|
|
Fire Extinguishers
A First Alert fire extinguisher may be the first line of defense in case of a fire in your
home, boat, car or business. With proper care, caution and preparation, many accidents can be prevented.
Sometimes all you can do is minimize damage or injury by preparing properly and having the right fire
extinguisher on hand. If a fire should start in your home, car, boat or other property, be prepared with the
right type of fire extinguisher from First Alert!
Fire Extinguisher Classifications
It’s important to understand
how fire extinguishers are classified in order to choose the correct model. First Alert offers a
wide range of residential, marine, commercial, and automotive fire extinguishers. The classifications
are categorized by A-B-C or a combination of the three.
- Class A - Fire extinguishers with a Class A rating
are effective against fires involving paper, wood, textiles, and plastics. The primary chemical used to fight
these fires is monoammonium phosphate, because of its ability to smother fires in these types of
materials.
- Class B - Fire extinguishers with a Class B rating
are effective against flammable liquid fires. These can be fires where cooking liquids, oil, gasoline,
kerosene, or paint have become ignited. Two commonly used chemicals are effective in fighting these types of
fires. Monoammonium phosphate effectively smothers the fire, while sodium bicarbonate induces a chemical
reaction which extinguishes the fire.
- Class C - Fire extinguishers with a Class C rating are suitable for fires in “live”
electrical equipment. Both monoammonium phosphate and sodium bicarbonate are commonly used to fight this type
of fire because of their nonconductive properties.
|
|
