Having a fire extinguisher is crucial to the safety of your restaurant, your employees, and your customers. It is therefore important that you understand associated components and terminology so that you know how to choose a fire extinguisher that’s right for you. Pounds and Charges
The size of a fire extinguisher--the amount of extinguishing agent it holds--is most often measured in pounds, whil
e certain larger extinguishers like our Class K wet chemical fire extinguisher are measured in liters. Please note that either type of extinguisher must be serviced whenever its seal is broken, for any reason. Reasons may include: usage, aging, external tampering and more. Whether you have a rechargeable or non-rechargeable fire extinguisher, it is important that you have a certified company or AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction) service it annually. It is important to note that all fires are not the same. Fires can be fueled by a variety of different materials and, for that reason, are divided into different classes. It is important that you understand these classes so that you can make an educated purchasing decision when selecting your new extinguisher. CLASS A FIRES
Fires fueled by organic, combustible materials such as wood, cloth, paper, rubber, and many plastics. These fires pose a risk to restaurants with wood-burning stoves, campgrounds, and other outdoor venues. CLASS B FIRES
Fires fueled by flammable liquids, combustible liquids, petroleum greases, tars, oil-based paints, solvents, lacquers, alcohol, and flammable gases. These fires can be prominent in gas stations, bars, and chemistry labs. CLASS C FIRES
Electrical fires involving energized electrical equipment, such as short-circuiting machinery and overloaded electrical cables. These are a danger in breaker rooms, server rooms, or any area with a high volume of electrical equipment. CLASS K FIRES
A major danger in restaurant kitchens, Class K fires occur in cooking appliances that utilize a flammable cooking media such as vegetable or animal oils and fats. Now that you have an understanding of the different fire classes, knowing which fire extinguisher types to select should be a bit easier. For further clarity, explanations of the extinguishers offered at The WEBstaurant Store are listed below. Although people generally look for a class A fire extinguisher, class B fire extinguisher, or class C fire extinguisher, you only need one type to fight these three fire classes. Filled with a dry chemical agent called mono ammonium phosphate, Type ABC fire extinguishers can fight class A, B, and C fires. This agent is corrosive and, as a result, must be scrubbed off of contacted surfaces once the fire is out. These extinguishers are often found in homes, schools, and general office buildings. Class K fire extinguishers are of tremendous importance to commercial kitchens. Class K fire extinguishers contain a blend of Potassium Acetate and Potassium Citrate that is extremely effective in combating fires fueled by cooking oils (including self-heating unsaturated oils) and greases used in today’s commercial cooking appliances. This restaurant fire extinguisher sprays a mist so that the oils don’t splash and it creates a solid barrier between the extreme heat source and oxygen so that it will not be able to reignite. Halotron fire extinguishers will extinguish Class B, Class C, and in select models, Class A fires. While other extinguishers can leave a powder residue, the liquid dispersed by Halotron extinguishers evaporates before it can cling, does not cause static or thermal shock, and is non-conducting. These characteristics make Halotron fire extinguishers advantageous in offices, clean rooms, and storage areas with delicate electronic equipment. Decoding UL Rating
You will find a UL Rating in the title of the fire extinguishers offered here at The WEBstaurant Store. For example, an ABC Fire Extinguisher might have a UL Rating of 4-A:80-B:C. But what do these fire extinguisher ratings mean? The numbers in the UL Rating are a relative measurement of how effective a given extinguisher is at fighting certain classes of fires, based on proper fire extinguisher training. A: The number in front of the “A” measures the extinguisher’s water equivalency. A single A is equivalent to 1.25 gallons of water, so a unit with a fire extinguisher rating of 4-A has an equivalent of 5 gallons of water to battle Class A fires. B: The number in front of the “B” illustrates a relative measurement of how much square footage the extinguisher can cover. C & K: These letters indicate that an extinguisher can be used effectively against these fire classes. Now that you know exactly what the numbers mean, let’s observe how extinguishers compare qualitatively to one another. Let’s compare an extinguisher with a 4-A:80-B:C rating to one with a 1-A:10-B:C rating. Based on what you’ve learned above, you know that:
4-A:80-B:C is 4x more potent against Class A fires than 1-A:10-B:C.
4-A:80-B:C is 8x more potent against Class B fires than 1-A:10-B:C. Both extinguishers can combat class C fires. It is always a good idea to invest in a fire extinguisher for your company vehicle, but storing the extinguisher loosely can cause damage to the unit. Some fire extinguishers offered by The WEBstaurant Store ship with DOT approved vehicle brackets so that you can mount your extinguisher securely to one of the side panels of a trunk or beneath one of the front seats in your vehicle. All fire extinguishers that don’t come with a vehicle bracket ship with a standard wall mounting kit so that you can mount an extinguisher in a prominent location within your establishment. Sometimes, however, you may want more than a fire extinguisher wall mount get the most out of your extinguisher, and The WEBstaurant Store has the signs, labels, and other accessories you need. A top of the line vehicle mounting unit, our heavy duty vehicle bracket features a wide back and bottom with six 1” diameter rubber pads and a stainless steel pull-pin restraining strap for a secure fit. Our semi-recessed fire extinguisher cabinet offers the protection of a solid, enclosed space with the added benefits associated with a recessed construction. A fire extinguisher built into a wall is less visually detracting than one mounted onto a wall, and it also minimizes the chance for accidental damage in high-traffic areas. Our fire extinguisher cover offers affordable protection of your extinguisher within naturally damp/humid areas such as basements and steam kitchens. The cover is water and mildew resistant and is held in place by convenient, quick-release velcro fasteners. We offer fire extinguisher labels with a vibrant red background and lettering on top of a white arrow. These labels can be used directly over top of an extinguisher to call attention to its location from far away, or can be used to point employees in the direction of the nearest extinguisher. If you have an extinguisher in an individual room, you could also mark the door with one of our white signs imprinted with a bold, red fire extinguisher. When a fire ignites, it is natural to panic and have a lapse in memory. These signs help employees maintain their composure and shave valuable seconds off of locating the extinguisher when the heat is on.
