How to Differentiate Between Wet and Dry Chemical Fire Extinguishers

Advancements in fire extinguisher technology have developed custom fire extinguishers. These fire extinguishers are designed based on the fuel type that is being consumed by the fire. The different fire extinguisher agents interrupt the fire triangle to suppress the fire. Three main elements of the fire(heat, fuel, and oxygen), which are crucial to ignite the fire, create a fire triangle.

A wet chemical fire extinguisher

It is a liquid substance that extinguishes fire by cooling or removing the heat. The wet chemical fire extinguisher also prevents the fire from reigniting by creating a barrier between fuel elements and oxygen. 

The wet chemical fire extinguishers come with a blend of potassium acetate and potassium citrate and these can be used on class K fires. Class K fires mean fire from flammable cooking media like vegetable oils animal fats and greases. Thus the wet chemical fire extinguishers can be used in restaurants, kitchens, and food busses. When the liquid chemical comes in contact with the cooking media, it produces foam in order to cool down the temperature and prevent the reigniting.

Advantages

·         It provides a fast reduction during the event of a class K fire and leaves a soapy barrier that controls the ignition.

·         It is the best choice to use for kitchen fires due to its dual mechanism. It disrupts the fire triangle and prevents the fire from reigniting.

·         Wet chemical fire extinguishers discharge the wet chemical with a lower pressure so it doesn’t cause splattering of the burning oil.

Disadvantages

·         The solution inside the wet chemical fire extinguisher is alkaline so it can corrode some metals like aluminum. It can also cause a burning sensation in the eyes and skin. Cleaning right away is highly recommended and it is not suitable for electrical fires.

Dry chemical fire extinguisher

The dry chemical fire extinguisher contains a substance of powdery texture. It extinguishes fire by smothering it and preventing the chemical reaction by creating a barrier between fuel and oxygen. 

These fire extinguishers include sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, and monoammonium phosphate. The dry chemical fire extinguishers are used to combat class A, B, and C fires. Class A fire includes usual fires such as from wood, paper, cloth, and trash. Class B fire includes fires from inflammable or combustible liquid such as oil, gasoline, greases, solvents, alcohol, and, lacquers. Now move on to the class C fires, which include fires from electricity such as fires occurring from overloaded electrical circuits and cables and short circuits in certain equipment and machines.

Advantages

·         The most common dry chemical fire extinguisher is ABC chemical which is effective to use on three types of fire (A, B, and C).

·         It can be used in fire events where the wet chemical extinguisher can cause significant damage such as electronics.

·         A dry chemical suppression needs less storage space than a wet suppression system.

Disadvantages

·         If the dry chemical is used in a suspension system, it requires recharge and refilling after each time the when the system is being activated.

Lastly, we can say that usage of both fire extinguishers depends on the type of fire. If you want to know more about the best chemical fire extinguisher, feel free to contact the experts.