Any car owner knows that the car should have a fire extinguisher. But not everyone knows what kind.
In terms of its importance, a fire extinguisher in the car is an important accessory. As well as a warning triangle, first aid kit, reflective vest, a set of keys and a jack with a spare tire.
Fire extinguisher you may never in your life and will not use. But one day it may save you or your car, yours or someone else’s.
So we strongly recommend that every car owner carry a working fire extinguisher in the car. A car fire extinguisher should be in a place accessible to the driver. This will allow the driver to promptly use it for its intended purpose. What fire extinguisher must be in the car?
Everyone knows that oxygen is a prerequisite for the combustion process. Therefore, the principle of extinguishing a fire with a fire extinguisher is based on limiting the flow of oxygen to the seat of fire. To date, powder, carbon dioxide and foam fire extinguishers are used for vehicles.
Auto fire extinguishers can be different. They come in several types. So today, let’s determine what is by far the best fire extinguisher for the car.
Let’s start with the most common fire extinguishers – powder extinguishers. Powder fire extinguishers take first place in their popularity. The case of the powder fire extinguisher contains a specially made powder. This powder is pressurized with carbon dioxide, nitrogen or air. The exterior of the fire extinguisher is equipped with a pressure gauge. With its help, by the pressure of the gas concentrated inside the cylinder you can monitor the readiness of the fire extinguisher to work.
In practice, such a device requires periodic monitoring of gas pressure and expiration date of the extinguisher. To activate it, the lever must be pressed and the powder will be pressurized to the fire.
The second type of fire extinguisher used is the air-foam type. Air-foam fire extinguishers are quite handy and roomy. They are created on the principle of a small cylinder. To activate this device, it is necessary to remove the fuse and press the lever. At the same time, a foam jet comes out of the cylinder, extinguishing the fire. Due to its small size, such a fire extinguisher can be kept in the cabin and used to quickly extinguish small fires. In addition, the foam of such a device is not as aggressive to the interior of the car as the powder.
The third type used for extinguishing cars is a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher. It works due to compressed carbon dioxide gas. Its structure is simple: a working valve, a cylinder and a special nozzle to direct the jet of carbon dioxide in the right direction. Carbon dioxide, leaving the nozzle has a temperature of about minus 8 degrees. Thanks to this effectively knocks down the flames of fire.
But it is worth remembering that during its application you can get frostbite, so you should wear gloves. Also a dangerous concentration of carbon dioxide in the air for a person is 10% or more. Having inhaled such a mixture, a person stops breathing.
The main advantage of the carbon dioxide fire extinguisher is its sparingness to the elements of the car, so its elements practically do not suffer from the carbon dioxide of this device.
All car fire extinguishers are designed for one purpose – to eliminate fire in the car. Therefore, taking into account the properties of fire extinguishers and their cost, any car owner can always choose the best type of fire extinguisher for the car. In most cases, the seat of the fire in the car is in the engine compartment. You need to minimize the distance between the focus of the flame and the user before extinguishing the fire.
In our opinion, powder fire extinguishers are the best choice for the motorist. After all, they can put out almost any type of fire. This means that dry powder will fight fires caused by short circuits or ignition of fuel or organic combustible materials such as upholstery, paper, fabric and wood products that are an integral part of your vehicle.