How to choose a fire extinguisher

Emergence of a fire-hazard situation occurs unexpectedly, and therefore it is necessary to be prepared for it. The best solution to this problem will be a compact fire extinguisher, which will not take up much space and is always at hand, and in the event of an emergency it will help to localize the source of fire. All that is required is to choose the right device.

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1. The best manufacturers of fire extinguishers
   
2. Types of fire extinguishers. Which to choose?
3. Options for the selection of fire extinguishers. What to look for?
4. Features of the choice of fire extinguisher for home
5. Features of the choice of fire extinguisher to give
6. Features of the choice of fire extinguisher for the car

The best manufacturers of fire extinguishers

The choice should be given to the models of those manufacturers whose products have been certified in our country and have the relevant documents issued by the fire authorities:

1. "Fortress"

2. "Pozhservis-M"

3. "Source Plus"

4. "Rospozoborudovanie";

5. "SAM-Spas"

The above-mentioned manufacturers are included in the unified register of manufacturers of fire-fighting equipment, and their products are certified and undergo regular calibration, which ensures operability during the whole period of operation. This is also indicated by feedback from users who had the misfortune to use fire extinguishers in real life, which can be found on the Internet.

Types of fire extinguishers. Which to choose?

All modern types of fire extinguishers can be divided into several conditional groups, depending on what principle of action laid down by the manufacturer.

Carbon Dioxide Extinguishers

Represent a tank filled with carbon dioxide, translated into a liquid state of aggregation under the influence of high pressure. During extinguishing a chemical reaction occurs, instantly lowering the temperature of carbon dioxide to -70 degrees and converting it into a snow-like form.

Virtues

• Extinguishing efficiency;

• Widely used in residential and public buildings;

• Suitable for extinguishing liquid and solid substances that do not burn without oxygen, as well as electrical installations for voltages up to 1000 volts;

• Large reservoir stock;

disadvantages

• Not suitable for extinguishing metals burning without oxygen, as well as high-voltage electrical installations;

• The toxicity of carbon dioxide vapors;

• Large overall dimensions;

Powder Fire Extinguishers

Compact models suitable for use in the field. Represent a tank with a special powder, placed in a container with a working gas. After pressing the knob, the ingredients are mixed, and a special foam is ejected from the nozzle of the fire extinguisher, which isolates the center of ignition from oxygen and thereby stops burning.

Virtues

• Compact size. Powder fire extinguishers are most often used in cars;

• Relatively good performance;

• Affordable price;

• Low weight;

disadvantages

• Not suitable for extinguishing objects that do not need oxygen for burning, as well as high-voltage electrical installations and electronic equipment;

• Demanding on storage conditions;

• It is not always effective in extinguishing strong fires;

• Do not have a cooling effect, so that the combustion process can resume;

Air foam fire extinguisher

The classic type of device that involves the use of water foam as a source of extinguishing an open flame. Used to extinguish fires of solids, wood, as well as all sorts of oily and paint-and-lacquer liquids.

Virtues

• Maximum time of action;

• No danger of re-ignition;

• Completely cope with the tasks assigned to them;

disadvantages

• Not suitable for extinguishing electrical wires and electrical installations, as well as all kinds of alkaline materials;

• Causes corrosion;

Refrigerant extinguishers

Models of chemical type, in which the main fire extinguishing agent is freon (the scientific name of the substance is hexafluoropropane). The principle of operation of such devices is to isolate sources of open flame from oxygen, which is replaced by a neutral halogen that does not support combustion at all. Suitable for extinguishing all types of combustion, including high-voltage electrical installations, as well as all sorts of valuable artifacts that need to cause minimal damage during extinguishing.

Virtues

• Effective;

• Allow to extinguish any and all sources of a flame, including computer facilities and high-voltage systems, without being afraid to damage them;

• Significant tank capacity;

disadvantages

• Enough expensive;

• Whimsical in storage and maintenance;

Options for the selection of fire extinguishers. What to look for?

In order to choose the most suitable fire extinguisher, it is necessary to determine the conditions in which one or another model can be used, identify the source of ignition that theoretically would have to be eliminated, and also consider the main criteria for selecting such devices.

Fire hazard class

In accordance with this criterion, all fire extinguishers are divided into five conditional groups:

1. A - fires of organic materials (paper, wood, textiles);

2. B - burning solids prone to melting, as well as all kinds of liquids;

3. C - ignition of gaseous substances;

4. D - burning of metal alloys;

5. E - fires in electrical installations;

In the case of the possibility of a combined source of ignition, it is best to choose universal fire extinguishers.

The duration of the device

Directly depends on the capacity of the applied tank. Its capacity should be enough for the assigned tasks of extinguishing fires with a certain reserve of capacity in case of a secondary fire.

Regularity of maintenance and verification

Depending on the design, all fire extinguishers require regular technical inspection and verification. It is performed every 1-2 years and indicates the suitability of the device for further use. After passing through the procedure, a special certificate is issued with the specified dates passed and the next verification.

Features of the choice of fire extinguisher for home

The sources of fire at home can be ignition of solid household objects or the circuit of the electrical wiring, and therefore a compact carbon dioxide fire extinguisher is more than enough. If in the house a large number of household appliances that are sensitive to the effects of carbon dioxide are installed, then a freon extinguisher should be preferred.

Features of the choice of fire extinguisher to give

Sources of fires that arise in the dacha conditions are almost always careless handling of fire or electrical wiring faults, and therefore a sufficiently powerful carbon-dioxide or air-foam fire extinguisher will be the optimal choice.

Features of the choice of fire extinguisher for the car

Due to the requirements for fire extinguishers when passing technical inspections of vehicles by the concerned special services, in choosing such devices motorists are limited to compact powder models. In some cases, this functionality is enough to cope with the source of ignition.

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Attention! This material is the subjective opinion of the authors of the project and is not a guide to purchase.