Fire acts very much like a living organism. It basically devours everything in front of it if it is not stopped. Perhaps you have seen or read about major forest fires that have destroyed hundreds and possibly of thousands of acres. Then you understand the concept that a fire is a monster that devours everything in its path unless it is contained. C02 extinguishers are a common way to kill a fire.
When a fire is allowed to burn freely, such as a house fire, it does so in a very out of control manner. In order to kill the hungry beast before it destroys your home and possibly harms your family or pets you need a way to smother them. The way a fire grows is it lives on fuel and oxygen, much like other living things.
Suffocating a fire involves removing the oxygen from the air it exists in. C02 extinguishers are intended to suffocate certain types of fires. C02 extinguishers contain carbon Dioxide; this gas is heavier than oxygen and takes it out of the air. By removing the oxygen the fire is living on these extinguishers suffocate the fire.
Most fires that occur within a home are either as a result of electricity or gas. These types of fires are known as Class B and Class C fires. Class B fires involve flammable liquids such as gas. Class C fires involve electricity, such as a spark form a poorly insulated electrical wire. C02 extinguishers are very effective with both Class B and Class C fires.
Class A fires such as paper and wood can be put out by being smothered by water. Water will not suffocate Class B and Class C fires. In fact it will do just the opposite. It will fuel the fire. As the saying goes water and gasoline don't mix and you should never put water on a gasoline fire. Many fires that burn in a home are Class B and Class C fires. For this reason it is important to always have a c02 extinguisher in your home.
The c02 inside of extinguishers is in a liquid form but when it mixes with air it transforms into a snow like substance that foams out of the extinguisher. This foam it what you see used most often to put out household fires that are caused by electricity or flammable gas.
When operating a C02 extinguishers it is important that you never point it at someone. Pointing the extinguisher down toward the bottom of the fire, pull the safety plug. This thin pin is in the handle to keep the extinguisher from going off inadvertently. Squeeze the lever and spray the c02 in sweeping motion side to side, like you would move a mop. When the fire starts to die you can start to spray higher into the far edges of the fire. Continue to do this till the fire has died.
A little known tick is to use a c02 extinguisher to chill beer. If you have warm beer and need it cold right away then you can actually chill it with a c02 extinguisher faster than any other method. Be sure to wipe the bottle off before drinking from them.
Jason Williams is an expert in fire alarms. If you want further information about CO2 extinguishers or are looking for a reputable fire extinguisher company please visit http://www.adt.co.uk
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