The CO2 fire extinguisher

The CO2 fire extinguisher is the extinguisher of choice for electrical fires.

Lets explain all you need to know in our simple guide.

Summary:

The CO2 fire extinguisher is primarily used for electrical fires and is very often paired with the foam fire extinguisher.

The C02 fire extinguisher is also known as:

The Carbon dioxide fire extinguisher

The CO2 fire extinguisher uses:

Fires that involve equipment such as computers, or generators (‘electrical’ fires)
Fires That involve some flammable liquids, such as petrol, diesel, and paint (‘class B’ fires)

Do not use the CO2 extinguisher for:

Cooking fires involving oil and grease, such as chip pan fires (‘class F’ fires)

How to identify the CO2 fire extinguisher:

BLACK coloured label stating ‘CO2’
The nozzle ends in a distinctive black ‘horn’
Should be identified by an extinguisher ID sign fixed nearby – ‘CO2 Extinguisher’

Sizes of CO2 fire extinguisher available:

2 kg (most commonly used)
5 kg

How the CO2 fire extinguisher work:

The CO2 fire extinguisher discharge's CO2 gas, also known as carbon dioxide. This is stored in the extinguisher as liquid, and the gas is generated under pressure when the handle of the extinguisher is squeezed.

This causes the CO2 gas to emerge at a great speed, which is why CO2 fire extinguishers are not recommended for chip pan fires – they would very easily blast the flames into surrounding areas.

Unlike water and foam extinguishers, CO2 fire extinguishers do not work by cooling the fire and so are ineffective on fires involving flammable solids.

Instead, the CO2 extinguisher work's by replacing the oxygen surrounding the flames with carbon dioxide, meaning the fire can no longer burn.

The pros and the Cons of CO2 fire extinguishers:

Pros: extremely effective on electrical fires; they do not leave any residue behind when they are used.

The cons: It is less environmentally friendly than the other types of fire extinguishers; they replace the oxygen in the air with CO2 so the risk of asphyxiation if used in confined spaces. Please see the following link for a full article explaining the correct use of fire extinguishers in confined spaces.

Who would need a CO2 fire extinguisher?:

The CO2 fire extinguisher should be standard for premises with live electrical fire risk, such as:

Offices
Shops
Schools
Hospitals

The CO2 fire extinguisher is particularly suitable for offices where there is a lot of electrical office equipment. The Pairs of CO2 and Foam extinguishers are very often recommended for this type of environment, as this covers the vast majority of fire risks likely to be found in these type of premises.

Product Specification

Fire Extinguisher Type CO2 Based

Fire Class A Class, B Class

Capacity 6 kg

Body Material Mild Steel

Usage/Application For Offices

Discharge Range 4 Meter

Country of Origin Made in China