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You probably know already that a smoke alarm is by far the best home-safety investment you can make. For as little as ₱500, a smoke detector can help you literally rest assured that a fire won't catch you sleeping.
But you'd like to take the next step in fire protection. Perhaps you'd like to be able to fight a fire before it spreads through your home. Should you buy a fire extinguisher?
Yes, provided you know when and how to use it.
Fire extinguishers can be a small but important part of the home fire safety plan. They can save lives and property by putting out a small fire or suppressing it until the fire department arrives.
But there's an important addition to that statement: Don't even think about buying a fire extinguisher until you've already got working smoke detectors and a good home fire evacuation plan.
Fire safety experts advise that you attempt to extinguish a fire only if you have first made sure that everyone else has left or is leaving the building, and that someone has called the fire department. Remember, lives are more important than property.
If those conditions have been met, you should pick up the fire extinguisher and attack the fire. Be careful to make sure that at all times your back is to a safe exit. You'll also want to make sure that the fire is confined to one area. If it begins to spread to other areas, such as walls and curtains, you should retreat from the room if there is a chance the fire could surround you.
You also want to beware of smoke. If the room begins to fill to the point that you can't see or breathe, you should retreat.
The prompt use of a home extinguisher can smother a small fire before it spreads, but fire extinguishers can be dangerous in inexperienced hands. Fighting an electrical fire with a water-based extinguisher, for example, could give you an electric shock, and trying to put out a large or rapidly spreading fire with an extinguisher is useless and could leave you trapped in a burning building.
A grease fire in a kitchen can be especially dangerous. If you catch it early you may be able to put it out. But if a grease fire gets out of control, it can easily send a kitchen up in flames within three and a half minutes, leaving little time to escape.
So if you decide to buy a fire extinguisher, take the time to learn a bit about its proper use.
What are the different types of fire extinguishers?
There are five main types of fire extinguishers:
Water
Powder
Foam
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
Wet chemical
1. Water extinguisher
These types of fire extinguishers will be solid red and will have the word ‘water’ printed across them in white text. They are your classic model: they dispense water at a high pressure to extinguish flames. Warning:do not use on burning fat and oil fires and electrical appliances. 2. ABC powder extinguisher These types of extinguishers will say ‘powder’ in white text over a blue rectangle, and underneath the rectangle will be written ‘ABC powder’.
As their name suggests, these are designed to combat class A, B, and C fires – those involving solids, liquids, and gases. The powder acts as a thermal blast that cools the flames so burning cannot continue. Due to their non-conductive nature, they are also suitable for fighting electrical fires. However, they do not effectively penetrate the spaces in equipment easily, so the fire could still re-ignite.
Warning: do not use on domestic chip or fat pan fires (class F).
3. Foam
These types of extinguishers are identifiable by the word ‘foam’ printed within a cream rectangle on their bodies. Foam extinguishers are primarily water based and contain a foaming agent, which has rapid flame knock-down and a blanketing effect – it smothers the flames and seals vapors so that re-ignition cannot occur.
Warning:these should not be used on any other fire classes, especially chip or fat pan fires. Most foam extinguishers will have had electrical tests performed on them, so foam is less hazardous than water if it is accidentally sprayed on live electrical equipment. However, they should still not be used to fight electric fires
4. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) These types of extinguishers can be identified by the text ‘CO2’ printed in white on a black rectangle. They also have a distinct type of hose unlike other extinguishers.
Carbon dioxide extinguishers are used for combating class B and electrical fires – they suffocate the fire by displacing oxygen in the air. Because they do not leave any substances behind, unlike other extinguishers, they are particularly useful for offices and workshops where electrical fires may occur as they minimize damage done to equipment.
Warning: they must not be used on deep fat fryers (class F fires). The strong jet from the extinguisher would propel the burning fat out of the fryer and spread the fire to surrounding areas. Also bear in mind that while carbon dioxide is effective at smothering fires, once the gas has floated away, the fire may re-ignite if the source has not been removed.
5. Wet Chemical These types of fire extinguishers are identifiable by the words ‘wet chemical’ printed across a canary yellow rectangle. It also has an extended applicator.
Wet chemical extinguishers are designed for combating fires that involve class F fires. They are effective because they are capable of dissipating fires that are of an extremely high temperature – namely, cooking oils and fats. Warning:wet chemical extinguishers are usually not recommended for class B fires – those involving liquids. Also, although they are capable of combating class A fires, they are not as effective as other extinguishers at doing so.
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