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.
Cutting off the oxygen of a fire requires a method of suffocating it, much like you might smother someone with a blanket. C02 extinguishers cut the oxygen out of the air and so they are effective for killing some classes of fires.
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.
While normal combustibles like paper can be put by the use of water. Water will not work well with Class B and Class C fires. Water will only cause the fire to grow and get further out of hand. This is why it is important to keep a cO2 extinguisher in your home.
The c02 inside of the extinguisher is liquid but when it is dispensed it mixes with the air and creates foam. This foam looks like snow and is a form of dry ice. You have probably seen foam used to put out a fire, this foam was most likely c02.
To use a c02 extinguisher you need to hold the extinguisher out in front of you. Be sure to point it toward the fire but never in the direction of anybody. You should start by pointing the extinguisher toward the bottom of the fire. You will most likely find a pin in the handle. This pin a safety device. Remove the pin and press the lever to release the c02. Spray toward the bottom of the fire with a side to side motion. As the fire begins to die spray toward the outer edges of the fire and continue to spray the c02 until the fire has been put out.
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 home alarms. If you would like more information about CO2 extinguishers or are searching for a trusted fire extinguisher company please visit http://www.adt.co.uk
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