CO2 Extinguisher Basics
CO2 extinguishers are a very common form of fire extinguisher that are easy to recognize with their iconic red tanks of bright red and long hose with a wide, hard tip. Although some dry chemical fire extinguishers a similar tank and colour, a CO2 extinguisher can be readily spotted by the absence of a gauge at the top of the cylinder.
This form of fire extinguisher is primarily effective at battling certain chemical and electrical fires and is particularly popular for laboratories, kitchens and storage areas. Because the gas that is released from these extinguishers only travels a distance of three to eight feet, carbon dioxide extinguishers are only effective at controlling or extinguishing fairly small fires. All CO2 extinguishers require regular service every five years in order to be both hydrostatically tested and recharged.
The first carbon dioxide fire extinguisher was the brain child of the Walter Kindle Company in 1924. Previous to the invention of the CO2 extinguishers, most portable fire extinguishers operated by the use of a variety of different chemicals that ranged from being mildly toxic to potentially deadly if inhaled. Interestingly, the Walter Kindle Company came up with the device in order to fill the Bell Telephone Company’s need for an effective method of extinguishing electrical fires on telephone switchboards.
Another factor influence the widespread adoption of the carbon dioxide extinguisher was the fact that it was considerably safer to use than the earlier chemical models. The dry chemicals that were used in the other fire extinguishers were known to cause toxic reactions in people in the immediate vicinity of their use that ranged from mild to deadly. In fact, the relatively harmless effects of the CO2 extinguisher are a big factor in the continued popularity of the device in the modern world.
Unlike other fire extinguishers, CO2 extinguishers operate by storing a high volume of carbon dioxide under great pressure and releasing that gas into a blazing fire. The force of the gas being released from the tank is so great that it pushes all available oxygen away from the fire, causing the fire to effectively suffocate. Additionally, the carbon dioxide is released at a temperature so low that small chucks of dry ice are known to shoot out of the hose, and this rapid temperature change helps lower the temperature of the fire. However, there is little guarantee that a CO2 extinguisher will completely put out an organically fuelled fire, so they are often used only as an emergency measure to control a fire for a brief period of time while waiting for assistance to arrive or evacuating the building.
CO2 extinguishers are actually not the preferred fire extinguishers of choice for many types of fires. CO2 extinguishers are particularly ineffective in battling Class A fires. Class A fires constitute all fires that are fuelled by ordinary, combustible material. Because CO2 fires do not push enough oxygen away from the fire for the necessary amount of time to extinguish a Class A fire, these fires can easily continue to smoulder and reignite. Instead, CO2 extinguishers are designed to put out exclusively electrical and liquid fuelled fires. In case of an emergency, these extinguishers can also be used to save a human being who has caught on fire.
CO2 extinguishers are regularly seen on television and film as a set prop. Because CO2 extinguishers are fairly safe to use, production companies often use them for extinguishing a stunt man when he is set on fire for the scene. However, actual fire rescue workers rarely use CO2 extinguishers for real life rescues in less absolutely necessary.
Matthew Kerridge is an expert in home fire safety. If you want further information about types of co2 extinguishers or are looking for a reputable co2 extinguisher installer please visit http://www.adt.co.uk
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