). The water-based chemicals in the other types of fire extinguishers can damage some materials, but not these ones.
Wet Chemical
Wet chemical fire extinguishers are best used for fires involving flammable materials, such as wood or paper. They contain a mixture of water and chemicals that neutralize the fire, like calcium hypochlorite (Ca(ClO)), potassium bicarbonate (KOH), sodium bicarbonate (NaOH), and ammonium chloride (NH4Cl). The water-based chemicals in the other types of fire extinguishers can damage some materials, but not these ones. To be safe, dry chemical and wet chemical are usually combined into one unit called a “multi-purpose” fire extinguisher; however, there are also separate types for each category: dry chemical and wet chemical sprayers in one unit; or dry chemical only units called “bombs.”
Foam
Foam is made with a non-toxic material that turns into foam when mixed with water. For example, you may have seen foam on planes to protect you from an explosion if your plane goes down in the ocean or on a highway. The foam also has a high heat resistance and low toxicity. It is used for fires that involve flammable materials such as wood or paper.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
A carbon dioxide fire extinguisher is another type of fire extinguisher that is made up of carbon dioxide gas and water. Carbon dioxide acts as a fire suppressant by cooling the flame, thus preventing it from burning the building further. It is used for fires involving flammable materials such as wood or paper, but other types of materials like dry chemicals or foam can be used on them as well.
Halon/Halocarbon
Halon/halocarbon fire extinguishers work in a similar way to carbon dioxide, but instead of using carbon dioxide gas, halon/halocarbon uses a halogenated hydrocarbon gas called bromochloromethane (BrCl2). Halon was developed in the 1950s and halocarbon was developed in the 1970s to replace it because they were more environmentally friendly and less toxic than its predecessors. They are used for fires involving flammable materials such as wood or paper, but other types of materials like dry chemicals or foam can be used on them as well.
How Does An Extinguisher Work?
- When a fire has started, it produces a lot of heat and light. This is why firefighters are called to put out fires like oil spills or car accidents.
- The type of extinguisher used depends on the material involved, but most fire extinguishers contain a chemical that neutralizes the fire, such as sodium bicarbonate (NaOH), calcium hypochlorite (Ca(ClO), magnesium chloride (MgCl2), potassium bicarbonate (KOH), sodium acetate (NaOAc), sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or ammonium chloride (NH4Cl). It also contains water as well.
- After being exposed to this chemically-neutralizing agent, the fire goes out because it cannot burn anymore because it has been neutralized by the chemicals in the extinguisher.
- For example, if a car burns and the driver gets out before the car is fully on fire, calcium hypochlorite will be sprayed into flames to put them out and stop the burning process from spreading to other parts of the vehicle’s structure and possibly causing an explosion that could injure anyone within a certain distance from where it is burning or on its path to where it is about to explode because of air pressure build-up caused by oxygen being consumed into chemical reactions within its engine blocks and/or fuel tanks when overheated from being too close to materials that burn in flames.
- Halon is a gas, which means that there are no pumps or other mechanical parts. It is stored in a cylinder from which it is released in bursts. It is mixed with the air and fire, thus neutralizing the fire’s fuel. In terms of the amount of time to reach critical mass, about 10% of the cylinders are commonly used for fires involving flammable materials such as paper or wood but not other types of materials like dry chemicals or foam can be used on them as well.
Extinguishers: Which One Should You Have At Home And Why?
- Aluminum Foam is the most common type of fire extinguisher used in homes and offices. It is cheap and easy to use, although it does require a lot of force to make it work. There are two types of foam extinguishers: dry (for grease or oil fires) or wet (water-based).
- Halon is a gas, which means that there are no pumps or other mechanical parts. It is stored in a cylinder from which it is released in bursts. It is mixed with the air and fire, thus neutralizing the fire’s fuel. In terms of the amount of time to reach critical mass, about 10% of the cylinders are commonly used for fires involving flammable materials such as paper or wood but not other types of materials like dry chemicals or foam can be used on them as well.
- Calcium Hypochlorite is the only type of extinguisher that uses a chemical reaction with water as its basic mechanism for working. The chemical reaction goes as follows: CaCl2 + 2H2O CHCl3 + Cl2 Therefore, calcium hypochlorite (Ca(ClO), magnesium chloride (MgCl2), potassium bicarbonate (KOH), sodium acetate (NaOAc), sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) will react with water and oxygen to produce chlorine dioxide which will react further to produce carbon dioxide according to this equation: 2Ca(ClO) 2 + O2 Ca(ClO) 2 + O2 + 4HCl or (HCl)
- Carbon Dioxide is a normal part of the air in our planet’s atmosphere since it doesn’t come from fossil fuels or from exploding nuclear reactors. It is also a chemical compound that is used in steel making and some other applications. The chemical reaction goes as follows: CO2 + O2 C4H10O4 + 2CO2
- Propane is a common liquefied gas stored under pressure in cylinders inside appliances like kerosene lamps, stoves, deep fryers, and grills. It has very low latent heat (heat required to melt it into the liquid state). However, its properties greatly benefit firefighting use because it can be easily stored safely inside cylinders and can also easily transport large amounts of volume at high pressure after being pressurized as well. Set which chemical reaction should precede which one down
Extinguishers: The Pros And Cons
- Pros:
- It is a very effective firefighting tool.
- It is easy to use and transport.
- The chemicals in it are very safe to use and have low toxicity levels as well.
- It can be used for other purposes like cleaning and extinguishing of small fires caused by malfunctioning appliances or electrical components, etc.
- The chemicals in it are colorless so they do not easily cause panic among people when fighting fires because they cannot see them as easily as other types of flammable
- Cons:
- It has a very limited life span depending on the amount of usage, which depends on its composition as well (for instance, calcium hypochlorite is more stable than calcium chloride).
- It is not very safe to use if it gets into your skin or eyes because it will burn you and cause severe irritation.
- It does not have a long shelf life (it can only be stored for about 6 months if kept in a cool and dry place) so after that period, it must be disposed of properly or else it can still react with water and generate chlorine gas which will be harmful to all living organisms around it.
- The chemical reaction can go wrong causing an explosion of sorts and causing damage in the surrounding area where there are people who may be affected by breathing in unwanted fumes from the chemical reaction itself (this can happen with any type of fire extinguisher but especially with ones that contain potassium chlorate).
Conclusion
Having a fire extinguisher at home can save your life. It can also help keep your property safe in the event of a natural disaster. The best extinguisher is the one you have at home and can use when needed. There are many types of fire extinguishers, and choosing the right one can be tricky. The best extinguisher will do the job when needed and will prevent fires from happening in the first place.
