In modern life, one should always be prepared for any possible situation. Fire prevention must be observed both in a residential building and in enterprises. Fire extinguishers should be available in every apartment, car, production room. This article is dedicated to the topic: "Fire extinguishers: types and purpose." Consider what they are, where they are used and how they are used.
Types of Fire Extinguishers
The topic: “Fire extinguishers: types and purpose” is quite confusing, but if you study it carefully, it will be easy to figure it out.
According to the volume of the cylinder, fire extinguishers are divided into:
- manual - up to five liters;
- industrial hand - from five to ten liters;
- stationary and mobile - ten or more liters.
According to the principle of movement, they are divided into two types:
- Mobile - have a large volume, move them using a special platform. Such fire extinguishers are used in large industrial premises and in warehouses. Due to the volume, they cope well with large fires.
- Portable - mobile due to the relatively small volume. Usually used in small rooms and are not designed to eliminate a major fire.
Ways to feed content out
According to this principle, fire extinguishers are divided into certain groups. Content goes:
- under the pressure of gases that are pumped into the housing;
- under its own pressure of the extinguishing agent pumped in;
- under the pressure of the gases in the canister, which is built into the fire extinguisher;
- under the pressure of the gases resulting from the chemical reaction of the components that are present inside the fire extinguisher.
Types by type of work
According to the type of work, fire extinguishers are divided into two types: automatic and manual. The first are installed at a specific place in the room, which will be served by them. They extinguish ignitions automatically. Manual fire extinguishers are man-powered. According to this principle, all non-stationary samples work.
Types of starting device and types of substance inside the cylinder
By type of starting device, fire extinguishers are divided into:
- having a valve gate;
- pistol type;
- with start-up from a pressure source.
According to the contents of the cylinder, fire extinguishers are:
The main difference between fire extinguishers is not in the way they move and work, but in the substance inside. Different fillers are used for different types of fire. For example, a fire extinguisher that is effective in an apartment will be practically useless in a production room. To purchase the right apparatus, suitable for a particular room, you should be familiar with the types of extinguishing agent.
Refueling of fire extinguishers is carried out in special services that have the appropriate license. You should also pay attention to the expiration date. Such a period of a fire extinguisher can be from 1.5 to 5 years, depending on its filler. After the time specified in the passport has expired, the device should be recharged or replaced with a new one.
Water extinguishers
Such devices are used to eliminate Class A fires - the ignition of solid and combustible substances. They can be filled with water, a solution of chemicals. If on such an apparatus there is a note that water contains special additives, then a fire extinguisher is suitable for extinguishing combustible liquid substances. This is already a class B fire. Note that water extinguishers are only suitable for eliminating the fires listed above. They are the safest and most environmentally friendly of all types. It is allowed to use them exclusively at positive temperature.
Gas fire extinguishers: types and purpose
There are several types:
- aerosol;
- carbon dioxide (OS);
- carbonic bromoethyl.
Gas appliances are both manual and mobile. Hand during operation is forbidden to touch the handset, as this may be fraught with frostbite hands. Fire extinguishers of this kind can not eliminate the ignition of those substances that burn without oxygen (alloys of aluminum, magnesium, sodium, etc.).
Carbon dioxide fire extinguishers are filled with carbon dioxide. They are used to extinguish electrical installations that are energized up to a thousand volts and substances mentioned above. An OU fire extinguisher is also used to eliminate fires in rooms where the use of water is undesirable (museums, archives, libraries, etc.), because after use they leave almost no residue. Carbon dioxide fire extinguishers do an excellent job of burning flammable liquids in a fire area of up to five square meters.
Aerosol devices contain halogenated hydrocarbons. They are used to extinguish electrical installations, solids, and flammable liquids. They can not put out alkalis and substances that contain oxygen. Carbonate-bromoethyl devices operate on the same principle.
Foam Extinguishers
They are divided into two categories:
- foam fire extinguishers;
- air foam fire extinguishers.
Let us consider in more detail the topic: "Foam fire extinguishers: types and purpose." The foam apparatus has a wide range of applications. Except when foam can be a conductor of electricity. In other words, it is impossible to extinguish electrical installations that are energized by these devices. Such a fire extinguisher is filled with foam, consisting of aqueous solutions of acids and alkalis. For this reason, it is forbidden to extinguish alkali metals by them, because the reverse reaction will begin. Water contained in the foam will release hydrogen, which will enhance combustion. Such devices are mainly used to eliminate air-mechanical and chemical fires. They cope well with the ignition of solids, flammable liquids.
Air-foam fire extinguishers are used to eliminate the initial stage of ignition of liquid and solid substances. They can also not be used to extinguish electrical appliances, alkali metals and substances that burn without oxygen. The allowed temperature range for the use of these devices is 5-50 degrees with a plus sign.
Powder Extinguishers (OP)
The most common type. The OP fire extinguisher is used to extinguish almost any type of fire, including electrical installations under voltage up to a thousand volts. The exception is alkali metals and substances that can burn without oxygen. The OP fire extinguisher is filled with general or special purpose powders. The former are used to extinguish materials that contain carbon (gases, wood), the latter are used to eliminate ignition of aluminum compounds and pyrophoric substances. Refueling fire extinguishers of this type is done every five years.