CO2 Fire Extinguishers

One of our favourites, the CO2 fire extinguisher (AKA carbon dioxide) is required in most premises as CO2 fire extinguishers are the only ones recommended for electrical fires.

Also suitable for flammable liquid fires, CO2 fire extinguishers come in two sizes, 2kg and 5kg. This refers to the contents rather than the overall weight and, as CO2 needs to be kept under such high pressure, the container is thick but we use aluminium instead of steel to keep the weight sensible. Beware those who supply the imported versions made from steel that you'll find hard to pick up!

As they are manufactured by Thomas Glover & Company, our extinguishers have genuine full BSi Kitemark to BS EN3, BAFE (British Approvals for Fire Equipment) certification, CE Mark (an important legal requirement for the Pressure Equipment Directive - PED). We cannot stress how dangerous some extinguishers can be without the correct approvals.

Carbon dioxide extinguishers are used for Class B fires involving flammable liquids such as petrol, spirits, diesel, solvent and oils (not cooking oils), and fires involving electrical equipment (there is no Class E) such as computers, switchgear, night club or disco gear and machinery. You will usually need to have a Class A extinguisher such as water, AFFF or powder to accompany carbon dioxide and cover all risks.

Painted red with a black area at the top of the label, CO2 is easy to identify. The 2kg CO2 fire extinguisher has a swivel horn that should not be help during use as it can cause freeze burns but the 5kg CO2 has a hose and horn which can be held safely near the hose. Both need to be factory refilled and tested so remember that it is surprisingly cheaper to buy another one from us than to get an extinguisher engineer to come to you (ring and check the full price of a refill and call-out).

From the epoxy powder paint to the quality of the label printing, our CO2 extinguishers have no equal and uniquely have these three guarantees:

• 5 Year Manufacturer Warranty
• 100% Satisfaction Guarantee
• Low Price Guarantee

The base is flat for floor standing but all our extinguishers are supplied with a suitable wall mounting bracket for easy fitting. Where this is not suitable against partition walls, old plaster, historic buildings, glass windows, have a look at the range of extinguisher stands in coloured composite and chrome. Carbon dioxide fire extinguishers should be on the wall at one metre high or on fire stands.

Also, if design is your priority, why not consider the polished aluminium version. Whilst this cannot claim BS EN3 certification due to the lack of red paint, it is made with the same components and on the same line as the red-painted extinguishers so quality is still assured. This chrome CO2 fire extinguisher will look very impressive in a designer setting.

To comply with the Fire Safety Order, an extinguisher identification sign should be fitted above your CO2 fire extinguisher and all staff (including the boss) should have some form of fire training so you will know what to do if you ever need to use one on a real fire.