Fire Extinguishers
Fire Extinguishers
Service
The maintenance of fire fighting equipment is essential to ensure that when called upon it is in the best condition possible to work efficiently and safely. Millennium Fire Protection provide this service and have available an extensive range of refill packs and spare parts to keep equipment in service for many years.
Portable fire extinguishers are serviced in accordance with BS5306 Part3 :2003 and manufacturers' instructions.
Annual testing and inspection is recommended, although in some cases (e.g. corrosive atmospheres, high risk premises) more frequent maintenance may be required.
Sales
All portable fire extinguishers supplied by us are manufactured to BS EN3: 1996 and carry the British Standard Kitemark. Each item carries a 5 year manufacturers warranty and come fully charged ready for use and with a wall mounting bracket.
Which fire extinguisher?
As part of our service to you, we will carry out a site survey to establish what your requirements are and how they can be satisfied. There are a number of criteria to beconsidered when choosing fire extinguishers including the type, size and construction of the premises, the occupancy and existing fire precautions and systems.
Classification of fires:
Fires are categorized from Class A to Class F depending on the substance that is burning. When choosing a fire extinguisher it is important to select the correct extinguisher for the type of fire that it may be used upon.
| Class | Definition of class | Examples | Recommended Extinguishers |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Solid materials mainly of an organic nature which normally burn to produce glowing embers | Wood, Paper, Textiles | Water, Foam, Powder |
| B | Flammable liquids and liquefiable solids | Petrol, White spirit | Foam, Powder, Carbon Dioxide |
| C | Flammable gases | Butane, Propane | Powder* |
| D | Combustible metals | Potassium, Magnesium | Specialist Powders |
| Fires involving electrical equipment | Computer, Toaster | Carbon Dioxide, Powder | |
| F | Cooking oil and fat fires | Chip Pan, Deep Fat Fryer | Wet Chemical |
*Only specially trained personnel should attempt to extinguish a Class C fire.
Extinguisher Types:
There are several different types of fire extinguishers,each are designed to deal with a specific type of class of fire, below are the descriptions for each.
Water extinguishers:
Water extinguishers are for use on Class A type fires, e.g. wood, paper and textiles. Some models have passed the electrical conductivity test making them safer for use in the proximity of live electrical equipment. However these extinguishers are NOT for use on electrical type fires.
Foam extinguishers:
Foam extinguishers are for use on Class A type fires, e.g. wood, paper and textiles and Class B fires (flammable liquids). Some models have passed the electrical conductivity test making them safer for use in the proximity of live electrical equipment. However these extinguishers are NOT for use on electrical type fires.
Powder extinguishers:
Powder extinguishers are multi-purpose extinguishers that can be used on Class A, B and C type fires. They are also safe to use on fires involving live electrical equipment.
Wet Chemical extinguishers:
Wet chemical extinguishers are a special type of fire extinguisher developed for cooking oils and fats. They are extremely effective and prevent re-ignition of the hot oil or fat.
Carbon Dioxide extinguishers:
Carbon dioxide extinguishers are primarily used for fires that involve live electrical apparatus as carbon dioxide gas is non-conducting. These extinguishers can be used on small Class B (flammable liquid) fires as well. One of the main advantages of carbon dioxide is that is leaves no residue after use and is referred to as a clean agent.
