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I would like to know what are the best types of fire extinguishers to
buy for general purpose use in cars and at home, and how large should
they be. Also, I would like to have a link or two to suitable
websites in the UK that sell them over the internet.Hi dogbreath-ga,
Fire extinguishers carried in cars should be, according to various
Fire stations’ Websites, dry powder. Dry powder is a multipurpose
extinguisher, suitable for solids (wood, paper, etc), flammable
liquids, flammable gases and electrical equipment. It is not suitable
for oil fires though, including chip pan fires. Of course, it goes
without saying that fire extinguishers are suitable for small fires,
but anything bigger should be left to the professionals. They should
also be maintained regularly.
For car use, one Website recommends a one kilo powder extinguisher.
“For car fire protection opt for a minimum of a 1kilo extinguisher of
the powder type, keep it in the car, not the boot, and learn how to
use it.”
http://www.ourcar.co.uk/fire.htm
Remember that if you have a small fire extinguisher, there may not be
enough in it to extinguish a fire completely.
The Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service also recommend the use of
a dry powder extinguisher, although this deals with fires under the
engine.
“If you believe it is safe to do so, attempt to put out the fire with
a dry powder or foam extinguisher. If the fire is in the engine
compartment, do not open the bonnet but aim the dry powder or foam
through the radiator grille or under the edge of the bonnet”
http://www.rbfrs.co.uk/fsh_car_fires.htm
Odiham fire station recommends carrying a small dry powder canister to
put out car fires.
http://www.odiham-fire-station.co.uk/Safety/Vehicle_Fires.html
While researching, I did find a couple of sites that recommend the use
of halon fire extinguishers for use in cars. However, there are
several problems with these. First of all, they are more expensive
than other types of extinguishers, and they are also hard to find. The
biggest barrier to using a halon extinguisher is the environmental
affects of the gas, and extinguishers of this type are due to be
‘decommissioned’ in coming months. Many manufacturers have voluntarily
withdrawn the halon extinguishers.
“Under current European legislation the refill of Halon Extinguishers
will be banned from 31st Dec 2002 and all units must be withdrawn from
service and decommisioned by 31st Jan 2003.”
http://www.flameskill.co.uk/pages/news.htm
The Fire Safety Website contains more information about the phasing
out of halon extinguishers:
http://www.firesafe.org.uk/html/halon2.htm
There are also a couple of drawbacks to using dry powder
extinguishers; they are messy for a start. One Website, NSX Prime,
suggests that the older dry powder extinguishers may damage aluminium
and magnesium. However, the site does point out that the more modern
dry powder formulations are less corrosive.
http://www.nsxprime.com/FAQ/Accessories/fireextinguishers.htm
The UK Fire Service resources page also mentions some of the pitfalls
of using a dry powder extinguisher:
“Danger Safe on electrical equipment although does not penetrate the
spaces in equipment easily and the fire may ignite. Does not cool the
fire very well and care must be taken to ensure the fire does not
flare up again.”
http://www.fireservice.co.uk/extinguishers.php
In the home, according to the UK government’s ‘Fire Kills’ Website,
the best type of fire extinguisher to have is Multi-Purpose dry powder
or Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF).
“Multi-purpose dry powder or Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) are
probably the best choices. They have the fewest dangers and are
effective on many types of fire.”
http://www.firekills.gov.uk/protection/06.htm
However, the site also mentions some of the pitfalls of using powder
extinguishers, such as the fact that it does not cool the fire, the
fire may re-ignite or penetrate small spaces well.
Aqueous Film Foam is not suitable for electricity fires or chip pan
fires.
http://www.firekills.gov.uk/protection/06.htm
I have already mentioned above that dry powder is not suitable for fat
pan or chip pan fires; instead try a fire blanket, which smothers the
flames. Even Carbon Dioxide extinguishers are not suitable for these
types of fires.
The extinguisher table on Odiham Fire Station’s Website has more
detail.
http://www.odiham-fire-station.co.uk/Safety/extinguisher_table.htm
The site also has fire safety tips for in the home.
http://www.odiham-fire-station.co.uk/Safety/Homesafe.html
A fellow researcher with experience in this field, till-ga, has
recommended that the size of the fire extinguisher be about six
litres, instead of the smaller two litre canisters.
If you want to buy fire extinguishers online, there are several
resources.
MFS Fire Extinguishers
http://www.mfs-fire-extinguishers.co.uk/
Expressfire.co.uk
http://www.expressfire.co.uk/
Kidde Home & Car fire extinguishers
http://www.safelincs.co.uk/products/fire-extinguishers.htm
Search terms used:
“fire extinguishers+home”
“fire extinguishers+car”
“Fire extinguishers+halon”
“fire safety”
I hope this helps.
If you require clarification, please ask and I will be happy to help.
Thanks,
cobrien-ga#If you have any other info about this subject , Please add it free.# |
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