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Fire Extinguishers: Extinguish small fires yourself

Portable fire extinguishers are used to extinguish small and early fires. Fire fighting equipment can be used to fight many fires in the early stages and to stifle or otherwise extinguish the fire. Fire extinguishers are therefore recommended for private homes, offices, businesses, workshops, caravans, cars and summerhouses.

  • Fire extinguishers save lives and protect your belongings

  • How does a fire extinguisher work?

  • What was the difference between discharge extinguishers and permanent pressure extinguishers?

  • How do ich find the right fire extinguisher?

  • Which fire extinguishers are available?

  • What was the fire class?

  • How is a fire extinguisher used?

  • Important: Regular inspection and testing of fire extinguishers

 

Fire extinguishers save lives and protect your belongings

A forgotten candle, a flame caused by dripping fat while grilleing, or an accidentally left kitchen towel near a hot plate: Fires in homes have many everyday causes. Once ignited, the flames spread rapidly. Then it is important to act immediately. Fire experts assume that more than 90 percent of all fires can be fought with fire extinguishers if detected in time. Smoke detectors warn you, your family and your neighbors of the flames. Fire extinguishers can prevent worse in such situations.

Fire extinguishers are portable fire extinguishers with a maximum mass of 20 kilograms to fight small fires. Anyone can use a suitable fire extinguisher to contain or extinguish a small fire or an incipient fire until the fire department arrives.

Those who take the issue of safety, fire protection and fire prevention at home seriously should acquire one or more fire extinguishing types depending on the living area. We recommend that you use extinguishers, such as inside the living rooms, in the basement area, in the garage, at fire places and near barbecues. In establishments and public buildings, the number of extinguishers is prescribed according to the size of the plant.

 

How does a fire extinguisher work?

Fire extinguishers are filled with different extinguishing agents such as powders, gas, water or foam generators. Different extinguishing agents are offered for different types of fire (fire classes). For commissioning, remove the fuse on the extinguisher, press the impact button and use the extinguishing gun to transport the extinguishing agent from a safe distance to the seat of the fire. The agent is released with pressure. The aim of each extinguishing agent is to stifle the fire and to minimize possible property damage by using the extinguishing agent.

 

What was the difference between discharge extinguishers and permanent pressure extinguishers?

Fire extinguishers differ in the type of pressure generation and thus in their design.

Discharge extinguishers operate with two containers: A suction tank and a separate LPG tank. The extinguishing agent container is only pressurized when a valve is opened and thus "charged". Charge discharge extinguishers vary depending on whether the LPG cylinder is mounted on the outside or inside of the extinguisher. Discharge extinguishers are usually more expensive to purchase, but less expensive to maintain than continuous pressure extinguishers.

In the case of permanent or permanent extinguishers, the extinguishing agent and the LPG are located together in the extinguishing agent container. This means that this is always under pressure. Leaks can cause the permanent pressure extinguisher to not function, which is why many models are fitted with a pressure gauge (pressure gauge) for checking. More care must be taken when handling and storing permanent or permanent pressure extinguishers, but the permanent pressure fire extinguishers are cheaper to purchase.

 

How do ich find the right fire extinguisher?

Depending on the extinguishing agent and the associated extinguishing effect, the causes of the fire you can fight depend on. There are models against fires of solid substances such as wood, cardboard and paper, textiles, coal and Christmas trees or for fires of liquid substances such as petrol, petroleum, alcohol, wax and paints. Many, although not all, fire extinguishers can be used in fires involving electronic equipment up to a certain voltage limit, such as TVs, safety cabinets and kitchen appliances. Space-saving compact models are specially designed for extinguishing oil and grease fires in kitchens and catering establishments. These appliances can be tucked away inconspicuously in the kitchen area and are immediately at hand in hazardous situations when fat ignites in the stove or in a fryer. For cars, vans, trucks and construction vehicles, there are car fire extinguishers which you can also use for fire fighting in caravans and on motor boats.

However, an unsuitable fire extinguisher only makes some fires worse. Fat fires in the kitchen area, for example, must not be fought with a foam extinguisher. There are no legal requirements for the purchase of a fire extinguisher, so there are a few basic considerations to make sure that your new extinguisher meets your needs. This includes matching the erase area in which you want to use the device. For example, in a kitchen, a fat fire is more likely to occur than a metal fire. The storage location is also of crucial importance, as a extinguisher, which is permanently installed in the garage, may be larger than a fire extinguisher, which is to be carried in the car.

 

Which fire extinguishers are available?

Since the type of extinguishing agent is an essential criterion for the use of your new extinguisher, small fire extinguishers are usually named according to the type of extinguishing agent.

Powder fire extinguisher

The powder extinguisher uses ABC extinguishing powder, so-called gluten fire extinguishing powder, as extinguishing agent. The abbreviation does not refer to a specific chemical compound, but rather indicates that the extinguishing agent is suitable for fire classes A, B and C. The extinguishing powder in powder extinguishers prevents further combustion and suffocates the glow. The fine powder spreads over a large area and causes heavy contamination. Dry chemical fire extinguishers are available with nominal capacities of 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9 and 12 kg.

Grease fire extinguisher

Grease fire extinguishers use concentrated salt solutions that place a barrier layer over the grease, preventing burning and cooling the grease. Overheated fats can ignite themselves and the use of water as an extinguishing agent can cause fat explosions. Grease extinguishing systems are suitable for fire classes A, B and F. Like foam extinguishers with nominal capacities of 2, 3, 6 and 9 kg, fatty fire extinguishers are available.

 

Carbon dioxide fire extinguisher
(CO2 fire extinguisher)

Carbon dioxide or CO2 fire extinguishers use carbon dioxide (CO2), a non-combustible gas, as extinguishing agent and at the same time as a propellant. Carbon dioxide displaces the oxygen and suffocates the flame. CO2 is residue-free, does not produce any impurities and is therefore suitable for EDP rooms, but not for outdoor areas. Carbon dioxide fire extinguishers must never be used in metal fires, as there is a risk of explosion. Carbon dioxide fire extinguishers are suitable for fire class B fires and are available with nominal capacities of 2 and 5 kg. Carbon dioxide inhibits oxygen uptake and is therefore dangerous for humans and animals – CO2 extinguishers are less suitable for households.

Extinguishing spray

A gel based extinguishing agent is used for extinguishing spray. The fire extinguishers are very handy and particularly easy to use. Extinguishing spray can be used immediately in the early stages of a fire and is suitable for fire classes A, B and F. The disadvantage of extinguishing sprays is the small amount of filling.

Water fire extinguisher

Water and CO2 as a propellant are used in water fire extinguishers. Water as extinguishing agent is non-toxic, pH-neutral and non-corrosive, but may only be used in fires of Class A. Water-based extinguishers are available with nominal capacities of 2, 3, 6 and 9 kg.

 

Foam fire extinguisher

Foam fire extinguishers use a mixture of gas, water and foam as extinguishing agent. The foam carpet produced from the foam covers the flames over a large area and the impurities are kept within limits. Foam extinguishers are suitable for fire classes A and B. Foam fire extinguishers shall be provided with nominal capacities of 2, 3, 6 and 9 kg.

Extinguishing spray

A gel based extinguishing agent is used for extinguishing spray. The fire extinguishers are very handy and particularly easy to use. Extinguishing spray can be used immediately in the early stages of a fire and is suitable for fire classes A, B and F. The disadvantage of extinguishing sprays is the small amount of filling.

Blankets

Fire blankets are suitable for restricted extinguishing of very small fire pits.

 

 

Our practical tip: Mount the fire extinguisher correctly

If your new fire extinguisher has arrived at your home or in operation, what is the height of the extinguisher? Fire extinguishers must be readily accessible in an emergency – the Labor Regulations therefore require a mounting height of 0.8 to 1.2 m. This suspension is also recommended in private households.

It is best to point out the location of a fire extinguisher using the official signs according to ASR A1.3:2013 and EN ISO 7010 standards. In companies, these signs are even mandatory for standard fire safety labeling at the workplace and in public areas.

 

What was the fire class?

Fire extinguishers in Germany are subject to DIN EN 3 standard, which they must comply with. The DIN standard works with standard margins to categorize the different fire extinguishers according to their extinguishing capacity. DIN EN 3 gives you the assurance that your new fire extinguisher is suitable for fire protection and the types of fire and fire that you would like to fight with it. The fire extinguisher itself and the product description contain the words "fire extinguishers" and the following letters indicating the fire classes for which the device is approved.

Fires are divided into fire classes A, B, C, D and F depending on the burning material. Fire class A comprises solid substances, fire class B liquid or liquefied substances and fire class C gases such as propane, butane and methane. Fire class D stands for the fire of metals and fire class F for fires of fats and oils. This definition is not only important at the time of purchase in order to choose the right extinguishing agent. The fire classes also derive the colloquial name "ABC extinguisher" for a universal fire extinguisher.

Fats are treated separately in the fire classification because the use of normal ABC extinguishing agents may be ineffective or even aggravate the problem. Grease fires must never be extinguished with water.

 

How is a fire extinguisher used?

Each fire extinguisher has a user manual. Familiarize yourself with this so that you can use the fire extinguisher immediately in the event of a fire. Here's how it works:

  1. Call the fire department.
  2. Bring people around to safety.
  3. Remove the fire extinguisher from the bracket.
  4. Approach the seat of the fire at a sufficient distance. Always position yourself with the wind direction, never against the wind.
  5. Remove the fuse from the fire extinguisher, operate the hammer head or push the lever down, depending on the model.
  6. Next to the fire gun or fire extinguisher in your hand and aim toward the fire.
  7. Direct the jet of fire directly at the source of the fire. For surface fires, start from the front and bottom. Drop and flow fires are extinguished from top to bottom. For larger fires, use multiple fire extinguishers at the same time, not one at a time.
  8. Observe the deleted fire until the fire department arrives and delete it again if necessary.
  9. If the smoke becomes stronger when extinguishing, leave the building immediately! Only a few breaths can lead to unconsciousness!
 

Important: Regular inspection and testing of fire extinguishers

To ensure proper operation of the fire extinguisher and the safety of the user in the event of a fire, fire extinguishers must be checked every two years. The test label on the fire extinguisher will provide information about the next visit. If the fire extinguisher has been used, it must be checked immediately. Fire extinguishers must only be inspected and maintained by trained, qualified personnel. In most cases, the name of the company that carried out the last check is located next to the test label. Otherwise, the manufacturer of the extinguisher, the Federal Association of Fire Protection Specialists or the local fire department is the right contact person.

 
This text is machine translated. Fire Extinguishers: Extinguish small fires yourselfPortable fire extinguishers are used to extinguish small and early fires. Fire fighting equipment can be used to fight many fires in the early stages and to stifl...