In order for the fight against fire to be as effective as possible, it is necessary to use the right fire extinguisher, which will quickly cope with its task and at the same time minimally harm the environment.
Fire extinguisher device
Foam extinguishers use foam from the air and a foaming agent as a quenching agent. The fire extinguisher consists of a welded steel cylinder of 0.8 mm thickness, a neck containing a siphon tube, a start lever, a rod with a valve, a spring, as well as a pressure indicator and a sealed safety pin, are welded to the upper bottom. A hose with a foam bell at the end is attached to the upper neck fitting.
The foam foam fire extinguisher has a charge in it. An inert gas, mainly carbon dioxide, is used to push it out. Foam is formed with the help of a foam generator - a bell-shaped bell of metal or plastic. A stream of air entering the device enters the mesh installed inside the fire extinguisher, which results in foam being thrown under pressure into the source of ignition.
You can still find chemical foam fire extinguishers in operation , but their production has been discontinued due to difficulties in use and insufficient work efficiency. Due to the presence of an acid-base medium, such fire extinguishers are highly susceptible to corrosion (the outlet opening often overgrows). To devices manufactured back in Soviet times, a nail was screwed onto the wire so that the hole could be cleaned of rust in a fire. Models of the post-Soviet period for these purposes were equipped with special studs.
Chemical foam fire extinguishers are quite dangerous to use, because the outlet must be cleaned before the start of the chemical reaction. If you are late, you can get a jet under high pressure. There are cases when a fire extinguisher could even explode.
User's manual
The most popular model is ORP 10. Such a foam fire extinguisher is most often used in industries where it is not possible to greatly spoil the interior. Before use, it is necessary to break off the protective seal and pull out the safety pin. When using the device, you must press the handle, thereby bringing it into action. Carbon dioxide when it enters the cylinder will create excess pressure, will push the charge through a siphon tube into the foaming agent. The charge, mixed with air, will create a mechanical foam.
In order to prevent sediment from forming in the charge, it is necessary to shake the foam fire extinguisher once every 3 months, if it is a mobile structure, swing it. Mobile fire extinguishers are brought to the source of ignition and mounted vertically.
Areas of use
Air-foam fire extinguishers are used to extinguish class A fires (burning of solids and materials) and B (fires of flammable liquids that can be ignited, or melting solids and materials). Such devices can not be used:
- in cases when the equipment is under electric voltage;
- for extinguishing fires that can burn without air (aluminum, magnesium and their alloys).
Foam fire extinguishers may be used at an air temperature of +5 ... + 50 ° . They are used only in temperate climates. At low ambient temperatures, the quenching solution may freeze. Because of this, in the cold season, a fire extinguisher needs to be transported only in a discharged form.
Security measures
The foam fire extinguisher operating rules prohibit:
- hit on the bottle;
- tear off the seal not to extinguish the fire;
- use the device if the valve breaks.
You cannot recharge the device yourself, you must use the services of certified specialists.
A foam extinguisher is safe for humans and has a relatively low cost, which depends on the volume of the cylinder.