Fire Extinguishers

Fire Extinguishers

Types of fire extinguisher

There are many different types of fire extinguishers

• Water

• Foam

• Wet chemical

• Dry powder

• Carbon dioxide

• Specialised materials for Class D fires

The type of fire extinguisher you need depends on the class of fire you're most likely to experience.

There are 6 classes of fire:

• Class A (Wood paper plastics)

• Class B (Flammable and combustible liquids)

• Class C (Flammable gases)

• Class D (Fires involving combustible metals)

• Class E (Electrically energised equipment)

• Class F (Cooking oils and fats)

Choosing a fire extinguisher

The most likely type of fire to occur in your home is a cooking oil or fat fire in the kitchen. So if you're buying your first fire extinguisher, you should choose one for the kitchen that is capable of extinguishing Class F fires.

A Wet Chemical extinguisher is best for extinguishing cooking oil and fat fires. This type of extinguisher can also be used on most other classes of fire in the home. However, don't use wet chemical extinguishers on fires with a live electrical source.

While an ABE Dry Powder extinguisher is suitable for other types of fire in your home, you should never use it on a cooking oil or fat fire as the pressure from a dry powder extinguisher will cause the fire to spread.

Ideally, you should protect your home against the widest range of fire hazards with both an ABE Dry Powder extinguisher and a Wet Chemical extinguisher.