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A portable fire extinguisher is arguably one of the best, and cost-effective defenses against property damage from a fire. When used properly, portable fire extinguishers save lives and property by putting out small fire or containing one until the fire department arrives. At BFPE International we offer a full range of fire extinguisher products from the nation's leading manufacturer's; Amerex, Ansul, Badger

Types & Sizes of Fire Extinguishers:

Portable Fire Extinguishers differ by the extinguishing agent they expel onto a fire. There are a wide variety of choices available based on the type of fire they will be fighting. Portable extinguishers are also rated for the size of fire they can handle. This rating is expressed as a number from 

  • 1 to 40 for Class A fires (Class A fire) and 

  • 1 to 640 for Class B (Class B fire) fires. 

  • The "C" on the label indicates only that the unit can has been tested for use on electrical fires (Class C fires). 

  • Extinguishers for Class D (Class D fires) must match the type of metal that is burning. 

This rating will appear on the label -- for example, 2A10B:C. The larger the numbers, the larger the fire (of the specified class) the extinguisher can handle. No number accompanies and extinguisher's "C" rating. These extinguishers do not use numerical ratings. Extinguishers for Class D fires are labeled with a list detailing the metals that match the unit's extinguishing agent. BFPE International offers an extinguisher for every fire scenario - no matter what size or type

NAFED Technical Libraries

Portable Fire Extinguishers

 

 

OSHA Fire Safety Information

OSHA Fire Safety Advisor
1.0a Software

Ansul Manuals

Multi-Class Ratings
Many extinguishers available today can be used on different types of fires and will be labeled with more than one designator, e.g. A-B, B-C, or A-B-C. Make sure that if you have a multi-purpose extinguisher it is properly labeled.

1afe-ext_r2_c06.gif (7053 bytes) The dry chemical fire extinguisher is the most widely used of all types of extinguishers. There are three basic types of dry chemical extinguishers, each of which has advantages and disadvantages based on the hazard.

1) Regular dry chemical fire extinguishers use sodium bicarbonate as the extinguishing agent. The regular dry chemical fire extinguisher is effective on Class B & C fires. 

2) ABC (or multi-purpose) fire extinguishers use ammonium phosphate as the extinguishing agent. The ABC fire extinguisher is effective on Class A, B, or C fires. 

3) Purple K or potassium bicarbonate fire extinguishers are sometimes selected in lieu of regular dry chemical (sodium bicarbonate) extinguishers due to their greater fire extinguishing capabilities. Purple K extinguishers are effective on Class B & C fires.

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Carbon Dioxide extinguishers contain pressurized liquid carbon dioxide, which turns to gas when expelled. The main advantage of CO2 fire extinguishers is that the agent does not leave residue after use. This may be of particular importance if the fire protection is needed in areas with sensitive electronic equipment. CO2 extinguishers are primarily effective on Class B or C fires. Some other typical applications are:

  • Food preparation areas

  • Laboratories

  • Printing or duplicating areas

CO2 extinguishers should never be used in confined spaces as the gas reduces the amount of oxygen in the area.

As mentioned previously a Class D Fire is one that involves combustible metals or combustible metal alloys. There are basically two types of Class D fire extinguishers.

Type 1: The extinguishing agent for type 1 Class D is Sodium Chloride. The type 1 Class D extinguisher is effective at controlling magnesium, sodium, potassium, sodium potassium alloys, uranium, and powdered aluminum metal fires.

Type 2: The extinguishing agent for type 2 Class D is a copper based dry powder. The copper compounds smother the fire and provides an excellent heat sink for dissipating the heat of the fire. 

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Like CO2 , clean agent fire extinguishers store agent as a liquid, which turns to gas when it hits the air. Clean agent extinguishers are effective on Class A, B, and C fires and will not conduct electricity back to the user. Clean agent extinguishers act to extinguish a fire by cooling and smothering it (without thermal shock to delicate electronic equipment). These extinguishers are EPA approved and have low global warming (or ozone depletion) potential. Some typical applications include:

  • Computer Rooms

  • Telecommunications Facilities

  • Clean Rooms

  • Data Storage Areas

  • Irreplaceable document and art storage rooms

  • Laboratories

  • Offices (for protection of sensitive electronic equipment)

  • Boats and Vehicles

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Water Mist portable fire extinguishers are environmentally friendly, clean, and easy to use. Non toxic Water Mist fire extinguishers have no ODP (ozone depletion potential), it does not contribute to global warming, there are no environmental concerns about its atmospheric life, and it has no toxic products of decomposition. Water extinguishing properties are universally understood, it will always be available and it is one of the least expensive agents known.

Water Mist fire extinguishers are perfect for Class A fires, especially where a potential Class C (electrical) hazard exists. The unique misting nozzle not only provides the safety from electrical shock, but it greatly enhances the cooling and soaking characteristics of the agent. Ideal applications for Water Mist fire extinguishers are:

  • Hospitals

  • Health Care Facilities

  • Hyperbaric Chambers

  • Telecommunications facilities

  • Clean Rooms

  • Electronic Equipment Manufacturing Facilities

Stored pressure water fire extinguishers extinguish fires by providing a cooling, soaking stream of water (typically between 40 to 60 feet). The extended discharge time (40 to 60 seconds) make it effective for inexperienced operators to use on a Class A fire. In areas where there are likely to be freezing temperatures a anti-freeze charge may be added.

AFFF Foam fire extinguishers are typically used to fight Class B fires, but are rated to fight Class A fires as well. AFFF foam is perfect to apply to Class B liquid spills to prevent ignition.

FFFP Foam fire extinguishers are also Class A:B rated. FFFP foam is alcohol resistant and is effective on a wide variety of Class B materials such as alcohol, polar solvents, hydrocarbons, and combinations such as gasohol. Applying FFFP foam to non-ignited Class B liquid spills will seal the surface minimizing the chance of serious fire.

Wet Chemical fire extinguishers are the best restaurant kitchen appliance hand portable extinguisher available. The new extinguishers are tested and approved for Class K fires. They contain a potassium acetate based, low PH agent that was originally developed for use in pre-engineered cooking equipment fire extinguishing systems. The Class K extinguishers are tested on commercial deep fat fryers using the same type of fire test as UL300 pre-engineered restaurant fire extinguishing systems. The agent discharges as a fine mist which helps prevent grease splash and fire reflash while cooling the appliance. The Class K extinguisher is the ideal choice for use on all cooking appliances including solid fuel charbroilers.

A wheeled fire extinguisher is designed with a larger fire in mind. A wheeled unit allows the fire extinguisher operator to transport a larger cylinder to the location of a fire. The use of a wheeled fire extinguisher should be considered when any of the following is necessary:

  • High agent flow rates are required

  • Increased agent stream rate is required

  • Increased agent capacity is needed

  • Protection of high hazard areas are required

Fire-Rated Cabinets for:

Fire Extinguishers

Fire Department
Valves

Fire Hoses

Key Boxes

Paint & Ink Storage

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BFPE International represents the best manufacturers of fire rated cabinets in the world. With products from Knox, J.L. Industries, and Larsen's  we can provide the item to meet almost any specification. To obtain an estimate for a project you're working on please click here.

Thanks to the introduction of bar code technology tracking and record keeping of portable fire extinguishers is now an easy and efficient process. BFPE International has partnered with Facility Management Systems, Inc. to provide the FireProof™ Automated Record Keeping System. FireProof™ harnesses bar code technology with powerful PC software. The system helps you:

  • Record inspections and maintenance

  • Print reports documenting compliance

  • Schedule testing and other tasks

  • Eliminate paperwork and keyboard data entry