It’s always worth knowing exactly what extinguisher you need, based on the types of fires you might encounter. But the breadth of situations an ABC Powder Fire Extinguisher can apply to is second to none. That’s why I think it’s also worth knowing why an ABC Extinguisher might be all you need.
What are ABC Class Fires?
I think it’s a good starting point to lay out the details of the fire classifications we’re dealing with. This way, you can get an idea of why the ABC Powder Extinguisher’s ‘triple-barrelled’ approach is so impressive and all-encompassing. Just a hint though: the three states of matter might be involved.
Flammable solids fall under the A Class. This includes wood, paper (so cardboard too), fabric, rubber, and some plastics. So, common items found in homes and businesses are the thing to look out for here. And when these ordinary combustibles come into contact with a spark, or they reach a certain temperature, ignition is all but guaranteed.
Class B includes flammable liquids, otherwise known as a petrol station’s number one hazard. Petrol, gasoline, oil, paint, waxes, plastics, but NOT cooking fats and oils. These things create exceptionally dangerous fires. It gets especially bad if someone sprays them with water and scatters the fuel. Specific extinguishants are always important, but getting it wrong here can be beyond disastrous.
Class C fires are, drum roll please, flammable gases: hydrogen, propane, butane, the lot. In fact, when it comes to gas fires, powder extinguishers are the only type officially recognised for dealing with them. Just as a safety notice, do not try putting out a gas fire if you can’t turn the gas off. Get to safety, and call the professionals. But still, you need powder if you’re going to tackle one, so it doesn’t hurt to have it under your belt.
So, How Does ABC Powder Work?
Alright, time to get technical. ABC powder is a specially fluidised and siliconized monoammonium phosphate, but those are just big words; not what you need to know. The essential process is that when applied, the powder coats the burning material with a thin layer of dust. This separates the fuel from the oxygen in the air, halting the chemical reaction. The powder also extinguishes the above fire types slightly differently from each other. Let me explain.
For solids, the powder melts at approximately 180–200°C, insulating the Class A fire efficiently. For both liquids and gases (so Bs and Cs), the powder coats the burning surface, employing the process described above. That does pretty much cover it, but there is more to the ABC Powder Extinguisher than perhaps meets the eye. I’m talking about electrical fires.
Under the European classifications, electrical fires don’t have an official designation. The risks of tackling electrical fires are circumvented by ABC powder being a non-conductive material. While we still wouldn’t call it omnipotent, this fact does reinforce ABC powder’s status as an all-encompassing extinguishant. A position it can hold despite appearing limited to just A, B, and C class fires.
Then What Can’t an ABC Extinguisher Do?
I’ll head this up with something I mentioned earlier. Cooking fats and oils: these are Class F fires. This is important to understand, as one could reasonably assume they fall under the flammable liquids category. They have a higher flash point than other materials, and this needs to be reduced before actually stopping the fire. Powder extinguishers don’t actually cool the fire directly; they merely smother it, so high flash points are troublesome here. For these types of fires you need a wet chemical extinguisher, as it contains potassium salts that cool the flames. In a similar vein, lithium-ion battery fires (a very common fire risk found in most modern electronic devices) are also a no-go for the ABC Extinguisher. For those, we provide specialised Lithium-ion Battery Extinguishers.
And to give a more general notice, obviously, ABC powder can’t put out literally anything. Class D, for example. That’s combustible metals, by the way, for which you need a specialised dry powder extinguisher (not chemical powder like the ABC). And while it’s nice that they can tackle electrical fires despite that not lining up with what the name itself suggests, it is advisable that you stick to the four classes discussed in this article, and that you are mindful of the space you are using an ABC extinguisher in. The powder itself can be harmful if inhaled or on contact with the skin. This means that poorly ventilated or enclosed spaces are not ideal for ABC extinguishers. This can also be linked to reduced visibility during an evacuation, so being mindful of these things is extremely important.
But, as long as none of that’s a dealbreaker, I’m sure you can see how you’d get value out of an ABC Powder Fire Extinguisher. So if you’re interested, you can browse our range of powder extinguishers here. And if you want to know more about ABC extinguishers, then check out this helpful video:
