Fire Extinguisher Types

This article explores the three most common fire extinguisher types and the scenario in which you should use a particular type. It’s important that you learn how and when to use a safety device including fire extinguishers.  Obviously the more you learn the better prepared you will be in a life or death situation. Let begin by going over the three most common types of fire extinguishers.

The three most common extinguisher types are the Water, Carbon Dioxide, and the Dry Chemical extinguisher which in it has three classification ABC, BC, and DC classes.

The water fire extinguisher is also sometimes referred to as a APW or Air Pressurized Water.  They normally are silver looking and stand about 2 feet tall. If they are completely full they weigh in the neighborhood of 25 pounds. The APW fire extinguisher is recommend for use with Class A fires such as paper, cloth, or wood type fires.

One of the most important safety tips you need to know regarding APW extinguishers is that they are not to be used to extinguish a flammable liquid fires. Using a water extinguisher will likely cause the fire to be spread and will undoubtedly make conditions worse. Also try not to use an APW on electrical fires. Water is a good conductor of electricity and can potential create a condition where someone can get electrocuted.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Fire Extinguisher Type

The Carbon Dioxide fire extinguisher used pressurized CO2 as the chemical with which to suppress fires. CO2 extinguisher are usually identified by their red color and horn that is used to spray the carbon dioxide. They also have a pressure gauge. Co2 extinguishers can be small weighing 5 pounds or less or can be pretty big weighing as much as 100 pounds.

CO2 fire extinguishers work by displacing the oxygen that is need to keep a fire going with the non-flammable carbon dioxide. Another advantage is that when the carbon dioxide is released it is very cold so it also cool the fire. The best use of this type of extinguisher is for electrical and chemical fires.

The third and final fire extinguisher type we will look at is the Dry Chemical Fire Extinguisher. Dry Chemical fire extinguishers come in  3 classes. “DC” which stands for dry chemical. ABC means this type of fire extinguisher can be used for A,B, and C class fires. BC should be used for Class B and C fires only.

As we noted earlier all of these extinguisher types can be useful when in a situation where professionals cannot get to quickly.  It is important that you know how and when to use a fire extinguisher. Also make sure your fire extinguisher is checked yearly to ensure it will be ready when you need it.

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