Wet Chemical Fire Extinguishers And Their Uses

The world has certainly experienced some weird weather recently. Sydney in particular was the warmest place across the globe a few days ago, and bushfires have been on the rampage all around the country. This is why it’s important that everyone understand just how dangerous hot weather can be. Although the weather is mostly out of our control, we can certainly take precautionary actions to stay safe and healthy throughout the summer months.

Steering clear of the sun and staying hydrated are excellent ways to manage hot weather, however it's evenly important to ensure that everyone take measures to improve their home fire safety. Being the most fire hazardous time of year, now is an appropriate time to evaluate your home fire safety by testing all fire alarms and other firefighting tools such as fire extinguishers to ensure they are in good working order.

Common Household Fires

Even though bushfires bring about tremendous amounts of damage to properties lying in their path, many people don't know that the most common cause of household fires actually take place in the kitchen. If cooking is left unattended, then it’s possible for cooking or grease fires to ignite which are very dangerous because lots of folks assume that they can extinguish them with water. Doing this will not extinguish the fire, but intensify an already dangerous predicament by spreading the oil and fire to other parts of the kitchen. The most effective ways to extinguish cooking fires is either using a Fire Blanket, or a Wet Chemical Fire Extinguisher.

Before we explore this topic any further, it is crucial to understand basic fire safety and the actions you should take when faced with a fire in your home. Notifying emergency services and evacuating all residents is the first action you should take before attempting to douse a cooking fire. Furthermore, you should only use a fire extinguisher if you know how to use one. If you don’t or simply need a refresher video, then click here for an online tutorial.

Classes of Fires

In conjunction with basic fire safety, it's equally important to understand the different types or ‘classes of fires’ so you can properly gauge which fire extinguishers should be used for certain types of fires. Each fire extinguisher is different, and using the wrong fire extinguisher can be very damaging, for example using a Water Fire Extinguisher to douse an electrical fire.

Class A - Carbon based materials, for instance wood, rubber, plastic, paper, and textiles

Class B - Combustible and flammable liquids, such as petrol, oil, and paint

Class C - Combustible gases, such as butane, propane, and methane

Class D - Combustible metals, for example aluminium and magnesium

Electrical fires - Electrical equipment, for instance computers, mobile phones, and hair dryers

Class F - Cooking fires, for example fats and vegetable oils

Types of Fire Extinguishers

In Australia, there are five types of fire extinguishers available that are effective at dousing each class of fire. The following table lists each of these fire extinguishers, how to differentiate between fire extinguishers, and which extinguishers are appropriate for certain classes of fires.

Type of Fire Extinguisher	Colour of Band	Suitable For (Classes of Fires)
Wet Chemical	Oatmeal	A, F
CO2	Black	B, Electrical fires
Water	None (All Red)	A
Dry Powder	White	A, B, C, Electrical fires
Foam	Blue	A, B

Wet Chemical Fire Extinguishers

The most important aspect about Wet Chemical Fire Extinguishers that you should know is that they are the only fire extinguisher that are effective at suppressing a cooking fire. Considering that cooking fires are the leading cause of household fires, it's certainly a wise idea to have this type of fire extinguisher nestled somewhere near the entrance of your kitchen. Wet Chemical Fire Extinguishers are also efficient at extinguishing Class A fires, like paper, wood, rubber, plastic, and textiles, which are other common sources of household fires.

Certified & Approved to AS/NZS 1841.3, Wet Chemical Fire Extinguishers consist of a solution of potassium acetate, which is discharged as a fine mist. The solution rapidly drowns the flames, cools down the burning oil and chemically reacts to seal the surface with a soapy substance which prevents the fire from reigniting again. Most importantly, the solution also helps to stop spreading the oil to other places of the kitchen.

Wet Chemical Fire Extinguishers are versatile fire extinguishers that can avoid tremendous amounts of damage to your home and contents. If you don't already have a Wet Chemical Fire Extinguisher in your kitchen, then you're not only missing out on an excellent investment, but you're also putting your loved ones at risk. For a variety of Wet Chemical Fire Extinguishers at cost effective prices, get in touch with King Fire Protection Solutions on 1300 344 966 or visit https://www.kingfire.com.au/ to see the entire range.