Water fire extinguishers are the most common type of extinguisher for installation in Class A fire risk areas. In this helpful guide, we explain all about how a water extinguisher works to combat flames, when it should and shouldn’t be used and the types of premises that would benefit most from having one on site.

Which type of fire should water fire extinguishers be used on?
This type of extinguisher is used on Class A fires – those involving flammable solids, including paper, wood and textiles. A wholly water-based fire extinguisher, however, comes with a strict warning that it shouldn’t be used on electrical fires. That’s because water can act as a conductor of electricity and so it’s extremely dangerous. A water fire extinguisher should never be used on Class B (involving flammable liquids), Class C (flammable gases) or Class F (cooking oil and grease) fires either.

One of the most common types of fire extinguisher, a foam fire extinguisher can be used to fight fires that involve flammable solids and liquids such as wood, paper or petrol. Ideal for office environments, hospitals and schools, owning a foam fire extinguisher could be the difference between a minor fire and catastrophic devastation.

Here, we explain how you can best combat a fire with a foam fire extinguisher.

Which type of fire should a foam extinguisher be used on?
If you’re an employer, home owner, landlord or an occupier it is essential you have the right fire extinguisher for your surroundings, and for the safety of the people around you. Most commonly used on Class B fires (flammable liquids), a foam fire extinguisher can also be used for Class A risk fires that involve paper, wood, textiles and plastics. Understanding what extinguisher to use on what type of fire is just as important as knowing what type of fires not to use them on.

A dry powder (or powder) fire extinguisher is multi-purpose and can be used on Class A, B and C fires. That’s why they’re also known as ABC extinguishers. A powder fire extinguisher is ideally placed in garage forecourts, commercial boiler rooms and large workshops. In this helpful guide, we take a look at how a powder fire extinguisher works and detail all the need-to-know information about this versatile piece of fire safety equipment.

Which type of fire should a powder fire extinguisher be used on?
This extinguisher is suitable for Class A (flammable solids), B (flammable liquids) and C (flammable gases) fires. It can also be used on electrical fires involving electrical equipment under 1000v. Never use powder extinguishers for fires involving cooking oil or electrical equipment over 1000v.

CO2 fire extinguishers contain pure carbon dioxide and are used mainly on fires involving live electrical equipment or those involving flammable liquids. In this handy guide, we explain all about how this type of extinguisher works, when it should and shouldn’t be used and which premises would benefit from one.

Which type of fire should a CO2 extinguisher be used on?
This type of extinguisher is the only one recommended for use on fires that have been started through faults in live electrical equipment. Carbon dioxide is safe to use on electrical equipment because the gas is non-conductive and the residue it leaves behind won’t damage electrical equipment or machinery. CO2 extinguishers are also suitable for Class B fires (flammable liquids like petrol or oil) but they should never be used on cooking fires because its powerful discharge could easily splash burning fat and fan the fire. They’re not deemed suitable for Class A fires (flammable solids) either.

Multi-class fire extinguishers are no newcomers to the market, but the MultiCHEM offers a new solution – a high-performance ABF rated extinguisher*.

The 34A rating gives the industry’s highest available A rating for a 6 litre extinguisher, meaning that the MultiCHEM can tackle a sizeable. Its 233B rating gives unsurpassed ability to tackle flammable liquid fires involving large amounts of fuel and a big surface area. Then to round it all off, the 75F rating enables this unit to be used on deep fat fryer fires up to 75 litres capacity.

All this in one compact and easily-to-handle unit? Yes – it’s the CommanderEDGE MultiCHEM.

In line with the true CommanderEDGE heritage, the MultiCHEM is well-decorated. Kitemarked to BS EN3, MED ‘Ship’s Wheel’ approved, and TUV certified, they also have passed the 35kVa Dielectric Test, making it safe for inadvertent use on live electrical equipment.