We have all seen them, some of us may have even used them. But have you ever thought about how exactly fire extinguishers work?
Even though there are different types of fire extinguishers for different kinds of fires, all fire extinguishers follow the same basic principle.
Fire safety experts at Red Truck Fire & Safety Co. share some insight into the inner workings of fire extinguishers as well as some basics of fire extinguisher use and maintenance.
Outside Looks
More often than not, fire extinguishers are red cylinders of varying sizes. They are red in order to be conspicuous and easy to find in a case of emergency.
On the top of the extinguisher are a nozzle and a safety pin which are used to operate the extinguisher, as well as a discharge lever. Pressing this lever actually releases the firefighting agent contained in the canister.
Seeing how there are different types of fire extinguishers for different kinds of fires, another important feature of these devices is a label which should clearly indicate how the extinguisher is used and what kinds of fires it is intended to put out.
Some kinds of fire extinguishers also have a pressure gauge which indicates that the device is ready to use, but not all of them have this feature, so if your fire extinguisher doesn’t have one, it is still a functional device.
The Body of the Extinguisher
On the inside, the fire extinguisher looks a lot like any deodorant spray can. It even works under the same principle. The pressure difference drives the agent inside to come out once it has been released.
The body itself is made of a special aluminum alloy which can endure the pressure. The other parts of the device, such as the nozzle, the valves, and the hose are made of less demanding materials, such as steel and plastics.
Inside the canister is a feed tube which drives the firefighting agent out of the extinguisher and through the nozzle and the hose to put out the fire.
How to Know That the Fire Extinguisher Is Safe to Use
All fire extinguishers need to be inspected annually and approved by a fire safety company. During that inspection, the fire safety inspectors need to replace the safety pin, as an additional safety measure.
Each inspected fire extinguisher will also be given an anti-tamper tag with the year of inspection printed on it. This way, you can know whether your fire extinguisher has been tested by a professional and approved for use.
How to Use Fire Extinguishers
There is a mnemonic device which should help you remember how to use a fire extinguisher – PASS.
Pull the safety pin, Aim at the fire (more specifically, at the base of it), Squeeze the lever to release the firefighting material and Sweep the nozzle from side to side to evenly distribute the agent to the whole fire.
There are courses for fire extinguisher use taught by fire safety experts and some professionals, like those working in restaurants, are required to have basic fire safety training. However, this skill is really useful to know and you don’t have to work in those industries to learn it.
Most people don’t think about fire and fire safety, but the reality is that fires do occur and that they can be very damaging unless put out quickly. If you are trained to use a fire extinguisher, you may be able to put out a small fire before it escalates and causes a lot more material damage, as well as potentially injure yourself or your loved ones.
